YEAR 17! Texans Grab 5th Seed! Rockets Lose Sengun, Demeco Speaks/Tatsuya Speaks

YEAR 17! Texans Grab 5th Seed! Rockets Lose Sengun, Demeco Speaks/ Tatsuya Speaks

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Ten o one in Age Town.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Good morning, and welcome to the start of year number
seventeen on the That Thomas Show now with Ross on
Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Togy for the six.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
I don't think Iron Eagle was possibly thinking that was
gonna be on his bingo card. He went with the
humongous human that touched down. I like that, That's why
he said the big man touchdown. He is excellent and
we had a great, completely off the record conversation. He's
he's really funny. You don't know it's side out that,

(00:56):
but you can tell you. He's even spicy on the mic.
He's sharp. Oh yeah, he's very sure. He's actually one
of the few Syracuse people who are complete pampus asses.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Hey MANI Happy New Year Year.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
And by the way, I say that it's the fifth now,
Larry David, you know, I believe that show is the
funniness ever made. Uh. He believes after January third, you can't. Well,
he's wrong. I try to buck that trend. I got
a happy I got a happy new Year. I got
at least to today. I feel like I'm going to
try to do a happy New Year at least through March. March. Yeah,

(01:29):
that's ridiculous. Eh, how many are speaking of ridiculous Matt
Thomas things? Hi, welcome to the show. Ten to two
Sports suck seven ninety How many? How many Christmas texts
did you send? Because for those of you who know,
Matt Thomas made this long, drawn out response to send
to people who text him Merry Christmas. Now I sent

(01:52):
I did it to you as a joke and I
got it back. Thank you. So not counting in a
rundown of our life. So so don't count me. Not
counting me? How many people did you send that lengthy
Merry Christmas message to? Less than five? Okay? So I
feel like either people don't want to wish me very
merried Christmas, or they listened to the show and said,
I don't want to get a twenty four line update

(02:14):
on Matt Thomas in his family's life. How do you
feel about that number? You wish it was higher? No,
it was very good. I wish everybody happy New Year
from New York. I wish her very merry Christmas from
Los Angeles. So did you? I believe you put your diaper?
You got it framed? Correct? Your new Year's diaper.

Speaker 4 (02:29):
Were you with me?

Speaker 3 (02:30):
We were talking about this. Yes, yeah. Everybody that knew
I was in New York's like, are you going down there?
I'm like, you talked about it on air? I know.
But when I saw the videos of people showing up
at like eight o'clock in the morning to get their spot,
and again, it's absolutely true. You literally, if you go

(02:51):
to the bathroom, you lose your spot. Because even if
someone says, like if you and I went together and said, hey,
let's hang on your thirty rows, I have to walk
through a bunch of amazing this is not gonna happen.
It's gotta be a system in place. There is no
chalk off squares or something. No, you can't. I mean
they you could certainly figure our way to buy a

(03:13):
square and make some money off of it. But they've
been doing this for decades and decades, even before Dick
Clark did it. I mean, they were doing in the sixties.
So it's not out of the ordinary. But yeah, it's there.
Was They said one point three million people were down there.
That's ridiculous. Get a life, people. I will tell you
what I did on New Year's Eve, as per usual,
even though I was in Houston. I went and had

(03:34):
dinner with a guy with some of the guys in
the traveling crew, and watched the end of the Miami
playoff game and was asleep by eleven fifteen. I stayed home,
and I was probably in bed by one. I was
in bed before one, but I was asleep by one.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
All I got was updates from my family at home,
because the dogs are losing their mind, and my dogs
are the sweetest things in the world. They hate two
days per year, really, sometimes three. They hate July fourth.
They hate New Year's even sometimes a mortal day gets
a little fireworky. Okay, you said you were with your children.
I'm sorry, No, I was getting updates for my children.
Oh okay. Do they call you at New Year's No?

Speaker 4 (04:08):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (04:08):
I used to call my parents at New Year's when
I was here. I was nice.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, I didn't do it this year. I felt bad
when I woke up.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Okay, we got so much to get to to no
matter of fact, I wrote my You know I've been
stealing these notepads from these hotels.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, you're so weird.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
People tell the people they're not even stolen, they're they're mine.
So any of you that go to hotels, so mag
goes to these five diamond hotels traveling with the rockets.
And by the way, shout out to my wife. She
was in San Antonio this weekend and she took one
for me from the hotel there. Really, so if you like,
I'll get you one from the extended's day next time
I'm there. It's like a it's a single sliver of paper.

(04:43):
I don't think that's much to do. Point being is this.
You go to hotels and you can probably see that
they have notepads and pens next to your phone, which
nobody ever used the phone except to complain about something
that's happening downstairs, or you want to order room surface
or something. Yeah, you have like this weird tick. Now
you have to take the pads, so I take the test. Yeah,
he's opening his backpack. He's got a stack of these notepacks. Well,

(05:06):
I actually put a lot of them. Here's here's the
recent stack. There's there's more there, and there's there's the ones.
Who can't you're a psychopath, Matthew. But what I've decided
to do is I've started to put our notes on
for the show. Okay, it's get a little bit of
like a cheat sheet. If you will, I got you so.

Speaker 5 (05:19):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
The point being is I take them everywhere I go.
They're not stolen, they're their mind to be used. I
don't know if they want me to take the whole pad,
but I do it anyway. You take the pens too,
They give you pens, yes, okay, nice, Yeah, I do
take pens from hotels for sure. Now the pensc you
can always use a pen, right. What I do is
I normally I take them to a renas with me
and then if I leave them and so it's no
big loss that didn't pay for the beginning. So okay, okay,
so let me I got my notepad out here, my

(05:41):
little pie. What does the show notes say? Show notes
say sexs number one Texans playing It was blank because
I didn't know what it was before I went to bed.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Last week?

Speaker 3 (05:49):
Was that Pittsburgh Bolter game that was all timer? That's
so crazy? Back and forth, Boswell misses the extra point
or blind it's blonde, and you're thinking, okay, first of all,
you can't trust Rice people doing anything except probably your taxes.

Speaker 6 (06:04):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
And then in Tarico and talks about the kid that's
kicking for Baltimore. Oh my god, we're beautiful. We're gonna
play it. Okay, it's a beautiful, flowery build up. It's
a huge build up. We're gonna play in the next
segment of the show. That just because this is why
Tarico separates himself from the rest. He does the research
he does and agreeing he's only working one game a week,

(06:26):
so I would think, if you're making all this money
to do the number one game, you should probably have
time to no backhanded compliments, mass full compliment. He eloquently
gave you the rundown of this kick. Yes, and then
he completely butchers it. I mean it wasn't even close.
It was the ball landed at Philadelphia four. I think, yeah,
very makeable, but I mean it was like a kicker

(06:46):
from Boise State, kidd, it was. It was that bad.
And then, because we are a sick society. What's the
kid's name from Baltimore, Tyler Loop, Tyler Loop? Yeah, Lop
had death threats on his Instagram account. Really yeah, talking
about his girl.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
It was.

Speaker 3 (07:05):
Again, look, people take shots at me and are ugly
to me. Yes, the green of salt, that's that's a
kid that obviously fits terrible about a situation. He literally
not that one play counts, but it's a pretty big
one play. It was a very makeable four I mean,
what are what are NFL kickers making it forty four yards?
Probably about seventy five percent probably, which means twenty five misses. Yeah,

(07:28):
so he was one of the twenty five. But he
happens submiss it in the very final play of the
NFL regular season. I mean, you ow a final play
of the regular season playoffs in or out? That's crazy.
So after that huge comeback fourth and Baltimore goes to
fourth and seven and Isaiah Likely, who's like stepped out

(07:49):
of bounds, he had some other one. He's been involved
in all these controversial plays, and then he makes the
big stretching catch to get the fourth and seven. It
was gonna be so poetic, and they missed the kick.
It is crazy, And say flowers in Lamar Jackson, I mean,
that first half was boring, af but that second, that
fourth quarter had one fireworkout for the other. And Lamar

(08:10):
Jackson throws it on a dime two different times, two
big bombs. Aaron Rodgers throws some deep balls, I mean
and then the missed field goal, which, like I said,
we're gonna play coming back here right results I think
for Houston Texans fans like myself, well, Vegas agrees with you.
It very early opened as a pick them, but that

(08:32):
changed very quickly to what believe the Texans are three
three and a half. So three and a half now
and I'm seeing yeah, total thirty nine and a half.
It's Texans ball. They're expecting twenty one to eighteen or whatever.
We're gonna be a heart at nineteen. We're gonna have
a hard to heart with Texans fans at ten thirty today. Well,
I'm a Texans battle red ross.

Speaker 7 (08:50):
Here.

Speaker 3 (08:50):
I'll be speaking to you and other people here. Let's go.
It's gonna be a warm heart to heart. It's not
gonna be scary, it's not gonna be down. It's just
gonna be kind of a I'm going to equate it
to uh, your daughter or your son going away to
college and what's expected of you when you leave that

(09:13):
kind of drunken partying and sex. No, you would not
tell it to your children, would you. Well you can
warn them about it. Well, I'm not gonna do that
because you can have you can have drunken parties in
Sex and Pittsburgh if you win, if you lose, probably
wouldn't be great. But that's a different issue. Okay, maybe
the analogy wasn't great, which is fine, mister analogy. That's

(09:33):
on the big oat cards, the big card. Check that off.
All right, Other things to get too, uh not that
we're going to go into individual teams. But my Twitter
timeline yesterday was flooded with crazy nil movement, including the

(09:54):
number one I guess free agent quarterback is going to
Texas Tech for five million dollars. Make it more than
Davis Mills. All right, mm, Rockets fell to the Mavericks.
That was not great. Alpi has got a bad ankle,

(10:15):
will not play tonight. And then we have Tatsunami. It's
that three times fast.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
No, I'm good.

Speaker 3 (10:26):
You're gonna have to say you're gonna do his Master's
on decks.

Speaker 4 (10:30):
I guess I am.

Speaker 3 (10:30):
I mean I'm gonna do something probably you. I'm gonna
actually more this year on tribute team player. Just Rockets
dumb money as many as I can't Oh, I love
that unless it is I don't.

Speaker 4 (10:38):
Like doing them.

Speaker 3 (10:39):
Tatsuya, That'suya is a megastar. Apparently apparently apparently, I mean
didn't get the big multi deals though we talked about.
He got a nice astroesque type deal to come to Houston.
Opt outs, opt outs, low number years, I salary, low years. Yes,

(11:02):
it fits. And then he went to the Texans game
yesterday and was beloved by the people that were there. True,
so got that to get to Uh, we have to
tell the truth. Today we have Demko's gonna speak at
eleven fifteen. Uh, Jonathan burstall happened New Year?

Speaker 8 (11:15):
To you?

Speaker 3 (11:16):
How we feel about the fee we're gonna get from
the Texans today? We film better about today than we
did a few weeks back. I think. So, I think
that we're gonna have a good and we're gonna have
a good press.

Speaker 5 (11:24):
There.

Speaker 3 (11:25):
We didn't say he didn't have a lot of confidence.
We didn't get it two weeks. Oh I wasn't. I
probably weren't here. So we need we need to exhaust
every avenue to get that. And then at one o'clock
today we're going to carry the Tatsuya Emi press conference.

Speaker 5 (11:38):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
Now, I don't believe he speaks a lick of English,
which is fine, but you will translate for us live. No,
I will not interrupt it because there's gonna be Dana's
gonna speak. I don't know if Jim's going to be
there or not. I don't know if Joe's going to
be there or not. But I think Scott Borough is
going to be here. Scottie bae, Scotti hashtag friendship mister

(12:02):
worldwide friendship. Astros are friendly now, Scotti b what's going
on with Hunter?

Speaker 2 (12:09):
Scottie?

Speaker 3 (12:10):
What's going on with Jeremy? Jeremy, It's Kyle tucker'scot trick.
We're at the counter year turn. We still have You know,
you gotta be feeling good about yourself already budgeted? Can
that be quite the turn? If I've been playing all
this sizzling hibachi and then I lost, I mean, how
much fried egg for fried rice would I have on
my face?

Speaker 4 (12:33):
Look at he's daydreaming about it, smiling.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
I'm going to take our fantasy football winnings mind for
finishing second place. Congratulations on second place. Fantastic year by
the by the Houston. John Robinson destroys me single handling.
I got beat one year. I mean it's a real shame,
but I mean he's really good. So it was no
surprise by the way his coach and general manager out.
That's interesting enough. Yes, all right, we got a lot
to get to. By the way, if you're with us,

(12:57):
it here at ten o'clock woo year seventeen, year seventeen
of the show starts today. Sixteen years ago. Yesterday was
my first show here on sports Talk. Said wow, and
you were with me or not with me? I was
with you for the first couple shows. I wasn't full
full time until the middle of February, but I was.
I was basically full time in weight. Do you have

(13:19):
any idea who my producer was for those days that
you were not with me? Early on there might have
been a Patrick Osborne in there to see nobody. No, no, no, no,
this too Inside base Inside Baseball, And now we got
Jonathan with That was only twenty one producers ago. I
was your producer until twenty nineteen, and then since then
we've had about eight. Yeah, it's been quite a few. Actually,

(13:40):
all right, set drives people away, and that's actually fair,
all right. Damiko eleven fifteen, Tatsuya Emi, I haven't written
down fanatically and I'm going to continue to say that
for a while because I just want to make sure
it just you know, rolls all the time, beautifully black. Monday,
Texans play the Steelers, and when we come back, Mike
Turiko builds a storyline for a lousy finish. Ten to

(14:01):
sixteen on Sports Talk seven ninety All right, it is
ten to twenty on The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
I do not know Mike Turko personally. I've never met him,
never interviewed him. And again, he is NBC's number one
broadcast for a reason. He's just his fastball has been
solid for twenty plus years later ESPN or NBC, there's

(14:24):
and if you're going to supplant Al Michaels as the
signature voice of a network, you better be really good
at it. And that's what Mike Rico's done. So Mike
Turrico has his one game he's got to work on.
He's just an NBA right now and he'll be doing
the Olympics stuff. But he had a chance to build
up the final minute in the final play of the game,
in the final minute, there was a timeout called and
it was just poetry, yes, until the verse just kind

(14:50):
of splattered. And here is how Mike Urrico called the
final play of the game. Taking one minute to describe
the final call.

Speaker 1 (14:58):
Harbaugh tell her likely how special that play was to
set up this moment for the rookie out of Arizona.

Speaker 3 (15:05):
The Ravens, of course, had Justin Tucker.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
For so long, the most accurate kicker in the history
of the league. Rodgers can't believe what he has just
witnessed might be the end for him. But they went
around the country and spoke to a lot of the
kickers who were coming out, and they decided Tyler Luke
was made of the right stuff for moments like this.

Speaker 2 (15:28):
He now has a chance to win the.

Speaker 1 (15:30):
Division for the Ravens the final play off the regular
season for the final.

Speaker 2 (15:36):
Spot in the playoffs, Tyler Luke from forty four said, fold,
hold you got kick and the feelers' exectate to the north.

Speaker 3 (16:03):
That's a cry sixty five thousand people, cold, miserable, cranky, smiling, crazy. Yeah,
great lead of Tyler loop was made for these moments.
They're selected for these moments and miss and we went
across the country. We had to go find somebody that
could kick the ball and was also a decent character,

(16:23):
unlike Justin Tucker could kick the ball, but a blouzy character.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
Oh man crazy.

Speaker 3 (16:30):
And again if you did not see it, wide wright
would be really a loosely used term. It was so
far right word. It was a hook. It never had
a chance on liftoff at all. It was headed. It
was headed, I believe in a easterly direction. Now, I'll
say this, And I got a little intelligence many many

(16:50):
many years ago from a former Texan kicker named Chris Brown,
who you and I used to do weekly segments together
with you. It was really a good dude. The hardest
stadium for kicker to make field goals is what they
used to call Hinz Field, like I think it's Akro
Sherfield or something like that. First of all, the grass
is I mean, it's cold, it's Pittsburgh. It's not growing,
it's not lush. If you watch the game at all,

(17:11):
it looked like it was a brownish tint to it. Secondly,
the wind swirls on one end of the stadium where
it doesn't on the other. But pound for pound, it's
probably the most that, along with Mett Stadium in New York,
is probably the two most difficult places for kickers to kick.
And the reality is this ross you've got a lot
of teams that now are playing in dome stadiums, that

(17:33):
you're playing at least eight, if not nine, ten to
eleven games inside dome stadiums where you can hit the
ball as hard as you want to. So I got
a notion that we're gonna be talking a lot about
kickers one way of the other next Tuesday on this
radio show week from tomorrow. Hmmm, that's your gut feeling,
because thing about Lady Fairburn's ready fairbird kicks six field goals,

(17:55):
six field goals. The Beast Chris Boswell has been doing
it for a long time in Witsburg. Yes, he knows
what it's like. It's they're two very less. I mean,
what's the ABU low scoring? What's the opposite of high octane?
Low octane? Yeah, low grain electricity. I don't even know.
But the PopCap offenses. I believe the over unders thirty

(18:17):
and a half in Vegas usually does a pretty good
job on that too, So which means gonna be a
low scoring game. It might be first to twenty that wins.
Point being is, I have a notion and I'll use
it tomorrow for my gut feeling that I think we're
going to be in a we're going to a field
goal decides this game, okay, which makes it betting even trickier,
especially if the line does not move. So I will

(18:40):
just tell you this and not again. I don't know
if very many people bet on the show. Again, we don't.
There's no way to tangibly decide how many people are
gamblers are not in sporting events. But if I was too,
if I was a better I would stay away from
this game because there's too much. I have too much
locally invested in it. Secondly, I do believe it's gonna
be a close football game. And third you never know

(19:00):
how the weather's going to affect games, especially for a
team in Houston that plays what at least nine games
a year inside. Well, this year they played the two
games in LA. They play the game in Indianapolis. Now,
they did go to Kansas City and one there. Yeah,
they're flying there, so they've they've won in some lessons

(19:21):
spectacular conditions. But I'm just saying it's going to be
a different animal. So that's why I would say, if
I was a betting man, which I occasionally do when
we go to Vegas, I would stay away from this game.
It seems like a stay away. By the way, if
you are planning to go to the game, like I
am a Texans fan and you want to go to Pittsburgh,
you want to go to Pittsburgh. I was looking at
the air first Thomas Travel Enterprises was busy. OK, thank you.

(19:45):
If you left Sunday came back Tuesday, you're looking at
about nine hundred dollars round trip.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
I'm good.

Speaker 3 (19:54):
It was seven hundred before the game ended. And then
whatever Texans fan has imagine there's not a lot of
X flights of Pittsburgh. No, there's I think Schmiden has
like three or four, and a Dark Breast has got
like one. Okay, but you can change planes. But they're
everybody is very expensive. So my point is that if
you are a die hard Texans fan, you're gonna prove

(20:17):
it because you're gonna be in that weather and you're
gonna be paying probably two grand for a wild card game. No,
not nobody, I wouldn't say, but forecast for Monday high
temperature thirty five, low twenty seven, that could be a
lot worse. Frankly, yeah, that's that sounds pleasant. And the
reality is this Pittsburgh's not good, but just not for

(20:40):
the football team of the city. No, no, no, the
both no no city is actually underrated. Okay, football team,
I mean the defenses. The defenses stout. I mean PJ
Watt was. I mean, I don't know how he was
able to have lung transplant and still like play a
month later.

Speaker 9 (20:55):
There.

Speaker 3 (20:55):
If you're going like QB one, RB one, w R one,
it's Aaron Rode, Jalen Warren and like Calvianos in the
third I don't know what DK Metcalf's looking like, but
he's is he ultimble to play?

Speaker 6 (21:06):
Now?

Speaker 3 (21:07):
It was two games, right that this was the second game? Yeah,
so I think he's is this the second game?

Speaker 4 (21:12):
Yeah? So he's back.

Speaker 3 (21:13):
Okay, Well, let's get a Texans fan flying up to
Pittsburgh and get him, call him by his name, starting
stuff with him, do whatever it takes. Yeah, all right,
when this radio program returns, a heartfelt wow, and we
need Jonathan need some some heartfelt music, soothing music you
would find but uplifting. Oh so can you find Rossmann

(21:37):
help soothing?

Speaker 5 (21:38):
Now?

Speaker 3 (21:38):
I don't want in a spa because that's his soothing
and that's quiet. What's wrong? With like I would wanted
if I was going to watch a Sunday morning church program,
you know where they go wake up with God? Or
is you know something uplifting? Okay, instrumental uplifting yet not
disco act, not not rock and roll, because I'm going

(21:59):
to give you a message of hope. Okay, the Reverend
Thomas is going to give you Texas fans the hope
ten twenty eight Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 6 (22:12):
Ah.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
This absolutely hits right here. Listen.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
Nice, Yeah, it's really nice.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
Need some hot tea.

Speaker 3 (22:20):
This is what you would want to get. Like I
went and got a shave yesterday. I don't want to
have this in the background with the shaven. It's not
too sad, it's not too It's just catchy enough as
it is for the moment, fresh and clean, Mattie, thank you.
Get a long road trip coming up. Hey, Rockets actually
do play home games. We have one tonight. I don't
know what. That's Tantas Center's house. Second, they've played the
fewest home games in the basketball right, it's not even close. Yeah,

(22:41):
thank god. I'll be home for a while after this one.

Speaker 4 (22:43):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (22:45):
I am your friendly midday radio host Matt Thomas to
my ride is my co host Rossfield RhE Island. We
are the Matt Thomas Show with Ross here on seven
Hunty Battle. Read this is for you and turn up
a little bit. Yeah you know, listen, that's on the
way home. I have terrific news for Houston Texans fans.
Of all the years the Texans have made the playoffs,

(23:06):
whether they be as an AFC South that plays at
three thirty, or as an AFC South champion that plays
at three thirty, or as a team that plays as
an AFC South champion at three thirty, this year's playoffs
are perhaps unlike any other, and I have a pluth
of reasons. Why One, your team has won nine consecutive games. Two,

(23:29):
you have the best defense your team has had in
the history of its franchise. Number three, you have no
Kansas City in the playoffs. Number four, you have no
Baltimore in the playoffs. Ross. Was there a world that
we ever thought that Kansas City and Baltimore would not
be in the playoffs together in the same year. Oh
there wasn't, Matt, and both of those teams have been

(23:51):
kryptonite to the Houston Texans that they have. Number five,
you're not playing at three thirty, you actually get to rest.
I don't have to worry about getting ahead of it
and being made fun of because you're always the early
game and a short week if you win. But that's
we'll get to that, come to that, cross that bridge
and we'll come to it. Yeah, why not. Secondly, Uh,

(24:12):
Nico Collins got some good rest yesterday.

Speaker 4 (24:14):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (24:15):
CJ. Stroud, not to his liking, got some rest in
the second half. Kimey fair Baron's leg it's seems strong,
ready to go. I'd be a little sore. I mean
he's getting a rub down right now as we speak,
and then his foots getting taken care of as well.

Speaker 6 (24:29):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (24:30):
And J.

Speaker 3 (24:31):
Stroud has been pretty good, as the lared Abould say.

Speaker 10 (24:36):
Pretty day.

Speaker 3 (24:38):
Pretty good. No, not elite, but pretty good. And the
most important thing I've got going for you, Houston Texans
fans is that the teams a top and in front
of you all have warts. Denver looks awesome, but it's Denver.
It's the first time playoff, second time playoff. Last year
they played the playoffs and look terrible. Their defense is

(24:58):
as good as the Texans are, it just is. But
his bonicks we really gonna throw for three nineteen and
four touchdowns?

Speaker 4 (25:04):
Not likely.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
Drake May is interesting. I think Drake May is going
to win the MVP Award in the NFL. He is amazing.
Rimondi Stevenson was catching everything out of the backfield and
rushing for touchdowns left and right. That Patriot team is
probably the most prolific in the AFC ain't even close.
But that's a first time playoff appearance. You know, at
first times like r CJ, go ahead, Matts job, you

(25:31):
get nervous.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
He May, you know, you may.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
You may be a little over excited, and you know,
crescendo too early. Hmm. I was thinking of it more.
That's right, that's okay, got to go with that one.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
Thank you. Then you've got Jacksonville.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
Now, Jacksonville is having an amazing season and they may
be the best team on both sides of the ball. Complete,
but it's still Trevor Lawrence. We've seen enough Trevor Lawrence
in our lifetime to know that he's due for a
one ninety four, three picks, one touchdown kind of game
and two fumbles.

Speaker 2 (26:03):
And the Texans have the Jacksonville.

Speaker 3 (26:05):
Jaguars number over the years by and large, then you
have the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert hasn't won a
playoff game, right, No, no, And if there's any team
that has more snake been the in the AFC beside
the Texans, it's the Los Angeles Chargers. Do I forget anybody?

(26:27):
Probably Bills you mentioned, Oh, Bills, Bills can't stop a
nosebleed running defensively. You kick their ass this year, and
you kick their ass this year, and they're really good,
and you would host them. They're really good. Orchard Park.
I guess what, you don't have to play them an
Orchard Park, which leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers in ant a

(26:51):
layup because no team in the playoffs or the layups.
But if you were to have a Kevin Durant mid
range this one of your Kevin Drange mid range shot,
Kevin dam let me ask you this, Yes, sir, if
the Texans went on on the road against all the
rest of the six teams, would they be the biggest favorite?
They would be would probably be against the Steelers because

(27:11):
those other teams are very comparable and talent. H So,
even though it's not an easy spot, it's the best
spot it's the easiest. In the reality is this. You're
gonna win this game, and you're gonna hope that there
are a bunch of surprises and the teams that are
higher seeded, so you can actually host a playoff game.
Is it still a chance you could? And remember there's

(27:35):
no Kansas City now, there's no Baltimore, No, not even
in Cincinnati in the mix, not even three thirty on
a Saturday. So Texans, you got a chance. Embracedling good,
feel good about it. And remember Hannah wants this as
bad as you do, because she wants a new stadium.

(27:55):
And the easiest way to get a new stadium passed
is to have a team going a deep playoff run.
You losing a wild card round, and Hannah will be
living an energy stating in the rest of her life.
Anna's salivating. No, I think she's just looking forward to
the game. Oh, I mean salivating is a little stronger
a term for an owner. But that's fine, and that
is my upbeat. Look at what could be happening a

(28:18):
week from tomorrow tonight in Pittsburgh, PA. You're feeling good,
not feeling like it's gonna be easy. Nope, No, But
I met I said this earlier on the morning Drive
with Dan and Cole without Coal, as I was hanging
out with Dan. This has to be the most confident
you've been, even no matter what your level of confidence is,

(28:40):
but most confident that they could make a super Bowl.
Maybe this way, let's talk about divisional playoff games. You
went to New England, no chance. You went to Kansas City,
even though you were up big, you didn't think they
were gonna Wait. You've been to Baltimore a couple of times. No,
the first time you made me thought it was okay.
But that was hardly with It was early Lamar and Jackson.

(29:02):
I mean it was you, don't it was Ryan Fitzpatrick's
and Brian Hoyer's of the world. I mean, you didn't
feel like you were winning a seer going and getting
to his super Bowl then and then the first year
you made the playoffs, wasn't it what's his name, TJ. Yates? Yeah,
because Shop got hurt. If Shop got hurt, you know,
you didn't feel like you're making the super Bowl. Even
at twelve and four year they lost the last three
games of the season. It wasn't feeling good. It felt

(29:23):
like they were petering out and they did. And remember
just because you won nine in a row, now you
and I did for a little bit about this. I
heard you and Dan talking about it. Yes, it wouldn't
have killed me. If it lost the game yesterday, I
would have killed me either. I don't think. First of all,
that was a non momentum building game or whatever. There
was nothing.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
There was nothing there it was. It was a preseason game.

Speaker 3 (29:41):
And the reality is this when and I know that
Dan was kind of wigging out about the starters being pulled.
First of all, that was a classic example of Dimiko
doing his homework. He knew that the Buffalo Bills were
going to crush the Jets. They were the Buffalo Bills
played their last regular season game at their stadium before
the movie The New One. They were not going to

(30:01):
lose that game. Secondly, the Jets are wretched, so you
are gonna you are gonna jump them. Uh. Then secondly,
you weren't gonna fall behind them because the Buffalo Bills,
You're still the tiebreaker over Houston. So if Buffalo and
Houston tied with the same record, Texans won the tiebreaker.
So were they weren't gonna jump you? The only tam
you were worried about was maybe the Chargers jumping you.

(30:24):
Chargers didn't even start. They went with what's his face?
The sucky backup Trey Lance. Yes, they weren't. They didn't
have no interest in playing the game. And the third
and most important thing is Ross. I don't think Demico
Ryans at the end of the day really cared who
they were going to play. Their feeling is if you're
gonna win the AFC, you're gonna have to beat everybody
in front of you anyway, So in what order? Who

(30:44):
really cares? Yeah, I mean there's whether it's gonna be Jacksonville,
who's on that eight game? You could have gone to
Jacksonville and then beat tough, probably tougher. You're not gonna
be three and a half point favorites there, but it's
a winnable game and the difference is and it's not
gonna be easy anywhere. Now the Texans have won their
nine and streaking with some impressive one some squeaked by

(31:06):
Jacksonville may be the literally hotter than the Texans in
terms of beating people up, because well, yeah, they've had
some big wins too, but they've also had some easy one.
But you went to you went to crushing people. Yeah,
they have. I mean, this is Trevor Lawrence's best season
in many, many a year for him. It's funny. What
was the name Cohen, it's the coach made fun of him. Yes,

(31:28):
that concluded that guy can flat out coach. They're playing well,
they're playing well. We'll see.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
So I really believe that.

Speaker 3 (31:36):
Demko's like, Eh, we're gonna slay the dragons, one dragon
at a time. And that's the thing too. There was
a lot of people hemming and hawing during the game
and after the game, and it's you landed. You won
number one, you won the game, and number two, you
ended up where you wanted to be and you get
your guys healthy. Yes, and you it all worked out
and people are still complaining.

Speaker 4 (31:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (32:00):
Now, literally, we have must wins this time of year. Oh,
these are all must wins. They're all must mean you're
on out, man. I will declare every game for the
Texans is a must win game. So it's a must win.
That means you get to go to the division round
like you always do, which is great. If you lose,
you may want to turn your you may want to
turn off the website. You may want to turn off
the Instagram, you may want to turn off as I

(32:20):
turn off the phone lines. But no, what he recalls
a team anymore, and you don't need to do that. No,
this would be the worst playoff loss in Texans history
if they lose. They lose this one. Yeah, really yeah,
Because again, I didn't think they were gonna be Kansas City.
I didn't think they were going to beat uh Baltimore.
I didn't think they're gonna beat New England. Okay, I mean,

(32:40):
give me, give me your favorite. Give me a game
where they lost where we thought they were going to win.
They won every one of the games they were supposed
to win. They beat Cincinnati, they beat the Chargers, even
though I think the Chargers last year were a small favorite.
If I'm not mistaken, don't hold me to that, but
I think they were a small favorite. Chargers were a
favorite last year. I pretty sure.

Speaker 5 (32:58):
So.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
I mean, they've kind of done what they're supposed to
have done so far, They've the Houston Texans postseason has
been no surprise. I'm trying to pull up the playoff
teams they supposed to beat, and they lost the teams
they were supposed to lose too. I forgot about this
thirty to nothing lost to the Chiefs. They weren't supposed
to win that game, but thirty to nothing's in embarrassment.
I mean, I guess maybe the Colts home loss in

(33:20):
a wild card was kind of hurtful. That when they
an opening kickoff for a touchdown and were they playing
a backup quarterback or something too? They no, no, and
that was never mind. That's when they beat the backup
quarterback they beat They beat Cincinnati. I mean, they've they've
done kind of what they've expected to do, and they
are expected to go to Pittsburgh and win this football game,
so they will, okay with you, Okay, I mean I'm

(33:44):
going to pick them their favorite, and I think they favorite,
and I think they're gonna win. I'll give you a
little gut feeling preview. I think they're going to cover.
I think I think I could see like ten, at
least by ten. They're feeling good. There is a playoff
game has a ten point spread on the board. Already.
I saw this spreads, but I can't remember which one
it is Rams Carolina. Really that's the that's the three

(34:08):
thirty Saturday, right no Panthers.

Speaker 2 (34:12):
Oh yeah, Bryce Young in the playoffs with c J.

Speaker 3 (34:16):
Shrud Bryce Young haters, you might need to apologize a
little bit. Well, I think we can definitely give up
on people too early. Yeah, all right, y'all out there? Hi, Hello,
I'm here. Hello anybody, It's new year, Matt. We've been

(34:37):
the same spot. I'm getting our legs from under us.
Okay seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven ninety Your
squad is going to the playoffs. Could you've asked for
anything more than a Monday night game in Pittsburgh cold? Yes,

(34:58):
not unplayable, not have you wins, not blowing snow and
an offense that's I think below average would be probably kind.
They finished thirteenth in points, but they did get a
lot of defensive scores. I'd have to look at yards
per play and stuff like that, but about average to below?

Speaker 5 (35:17):
Do?

Speaker 3 (35:18):
Are you worried about t J. Watt against the offensive
line of the Texans? Yes, you absolutely shouldn't. Yes, I
am ten forty four Sports Talk seven ninety This is
Matt Tomachael Ross. If you want to join us, and
I kind of hope you'd like two cent your squads
going to the playoffs. If you're out there seven one
three two one two five seven ninety seven one three
two one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
Jamiko's gonna speak a lot of fifteen.

Speaker 3 (35:43):
We will hopefully carry that live thoughts and prayers. Jonathan
on an execution of that his first task of twenty
twenty six. Will he come through? I believe has he
exhausted all different ways to grab said press conference?

Speaker 11 (35:56):
Hmmm?

Speaker 3 (35:56):
I don't know. We'll find out, uh, to tell the truth,
today's gonna be twelve thirty because if that's the case, Uh,
we'll have the Tatsuya em I. It's gonna take a while.
It's okay, but at least I'm staring at it.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
You're doing great.

Speaker 3 (36:12):
So we have an email and em I in our town.
Think about that from oh Wow, should get them to
meet up. She's gonna start a podcast, the email the
email podcast. Yes, I don't think email plus translator. Yeah,
that's a long podcast. You mad enough time for that?
He's got enough time for pickle ball. He's like, I

(36:35):
got a pick a ball match.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
You get too.

Speaker 3 (36:36):
I don't have time for this, okay, all right? Seven
one three seven I look ross ive got people don't
want to talk about theence first. It is weird because
I've always won a crappy division. Division's actually solid this year. Yeah,
and the finishes a wild card. Yeah, twelve wins? Uh

(36:57):
black Monday. By the way, Pete Carroll out, Kevin stiff
in Cleveland out Rahee Morrison didn't get to survive like
he left on sad Sunday. And who else got like? Oh,
Mike mc daniels still in charge of Miami party. I
had him kind of penciled as my offensive coordinator. Oh well,
that's fine. Kevin Stefanski would be a good offensive coordinator.

(37:17):
Brian Dables available. I think Kayley's doing just great. Matt, No,
he's not. He's on a twelve win team. By the way,
I looked up yards per play. They are twenty fourth.
Your Houston Texans, as you would say, is that good e?
These are the teams in the top five. Tell me
if these sound like good offenses to you, Matt Rams, Patriots, Lions, Cowboys,

(37:40):
Bills all good offenses. Texans twenty fourth. If there was
a soft landing spot for a first playoff game, again,
I don't think we can say this enough.

Speaker 5 (37:51):
This is it.

Speaker 3 (37:53):
You're not gonna have to get into it. Granted, yesterday's
game was high school relative of high scoring for Pittsburgh centers,
but they scored three points week before against Cleveland. There's
no reason why the Texans cannot basically concuss Aaron Rodgers.
It's it's early in the weeks, right, Change the whole week,
then somebody a whole week to talk about this early week.

(38:16):
First blush, as a Matt Thomas would say, I'm getting
blowout vibes. I'm feeling confident. Uh my first blush is
again betting, stay away from But if you held a
got into my head Texans by a touchdown, So if
you can. If we were like Charles, yes, I'm gonna

(38:36):
be in Portland this weekend where they do it betting,
so I could bet the game for one more strip
clubs per capita than any city in America. They have
harry armpits, though, do they?

Speaker 4 (38:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (38:46):
The one place we go, I mean the one place
I know of? What's wrong with that? Won't you let
the woman flow free and be natural?

Speaker 9 (38:53):
Man?

Speaker 3 (38:53):
You want to go to a strip club where a
girl has hairy armpits? I'm not looking at her armpits.
We're looking at other it's I didn't realize there were
multiple pit areas in a woman's body. You're the worst.
I'm just gonna tell you again. If you're going to

(39:15):
strip club, if you so choose, Okay, I don't think
Harry armpits would be probably on the preferred list of
things I'm gonna get. I want you do some field research.
Chance Kyle in Paarland at ten fifty three on seven
Y Kyle, good morning, Good morning.

Speaker 12 (39:30):
I had a lot to talk about. When you'll start
talking about Harry armpits and kind of killed me. Oh sorry,
that's all right. Hey, I got a question for.

Speaker 11 (39:38):
You, guys.

Speaker 12 (39:39):
I've been official many many years. I just noticed the
other day why are so many these football players not
wearing knee pads? If you notice that, looks like they're
wearing shorts.

Speaker 3 (39:49):
It is a trend in sports that I've never asked
the many about, but it's happening not only a lot
in the NFL, but college football as well. They want
to be as light as possible, they want to carry
the least amount of equipment as possible. I don't think
it's very very smart, Kyle, because again, all you're doing
is opening up more areas for you to be hurt,
and there's lack of protection. But I guess i'm a
rule standpoint. Either no one's watching over it or nobody

(40:10):
particularly cares that there are open parts of the body
that are not protected by padding.

Speaker 12 (40:16):
Well, that's kind of the way I was thinking. You know,
they always always preach the safety with the helmets and
all the equipment, and then they let these guys do that.
You know, I played and I referred many years. Dude,
I wanted my knees protected.

Speaker 5 (40:29):
But I guess it's just.

Speaker 3 (40:32):
Yeah, I don't know either. I'm I'm with you, Kyle,
I think the same thing. But I mean, if you're
going to tear your acl the kneepad's not going to
do anything. So it's not necessarily doing anything as far
as stability, because maybe if you're landing on your knees
it can prevent bruising, I guess. And then if they
don't like the trade off of getting the weight off
of so you can be faster, that's the only thing

(40:54):
I can think of.

Speaker 12 (40:56):
Yeah, well, that's the only question I have for you guys.
You guys have a good New Year. Is good talking about.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
Thank you very first caller twenty twenty six for that.
We thank you, Kyle and Pearland. Shout out paraland we Parentland.
We crushed in Pairland, Yes we do. Yeah, other's sparts
of town. We don't do so hot. That's where That's
where Gordy's from. Gordys in Perland is a Pairlander?

Speaker 13 (41:15):
Is that right?

Speaker 3 (41:15):
I'm not from but you know, okay, that was the
set he claimed, that was the locked on sec locate networks.
Oh technically Manval Sorry okay. Uh, let's go to Steve
on seven and Steve, good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (41:29):
Your guys, same to you.

Speaker 5 (41:30):
Hey.

Speaker 14 (41:32):
The only you know, the last two teams that I
can think of that had number one defenses that actually
won the Super Bowl was the last year of Manning.

Speaker 12 (41:41):
Huh in Denver.

Speaker 14 (41:43):
And then also when the Ravens did it, and I'm
not mistaken, Wasn't hassled back their their quarterback and he
was like horrible.

Speaker 12 (41:52):
And they ended up went in the super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (41:55):
They made a Super Bowl Sandal didn't win that. They
didn't win, they lost Dealers Steelers. Yeah, but I think
that was the year Roethlisberger was just starting. He went
here's here's the Here are the two examples. Now these
are very far away, but they're actually three. You had
McMahon was not a great quarterback in eighty six with
the with the eighty five Bears, he was good, but

(42:16):
not great. Dilferd was basically atrocious for the Ravens. Brad
Johnson wasn't great for the Buccaneers. Yeah, there are there.
Joe Flacco in twenty twelve, but Joe Flacco he's not elite,
not elite, but he also thirteen touchdowns on the post
and C. J. Stroud be as good as Joe Flacco.
I say, yes, yes, I would say that I would
go with Nick Foles as a backup with the With

(42:37):
the Philadelphia Eagles recently as well, there are some examples.

Speaker 14 (42:44):
Well, my question, my question to you is do you
I've noticed here in the last couple of games that
they have uh Stroud doing more play action RPOs on
both both sides.

Speaker 3 (42:59):
To me, it's he's like he is.

Speaker 12 (43:01):
A better quarterback when he's on the run.

Speaker 14 (43:03):
And I just just from the games that I'm watching,
did you guys see the same thing? And then my
second question is is you know, are not a question
but I'm really surprised how Marx has actually come on
and been I can't see why they would even need
Nixon back, because Marx has actually really improved and shown

(43:25):
me a lot for a man of his stature. I
know he's not that big, but he's he runs like
he's about six two two thirty and he's not that big.

Speaker 3 (43:34):
But thank you very much. Happy new year in there. Yeah,
I think he did very beginning. I Ross and I
share the same sentiment. What he marks, in my mind
is on a starting NFL running back. He's just a guy.
He's a backup. He's a third down pass catcher. He's
a good pass catcher. I mean, I mean British Brooks

(43:54):
was ripping off runs your Jawar Jordan ripping off runs
of it was. He can he is replaceable. He can
make some good runs where he shows good vision and
a little burst here and there. But he's not close
to what Joe Mixon was. He's three point six yards
of carry all season long. That's not very good at all.
I don't think Woody marks is very good. I'm with yeah,

(44:16):
Matt and i Aron agree.

Speaker 6 (44:17):
There.

Speaker 3 (44:17):
Here's what he can do. He's a very nice pass
catcher and he also blocks well for a running Yes,
by the way, did you hear? And I don't like
to do a lot of rumor conversation on the show,
but there is a rumor on the Twitter streets that
has gained a little bit of steam about Joe Mixon.
Have you seen this? Can we get to that at
the top of the hour. We may at ten to
fifteen eight and one quick thing on his first point, yeah,

(44:37):
please he c d Strout is not mobile? Oh ce
d Strout on the run. He can throw well on
the run, falling away, falling to his right, falling to
his left, and be accurate. But on the run. You
don't want him on the run. He's not that mobile.
He's not that quick.

Speaker 4 (44:52):
No, and you you you.

Speaker 3 (44:54):
Intentionally make ten to fifteen plays roll out, It's gonna
get crushed. He's rolling out largely because of this and
that because they're drawing in Up place is the.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 3 (45:09):
Lemon O two Sports Talk seven on and we are
going to hopefully Carrie Dimico's get together with the media
in fifteen minutes from now, hopefully Jarlyn our producer tirelessly
efforting the appropriate sites of Carrie said press conference. So
we can get a bunch of bootleoking questions from h
and some coach speak. Yeah, but but we're gonna play.

(45:32):
What's the most ridiculous questions, asked her in the press count.
We don't have to do that, all right?

Speaker 2 (45:37):
I thought you thought it was a new year.

Speaker 4 (45:38):
It's a new you.

Speaker 3 (45:39):
You know what, I do have some new I did
to put some New Year's resolutions. Do we make any
sports resolutions? No, I've meant something about you, about me?
You were here? Why am I getting resolutions? All right?

Speaker 2 (45:50):
Do I get to have some about you?

Speaker 4 (45:51):
Then? Yes?

Speaker 3 (45:52):
Okay, we're fair and bowels in. Okay, let's go kill.
Let me get this list out one of my pass
you know what I do. Let me get this list populated.
You find one of your seventy six notepads. Okay, so
my story have you seen?

Speaker 4 (46:04):
Now?

Speaker 3 (46:06):
I mean, honestly, you know what. I don't like to
deal with rumors on shows. But since the Texans don't
want to tell us anything, guess what they deserve someone
to blame for this. Okay, there's a rumor out there
that Joe Mixon shot himself in the foot. What literally yes,
by accident.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
That's amazing.

Speaker 3 (46:30):
I found my list, by the way, Okay, why that's lengthy?
All right, I'm gonna start writing. Starts down right now.
Only six, actually, Johnathan, we wanted to make it more
than six, didn't. We were running out of things. Wow,
all right, hold on, we can get to this later on.
We will, don't We got time? We got four hours. Yeah,
I've seen it multiple places. Doesn't mean it's true. Probably
doesn't mean it's anything close. But when you don't, when

(46:54):
you keep things in secrecy for as long as the
Texans have done, which is what going back to the
Ford training camp lead to speculation. Where did this where?
What is the source of this rumor? It wasn't somebody
like five followers put it that way. Okay, I mean

(47:15):
he has been involved with a firearmber four, he has
a isis in twenty twenty three.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
Okay, Uh, what I thought he was tweeting?

Speaker 3 (47:27):
Remember remember when Adam Schefter put out that he was
tweeting that Joe Mixon was done for the season or
was it h Pallisero or Ian Rappaport, dude, ye, and
Joe Mixon was like, oh that's funny. How are you
gonna tell me what's going on in my own body.
Wasn't he talking big like he was going to come back?
What happened to that?

Speaker 2 (47:44):
M Well, all right, we'll figure out what's going on
with Joe Mixon.

Speaker 4 (47:53):
I guess you.

Speaker 3 (47:54):
Are you looking for the source of this rumor? Yes, okay,
he wasn't ballsac sports was it could have been No
that because that sounds like a joke. Shot himself in
the foot.

Speaker 4 (48:06):
But don't.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
All right, I'm saying, is that anybody asking about Joe Mixon?
Why would he Why would you want to bring him
back if you've been so secret different for nine months?
If a player is hurt, like Fred van Vliet, toy's
a cl in the Bahamas, right, Rocket said it happened, Yes,
and he's with the team, he rehabs, he was with
us on the road trip.

Speaker 4 (48:29):
It is bizarre.

Speaker 3 (48:31):
I don't want to seen him. You just don't go
hide for months.

Speaker 4 (48:35):
You just don't.

Speaker 3 (48:36):
And it's the non football injury list. So I'm just saying,
not out there, Okay, not saying it's true, but it's
it's a Texans fault that they have not been more forthcoming. Yeah,
it's your fault, Texans. What if he did, that'd be
pretty funny. Nobody talking about somebody that shot himself and
wearing a sweatsuits. So it's not out of the ordinary

(48:56):
for athletes on dependent. Yeah, okay, one guy in twenty
five years, give me in a second, Vince Midtown eleven
seven on seven on a Hello, Vince.

Speaker 9 (49:08):
Yeah, the big tight End. I think his name is Williams.
He was on the sidelines for the Steelers. He was
on the sidelines yesterday. He's like, I don't know, six
seven to seventy or something like that.

Speaker 11 (49:22):
Is he available this weekend?

Speaker 9 (49:23):
Because he's kind of scary.

Speaker 3 (49:26):
Was he in available for what?

Speaker 9 (49:28):
He was not in uniform? He was in the big
tight end for the Seals. He was not on uniform.
He was on the sidelines. You guys, you know who
I'm talking about, right, No.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
Not that I probably should. I mean, I don't follow
the Pittsburgh S. You're their backup tight ends, Matt. I
don't know who he is.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
I mean, you're is it Rodney Williams.

Speaker 9 (49:45):
I think they call him Mount Williams because he's huge.

Speaker 5 (49:49):
Let me see, I.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
Can't be that scary. Doesn't have any he didn't have
any catches this year.

Speaker 5 (49:54):
Yeah, I mean, if I remember, he doesn't have any catches.

Speaker 6 (49:57):
No.

Speaker 9 (49:58):
No, I saw video of him running over for a
bunch of people.

Speaker 3 (50:00):
Man, well, that's playing a Preaches in game. Okay, I
don't know. I'm just I'm spectling. I don't follow the Steelers.
Isn't that it's not Rodney Williams. Can't be, No, it
can't be.

Speaker 2 (50:11):
It is Rodney Williams.

Speaker 9 (50:12):
I think it is Rodney.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
Okay, we's got no ketchup. Look at his mestables ross
he sixty four. We've gotta be somebody else. Let me go,
let me go to the Steelers jet chart for Vince.
Anybody in this a Steelers fan can back back us
up on this tight end we've never heard of before
that I probably, I guess I should have known who
it was. John new Smith.

Speaker 11 (50:30):
Yeah, John Smith's Darnell Washington.

Speaker 3 (50:33):
Darnell Washington. He's on IR.

Speaker 9 (50:36):
Okay, somebody's the available next year, next week.

Speaker 3 (50:39):
I don't know he was two minutes ago, Vince, come on,
I don't know who these people are. Uh, he's on
injured reserves, so I don't know if he's getting activated. No,
he was placed on i R five days ago. I
don't think he. I think he's done for the season. Vince,
So your your fears are quelled, You're gonna be okay man,
sensor relief, Vincent, you can breathe a sigh of really, Vince, Yeah,

(51:01):
I feel better now, I mean yeah, two touchdowns now,
six seven, two sixty four, big boy.

Speaker 5 (51:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (51:08):
A happy New year again.

Speaker 3 (51:11):
Vince is like, I'm not calling these ever again. Steelers
tight end talk.

Speaker 4 (51:14):
I did.

Speaker 3 (51:15):
I did not predict that at the start of January.
The guys at sixth ten would have known that, that's true.
Charlie would have known that. Charlie who uh we used
to work here, Pinya, No, that's actually a Charnie I
saw him to. As a matter of fact, he's here
for some reason. Best you throw back day on the
show at the station, they were getting tweets in Darnell

(51:36):
Washington and nobody knows who Darnell Washington is. More seasons stand.
I remember the name now, Darnell Washing I closed the tab.
That's how relevant he is. He's got thirty one catches
this year with a touchdown.

Speaker 1 (51:49):
You ha.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
He's had a broken arm, by the way, sources close
to me, Okay, yeah, he was placed on ir very recently.
I think he's done for the year.

Speaker 2 (52:01):
Yeah, see Victor saw this too.

Speaker 3 (52:04):
Uh gun may have been in possession in a state
where it was illegal, and textans are protecting him. The
emoji emoji you know that handle, that chin emoji. That's
a great one. That's a great emoji. And shinn Yeah
you sent it to your lady, No, I sent her
other ones. Oh my favorite, my favorite anti emoji. Yeah, change,

(52:24):
that's changed because it takes me to a happier place
because it's a lot easier to talk to somebody that way.
It's even less formal than texting, which is what you're
looking for. My favorite emoji to use is the dot
dot with the straight line across your face showing like
not happy, not sad, just complete indifference.

Speaker 2 (52:41):
Yeah, that's what I normally get from you. I know,
if I get anything at all.

Speaker 3 (52:48):
Deep throat hashtag is a source on that Joe Mixon situations.
You know, deep throat knows it. It must be true.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
I'm staying away from it.

Speaker 3 (53:00):
I'm just saying that I believe that at some point
we need to know what Joe Mixon. I mean, he
does play for an NFL team, that people follow and cover. Yes,
there's an investment in him, it's you're you're not a
publicly health team, but you're a publicly fatol team. Is
just gonna go away and no one's gonna talk about
where Joe Mixon has been for twenty weeks. It's not
seen by anybody. The fact that nothing has come out

(53:21):
about this is pretty crazy. All right, let's take a
time out. Yes, let's hope and pray that Jonathan's finds
our press conference. I mean, it's gonna it's not gonna
be up to him. It's not like there's like ten
websites he can chanse. He's either gonna be on the
websites it should be or it's not. He could belt
would be refreshed. Why he could be in the wrong website.
You never know why. If he's pulling them off, it's
gonna be fine. He could be on Houston Texans fake

(53:43):
media fanboy dot com. Sometimes they they they haven't and
sometimes they don't. Wait, that was your New year resolution, Matt.

Speaker 2 (53:49):
You can't be messing with the fake media in the way.

Speaker 3 (53:51):
Oh, I know, I've already I already wrote that down
for your new zero I'll go over my six I
have six things here. Oh great, that needs you to
change for twenty five they stop having a palate of
an eight year old. You write that one eleven twelve
on Sports Talk seven ninety all right, eleven fifteen. Hopefully

(54:13):
in moments I gotta go wait a segway before the
press conference, he should think six things I want you
to do in twenty twenty six?

Speaker 2 (54:21):
Rossing me? Yeah, why is this getting sprung on me?

Speaker 3 (54:24):
Because we were killing time, weren't we? Now, Jonathan just
worked out, well, yes, we were just we could have
actually gone with a full segment. Yeah, that must have
been really bored. We were getting it through. All right,
I got some for Jonathan too. Then, all right, number one,
I'm ready to further open up your uh interpretation of
must win.

Speaker 4 (54:42):
No why.

Speaker 3 (54:44):
I'm not trying to explain to you. I've done this
before many times. It's either a must win or it's not,
because then everybody's calling it. Remember Week three against the Jaguars,
everybody must win game. Texans can't go oh and three
and lose a divisional game. This is a must win game.
They lost it and they win twelve and five. Not
a must win game, Jonathan is not how we do

(55:06):
Number two. You knowus. You must finally admit the Stevie
Wonder concert sucked.

Speaker 2 (55:10):
Oh my god, I was with you on this one.

Speaker 3 (55:15):
This wasn't all right now. If you're looking to trigger
me and make me angry, it's working. That was a
great concert and got even better when a bunch of
whiners left. Again. I'm not this is not my time
to try to explain the all time great singer songwriters
are the greatest artist ever. Disagreement, and it was a
great show. It just took three hours to get to it.

(55:37):
It's all sleep. Number three. Everybody stay, but you be
nicer to you of H fans.

Speaker 2 (55:43):
I'm not mean to you of H fans.

Speaker 3 (55:44):
They're mean to me, okay, they're they're calling me fat,
radio hack and all this other stuff. Bad hair they
say that, yeah, no, hair's great. Okay, do like it.
I mean, I I don't think I mean to you
of H fans. By the way, nice went over since
any over the weekend. Huge at first eight minutes, what
a great win took college basketball back. I think it
was like eight fourth the eleven minute mark of the game. Hmm.

(56:05):
That sounds like a great product. But it got sixty
to sixty seven to sixties. Oh wow, it was respectable.
It's like they're running ribs the nineties number four except
the McRib, except unto what as a good sandwich. By
the way, I'm getting numerous people sending me me too.
I got at least ten people ahead.

Speaker 6 (56:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (56:24):
Apparently people are suing McDonald's for lack. There is a
content there is a class action lawsuit against McDonald's because
there is no rib meat in the McRib. Further proving
my point, I'm about to file a class action suit
asking for the mcgriddy permanently put on the menu. It's
a nat You know why it's not permanently put on
the menu because it's not good, because it's not selling.
McDonald's likes to make money. If it were a good sandwich,

(56:46):
it would be on the menu the year long. It
gets more publicity than any other sandwich combined.

Speaker 2 (56:51):
Yeah, bad publicity.

Speaker 3 (56:52):
They're getting a class action lawsuit because it's a it's
a gristle sheet with humps in it.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
I am not it's nay, I'm not jumping into that
class action.

Speaker 3 (56:59):
Okay, these resolutions, I'm I'm rejected so far. I've got
two more left. Okay, uh, prep believe it or not?
Earlier in the show, why because you really start to
get nervous towards the last I ever get nervous. You go,
you scream, you go, hold on, Oh god, are we
really doing that today?

Speaker 5 (57:16):
No?

Speaker 2 (57:16):
I mean that's a bit okay. By the way, are
we doing believe it or not?

Speaker 4 (57:20):
Today?

Speaker 3 (57:21):
About the new picture for the Astros?

Speaker 15 (57:23):
No?

Speaker 4 (57:23):
Why not?

Speaker 3 (57:25):
I don't know anything interesting about him. Yeah, I'm looking
at the card again, my pre Okay, he came up
with the Shinobu, the Shabu lions or whatever. Believe it
all right, and my last one except me for who
I am, mister.

Speaker 2 (57:40):
Texas, I believe it.

Speaker 4 (57:41):
There you go.

Speaker 3 (57:42):
What these are horrible? I thought there was gonna be
actually good constructive criticisms. Mister Texas. You don't like doctor Pepper, Nope,
you barely tolerate brisket. You don't like enchiladas, you don't
like the maliss You've never been to any national or
state park.

Speaker 4 (58:05):
How are you?

Speaker 3 (58:05):
Have you been to the Alamo at least?

Speaker 4 (58:07):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (58:07):
Maybe you haven't been in the state capitol y oh yeah, building, Yeah,
you're a liar.

Speaker 2 (58:13):
I was probably in the junior high. Oh you're a liar,
I think.

Speaker 3 (58:16):
Because you earlier said weeks ago you said you hadn't
and now you're true. You're trying to you're changing. Okay, horrible,
mister Texas. Please accept me as mister Texas. Others having
this off. What are your qualifications for mister Texas. I
have lived here most of my life. Yeah, you're not
even from here. I've traveled to at least twenty five
cities in the state, so you've you've traveled around. Yeah,

(58:37):
that makes you mister Texas. Yes, I love chicken fried steak.
What does that have to do with any that's a
Texas delight? It's like a it's like a special. It's
more of a Southern delight in Mississippi. They don't get
chicken fried steak in Arkansas. Very good, No chicken steak.

Speaker 4 (58:51):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (58:52):
I've done high school football in the radio in Texas.
So have I You did a full season, you like,
filled in a game here and there. No, that's not true.
I did Sezons with a guy with no teeth. M
How was that press conference coming along? Were waiting on? Okay,
so we're gonna get the presser. So your qualifications are lacking.

(59:14):
You don't own a pair of boots. Uh No, not
that I wouldn't.

Speaker 4 (59:18):
I just don't.

Speaker 3 (59:18):
I don't want country Western clothes. So I've never been
out on the range. You haven't been on the range
we're talking about. That's a made up that see that
that makes you a fraud. You must calling I'm not
saying I'm mister Text. It's the second because fraud in
this market. I'm not declaring myself mister Texas.

Speaker 5 (59:31):
I am.

Speaker 3 (59:32):
That's what I'm saying. So you have to prove that
you are. If you declare your something self something, you
have to prove I'm not declined. I don't have to
prove anything because I'm not saying I'm mister Text. I've
done high school football, I have eaten chicken fried stay,
I stayed terrible qualifications. I used to watch the Aes
of Text channel too back in the day. Possible candidate,
those are my six watch this no patch? Yeah, I

(59:55):
thought I thought we're gonna I mean, okay, they believe
it or not. Prep I'll take that one. That's how
I'll try to be better. Okay, what's today's topic. By
the way, you don't even give me the topics of
like three quartersticism. You're allowed to do the topic yourself. No,
but you're you're such a tyrant. I want to make
sure you're happy with the topic. I've never been displeased
of the topic. Okay, tyrannical Thomas, that's the way we

(01:00:16):
call you. Roun Here tell you what I've got some
fantasy vive topics for oh you do?

Speaker 4 (01:00:20):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (01:00:21):
First look at the opponent and the history, the coaching,
all those things.

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
Personal of your thoughts on the matchup with's s Field.

Speaker 4 (01:00:33):
What's your question?

Speaker 2 (01:00:35):
Your thoughts on the.

Speaker 16 (01:00:36):
Matchup with the Steelers, think of the opponent and coaching,
all those things that we're excited for the matchup versus
the Steelers really a great team. Nothing but a ton
of respect, all right for coach Tomlin and the success
that he had he's had.

Speaker 4 (01:00:50):
In the league, how he's done it for such a
long time.

Speaker 16 (01:00:53):
He's a guy who definitely have always looked up to,
always respected him. Always has his teams ready to be
ready to go, well coached, physical outfit, like they're gonna
play tough. And it was uh really cool to see
how they won that game last night, just pure will
determination found a way to win. UH had things go
their way. Arran's done a good job there at the

(01:01:15):
quarterback position. Defense is always played tough, so we're we're
excited about the opportunity.

Speaker 17 (01:01:20):
You know, you have us have bigger goals.

Speaker 18 (01:01:22):
But what can you say about your defense since the
end of the regular season as the best defense in
franchise his street.

Speaker 16 (01:01:28):
Our defense they uh did a really nice job throughout
throughout the entire year of limiting points. UH specifically, that's
what makes you a good defense. Also, you know, playing
well in the passing passing game, but we didn't end
a year well defensively when it comes to giving up
explosive plays. Is really not good enough defensively, So we
gotta do a much better job if we want to

(01:01:51):
advance and play longer in the playoffs, gotta play much
better defense.

Speaker 4 (01:01:55):
So it it didn't end how it should have with
the eighteen weeks now.

Speaker 19 (01:01:59):
Eighteen weeks now behind get what have you learned most
about your team? How have you seen this team of
all change? Is kind of growth in the year er.

Speaker 16 (01:02:06):
Look, our our team has been through a lot, and
what I would say about our team is, you know,
it really doesn't matter any kind of way the game
shape shapes up.

Speaker 4 (01:02:16):
Whatever we need to do to win the game, we
find a way to win the game.

Speaker 16 (01:02:19):
So it's the resiliency with our team that's what sticks
out to me a most, the most about our guys.
It's the the close knit group that we have. Guys
are guys, are closed guys with tight guys, play for
each other. That's all you can ask for some of the.

Speaker 20 (01:02:32):
Different folks, the playing against the Aaron Rodgers quarterback who's
pretty much seen every defense you know that get throughout
you know, from the defensive port next throughout the league.

Speaker 16 (01:02:41):
But Aaron's I mean he's he's done it at a
high level for a long time because he's one of
the probably one of the smartest quarterbacks play the game,
does a really good job, understands defense really well.

Speaker 4 (01:02:52):
Uh but you know, for us, that doesn't change. We
gotta go out.

Speaker 16 (01:02:55):
It's about the guys that are playing like It's about
our guys just playing together collectively going against a really
good opponent.

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
Where you those do you have any kind of relationship
with with Mike And did he give you any advice
or words when you first started.

Speaker 1 (01:03:08):
This role teation.

Speaker 16 (01:03:09):
I've always you know, kept in touch with Mike Is
you know, get together throughout the owners meetings everything just
always you know, very complimentary of what we're doing here.
Is It's always positive, That's the thing I say. Always positive,
Always great encouragement from a from a guy who's who's
done it at a level that everybody would seek to

(01:03:30):
do it, like you've had over twenty years of winning seasons,
Like not many people can do that, and he's done it.
He's stuck around at one place, probably the longest tenure
head coach right now in the NFL for a reason
because he knows how to win.

Speaker 3 (01:03:43):
What are your thoughts on, uh, Arthur Smith and the
way he operates an offense and the taxa defense.

Speaker 16 (01:03:49):
I haven't dived into their offense that much, to be
honest with you, So we'll see how that goes throughout
the week.

Speaker 21 (01:03:55):
You you mentioned the explosive players kind of happened, Like,
what did you find was the reason for summer?

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
I guess specifically for the last game.

Speaker 16 (01:04:02):
Yeah, from our last game, it's uh, too many busts alright,
Guys not being where they're supposed to be, doing what
they're supposed to do.

Speaker 4 (01:04:08):
And when you bust uh plays and coverages. You give
up big plays.

Speaker 15 (01:04:13):
What's the biggest difference about the playoffs? Say it's a
new season and you start off, what's the biggest difference.

Speaker 3 (01:04:19):
About the playoffs fall?

Speaker 16 (01:04:20):
Yeah, the biggest difference is those those details and those
fine you know techniques that we talk about all the time.
If if you're not on it, you get exposed, you
can end up in a a pretty tough situation that's
hard to harder to come climb out of. So we
know these games are all They're gonna be tight, They're

(01:04:41):
gonna be tough. Everybody's in the playoffs for a reason.
Everybody's earned that opportunity to get into the playoffs. So
for me, it's everybody just has to tighten up on
what we're doing, like offensively, defensively, special teams wise, we
all have to tighten up, starting with us as coaches.
We gotta tighten up to make sure we're all all
on the same page and make sure that our players,

(01:05:02):
everybody knows exactly what they should be doing and how
to get it done.

Speaker 3 (01:05:06):
That's a really tough stating to kick it in Pittsburgh.
What gives you faith a cave he can handle those
things on the road on graft et cetera.

Speaker 16 (01:05:12):
Yeah, I have all the faith in the world in Kayimi.
No matter where we are, it's it's tough anywhere to
kick the football. If anybody's tried kicking the field goal,
let me see you make one. It's tough anywhere, no
matter you're inside or outside, if you're on ESPN trying
to kick it on college game day, it's tough to
kick a field goal. So it's we'll see how safes

(01:05:36):
out when we get there.

Speaker 22 (01:05:37):
And what he said, he was really proud of how
his patients has shown up in this game and that's
something he improved on later in the year.

Speaker 4 (01:05:45):
Where does that kind of.

Speaker 2 (01:05:45):
Show up for him and how does that help him
at the running backs? What did he say?

Speaker 22 (01:05:49):
What he marks those his patients at the position has
helped him really kind of grow.

Speaker 17 (01:05:53):
The back end of the season.

Speaker 16 (01:05:54):
I think what he is and throughout the year, I
feel like he's gotten better with the more reps that
he's getting in. I feel like Woody he does a
better job the more times he he touches the football right.
He's always going forward, always gaining positive yards, and their
patience comes with you know setting up setting up your blocks.
You have to do a good job setting up your

(01:06:14):
blocks to make put put you in position to make
guys miss at certain times.

Speaker 4 (01:06:18):
And Wood he has done a good job of that.

Speaker 2 (01:06:21):
He was only get TJ.

Speaker 13 (01:06:22):
Watt back last night.

Speaker 23 (01:06:23):
They also had Alex Heismith on the other side. Just
what are your in their fore thoughts on their pass rush?

Speaker 4 (01:06:29):
Yeah, you guys are fired up by the Steelers. Huh
man can't wait? Yeah, great, great pass rush both guys.
You know TJ.

Speaker 16 (01:06:36):
Watts one of the all time i mean sack leaders
in the in the NFL for a reason, great bug
blood line. He had a guy who can teach him
how to do it and his brother JJ. So he's
a really good player, good pass rush. Also Hot Smith,
he doesn't Hot Smith doesn't get enough credit I think
before the the production and how disruptive he is as

(01:06:59):
a pass rushers. Well, so you know, you want to
play good defense, you have to have two good pass rushers, and.

Speaker 4 (01:07:04):
And they have that.

Speaker 14 (01:07:09):
On the other side of you.

Speaker 23 (01:07:11):
Guys obviously have a really strong pass rush.

Speaker 2 (01:07:13):
How do you see safety.

Speaker 3 (01:07:19):
Are just an adaml of the press converence. I'll kill
for a few seconds.

Speaker 16 (01:07:21):
Defense all year, It's really predicated on how we get
after the passer, and that's starting with Will and d'anil
and what they do off of the edge and always
our interior guys or how they're collapsed in the pocket,
and that'll be really important this week as well, and
how can we disrupt the passer as much as possible
right to make it difficult for him to put us

(01:07:42):
in advantageous positions to go and take the football away.

Speaker 15 (01:07:48):
Is does the experience making the playoffs? I mean, I
know you don't want to go back to before, but
having players that have been there, coaches that have been there,
how much is that help?

Speaker 4 (01:07:58):
I think when you have the experience that our group has.

Speaker 16 (01:08:01):
You know, we have a lot of guys who've been there,
a lot of guys know what to expect, so it's
not our first rodeo for a lot of guys. So
I would lean in on that experience from our guys
just having conversations right on the side. Nothing nothing formal
that we need, but just guys just talking, you know,
as we're as we're in walking and passing, guys just

(01:08:22):
letting each other know, like what is gonna be like?
You know, the intensity is gonna pick up, right, you know,
the importance of every single play is gonna pick up.
And as long as our guys are sharing that information
to each other and everybody's just prepping the right way
and how we how we go out and practice the
right way, Like, hey, we know it's win or go home.

(01:08:43):
Everything is on the line. Everybody understands that. And for me,
when you get in these games, you don't go start
trying to you don't start trying to do something that
you haven't done before. Are you just leaning in on
what you've been training for from training camp and you
leaning and then on that and you do that the
right way.

Speaker 4 (01:09:01):
That puts you in position to win the game.

Speaker 24 (01:09:04):
To Nunice and all you components, you're coaching, training staff
and everything, but watching the game last like with the
moisture and at that time of night, you equipment man
would probably be just as important, and that more important
because I saw some guys slipping lance like on their
turf where you have Will that be a additional thing

(01:09:24):
that y'all gonna have to watch if you still equipment man,
it's gonna have to watch coming in Monday night.

Speaker 16 (01:09:30):
For sure, our equipment staff is is very vital, especially
when you're playing, you know, on the road on different surfaces.
You have to make sure the footing is you know,
make sure our footing is really good. And that comes
with those guys making sure we have everything we need
and our our guys, our staff, equipment staff does an
outstanding job.

Speaker 4 (01:09:48):
Make sure our guys have everything they need and more.

Speaker 16 (01:09:52):
We pack a lot of stuff. We pack a lot
of stuff so we'll be prepared for that. But the
specifically the footing is the is the main thing. You
want to make sure you have the proper cliques so
you can have strit footing.

Speaker 4 (01:10:02):
See the priests with the Holy water, with the what's
the question.

Speaker 13 (01:10:11):
Question?

Speaker 25 (01:10:14):
Fall up the kid's question a little bit when you
talk about turn the page right for the energy you guys, we're.

Speaker 4 (01:10:19):
Gonna see the plus season.

Speaker 25 (01:10:20):
When it comes to the rookies specifically, is it a
message you delivered to them or do you rely on
the veterans to pull.

Speaker 4 (01:10:25):
These guys aside there?

Speaker 16 (01:10:26):
Oh yeah, I'll deliver you know, the message to everyone
and make sure we're set ready to go. Specifically for
our rookies, make sure they understand right, they understand the
moment right, And the main thing for our rookies understanding
that you have to take advantage of this moment. You
don't know when they you don't know when they come around.

(01:10:46):
Like it's not just because you suit up, you're gonna
make it every single time. You gotta go earn your
right to get in there.

Speaker 4 (01:10:52):
We earned it. Now, what do you do with that?
For our rookies, they just have to go and keep
getting better.

Speaker 16 (01:10:58):
I think a lot of our rookies have done a
good job all year of steadily improving and that's what
we wanna see throughout the playoffs as well.

Speaker 19 (01:11:06):
A little bit to that point, do you how do
you approach the message when it comes to like, hey,
we're four wins away from our ultimate goal?

Speaker 4 (01:11:12):
Or do you still stay real tunnel vision?

Speaker 19 (01:11:15):
But I kind of asked that cause you know, certain
college coaches let their teams cut down the nets before
the season starts to a vision. Like what it would
be like if Bill Anderson yesterday talking about we're four
wins away, Like, what's your personal approach to that?

Speaker 4 (01:11:28):
It's all about one game?

Speaker 8 (01:11:31):
Right?

Speaker 16 (01:11:31):
What I mean, that's all we can handle it, and
that that doesn't change for me. It's all about one game.
So we go and handle uh, the one game we
have right now. You go and handle it the right way.
Then you earn the opportunity to get one more game,
and you keep going.

Speaker 4 (01:11:46):
That's the message to the Vegas.

Speaker 20 (01:11:50):
Has you all favorite in this game? But you know
the story throughout the weekend of vision. You can see
throughout this press conferences being.

Speaker 17 (01:11:57):
The Steelers and Arion Rodgers, and like tomland I believes.

Speaker 20 (01:12:01):
Going into this, do you feel like your team is
still right kind of like the underdog but nobody's still
talking about the Texas.

Speaker 4 (01:12:09):
I don't know.

Speaker 16 (01:12:10):
I don't have time to listen to it all. If
we're the underdogs, if we're not, I you know, all
that thing, all those things that's for for everyone else
alright to talk about, to decide to debate throughout the week,
have some spirited arguments about it. For us as a
team like it. It doesn't drive anything I do when
it comes to messaging. It doesn't drive anything for me

(01:12:32):
when it when it comes to actually executing football right
when the ball is snapped, like, nobody cares if you
were an underdog or you were the favorite.

Speaker 4 (01:12:42):
It really it doesn't matter. It's about how are you
executing in the moment.

Speaker 14 (01:12:47):
Close games to the playoffs whenever you're in it.

Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
You had twelve of them this year.

Speaker 3 (01:12:51):
Five on the front side.

Speaker 14 (01:12:52):
Didn't go your way in the class set it did.
If you think the team's already been in that mode
of this is how it's gonna be.

Speaker 17 (01:12:58):
We have to need a team that knows how to
make the plays agen to win it.

Speaker 16 (01:13:02):
Our guys, our guys know how to win football games,
and that's what that's what we're That doesn't change right
because we're in the playoffs. We've been in that mode
for a while now. You know, every game has been
important for us. Everything has been about man, we all
the marble. It's that's what it's been. That's our season.
That's what it's been for us to fight back to
get into a spot to even have this opportunity right

(01:13:24):
to play until the play in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (01:13:26):
So our mindset is not changing now that we're in a.

Speaker 5 (01:13:32):
Jug.

Speaker 21 (01:13:33):
Yeah, haven't been in this situation before, having won games
the way you all won, haven't built a team the
way you all have built, and you feel like that
has better prepared you for this moment than previously.

Speaker 16 (01:13:49):
I feel like I've always been prepared for every moment.
It's not that I'm better prepared because we've been through before. Man,
I've I've been here uh for the past several years,
as I've been in the playoffs before I got here,
So I've been prepared for this moment and ready for
it all year.

Speaker 22 (01:14:05):
Art, it's the players this year for us to start
with your center with Jack Anders, what have you seen
from the growth of j can kind of the evolution
of the relationship with him and CJ's.

Speaker 2 (01:14:13):
They work more together.

Speaker 16 (01:14:15):
Jake's done a He's done a good job of setting
the table when it comes to the protections, the mike
points uh idea and up front, he's done a good
job of communicating, which is is.

Speaker 13 (01:14:24):
What we need.

Speaker 16 (01:14:25):
Need a a guy up front who is loud and communicate,
make sure everybody's on the same page.

Speaker 4 (01:14:31):
And Jake, Jake has done that for us.

Speaker 3 (01:14:33):
Wow.

Speaker 10 (01:14:33):
For me, it's for the first time of testing this.

Speaker 17 (01:14:36):
He played in the playoff games. You know long again,
what's the different player to coach?

Speaker 24 (01:14:43):
What's the big difference between the playing at home in
the playoffs?

Speaker 7 (01:14:47):
Is playing on a.

Speaker 26 (01:14:47):
Little in the bail.

Speaker 4 (01:14:51):
Uh when you're in the playoffs to me.

Speaker 16 (01:14:52):
It's you know, you always would love to be in
front of your home crowd, right, That's why they call
it home field advantage.

Speaker 4 (01:14:59):
Right when you're you're home crowd can be rowdy and
loud on you know, those.

Speaker 16 (01:15:05):
Significant plays, third down, red zone, you can have that crowd. No,
it's really cranking and really disrupting the flow of the
opponents communication.

Speaker 4 (01:15:14):
That's important when you're at home.

Speaker 16 (01:15:16):
Right, we don't have the luxury of having that this year,
but you go on the road in the playoffs, what's different.
It's you against everybody else in their stadium. And we've
went on the road this year. We've felt like our
guys have handled ourselves, they've held our team has handled
themselves pretty well on the road this year. Understanding that again,

(01:15:38):
it goes back to us being in the moment, executing,
playing together. We won't have that crowd support, but that's okay.
You still have to find a way to figure it out,
find a way to win football games. And we've done
that on the road. And I mean with big challenge,
big challenge on Monday night versus the Steelers, and we're
excited about it. Versus a really tough crowd who we

(01:16:00):
know they're going to be loud, and it's got to
be a really great environment, cool environment for our guys.
We haven't seen that before. It's got to be a
really great environment for them to witness.

Speaker 3 (01:16:09):
All right, all right, a little cranky, a little bit
of I don't have time to give you the complete
breakdown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I just found out we
were playing them about twelve hours ago. I'm sure he's
been working on it. He just oh yeah, he didn't
want to say that's okay. By the way, if you

(01:16:31):
didn't know this, the question about the holy water. Apparently
a priest dropped some holy water on the field at
Pittsburgh last night. Oh really, yeah, that's why they That's
why Tyler Loop missed the field goal. Yes, because God
said no, God said make it go wide. He hates
the Ravens. Yeah, okay, I've.

Speaker 11 (01:16:48):
Never had it.

Speaker 3 (01:16:49):
I never met Jesus before. Uh, chill, dude. I would
think he'd be incredibly chill. He doesn't have time for
helping out football teams. I would hope he's trying to
cure other things. That there are problems in our world
except blessing about how a particular team's going to happen
and doing a playoff game. Like you ever notice when

(01:17:09):
a team loses, the guy never goes. I want to
thank God for leading us through this and me throwing
that interception in the fourth quarter that really costs us. Oh,
you give him the glory when you way. Yeah, and
then when you lose, he's testing you start calling you
reverend build a reality No one, amen? Amen? Okay, that
I mean, that's about the most powerful thing you've said
in the history of this show. He doesn't care about

(01:17:30):
the indivi result of your football game at all. Only
took you seventeen sixteen years to do that.

Speaker 2 (01:17:33):
But that was nice.

Speaker 3 (01:17:34):
I've been dropping profundity on you for years. That's a
word too big words, that's a that's a double that's
a double bonus word right there. All right, So yeah,
I didn't want to give up much about Pittsburgh. I
thought most of his answers were probably eight seconds or lesser.
Coach speaks coach speak, Ryan's I'm used to it. And

(01:17:57):
at this point of the year, when now everything is
moved up in terms of anticipation and pressure, I would
expect the coach beak to uptick a little.

Speaker 4 (01:18:03):
Bit of playoffs. Yeah, beautiful night.

Speaker 3 (01:18:07):
And since that press converence took place, Jonathan Gannon has
been fired by the Arizona Cardinals. Yes, Johnthan Gannon was
on a list for the Texans.

Speaker 2 (01:18:15):
I don't know how good that list was, but he
was on the list.

Speaker 4 (01:18:18):
Now he's gone.

Speaker 3 (01:18:20):
He couldn't win with Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett. You're out, yeah,
Jonathan Gannon, Pete Carroll, Kevin Stefanski, Raheem Morris out today
on Black Monday, or in Raheem's case, said sorry Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:18:33):
Yeah, he found out a little early.

Speaker 3 (01:18:34):
That's good, Okay, he got his four sales sign up
a day earlier, didn't didn't. The Falcons close out the
season strong and they won their last four games and
kicked the Buccaneers out of the playoffs. Because my son,
my oldest, my Cameron Panthers fan number one Anther Cam.
I don't get it. I didn't raise a Carolina Panther fan.

(01:18:56):
He loves him some. Bryce Young and was I mean
yelling at the top of his He was a Cam
Newton fan back in the day that he was so
it was this residual. Now he's Bryce Young fan number one.
He's here by Davis Mills. He went three for nine yesterday.
He loves Mills, he loved t Bow, he loved the
Tys Young, the Tottenham Hotspur terrible. Yeah, he was so
happy they tied. I guess yesterday I'm like, what's happy

(01:19:18):
about tie? It's like kissing your sister. Well no, well
it depends unless it's a zero zero tie. If the
team that the ties that scores last feels like they won,
and the team that gave up to score last feels.

Speaker 4 (01:19:30):
Like they lost.

Speaker 3 (01:19:30):
So it's about the same. Imagine they scored second. I
don't know. No more importantly, I do not care.

Speaker 2 (01:19:38):
They're thirteenth.

Speaker 3 (01:19:39):
Yeah, they relegated. Now seven eighteen ninth sorry, eighteen nineteen
twenty gets relegated, so they're out of the relegation zone.
All right, we gotta take a little bit of a
break here since we skipped that thirty break. We just
said bye oh yeah. And also on Black Monday, a
Reuben Amerin sacked at Manchester United. Matt sacked the same
term as fired. Yes, that's the English, that's the British.
Oh he's been sacked. Why do the English? Why do

(01:20:01):
the Brits need to just fancy up our terms. I'm
probably sacked. It has been a wrong longer than fired.
I'm gonna guess fired is brutal. Sack sounds like they
threw you. I'd rather be relieved in my duties. Yeah,
and fire, let go mutually parted ways agreed at the return. Yeah,
that kind of thing. Fired sounds like you really were you.

(01:20:23):
You're fired, by the way. I believe of that group.
Gannon will never be a head coach again. Carol's done, rare,
he Morris probably done. Maybe a head coach coordinator. I
think be a head coach. He might be in this cycle. Yeah, no, no,
I'm just saying, all right, eleven forty one, we'll come
back and talk to the reverend. Cage is going to

(01:20:45):
join us. Okay, the News at noon coming up. We
have to tell the truth at twelve thirty today. I
believe one thing.

Speaker 4 (01:20:52):
We have two breaks in one coming up.

Speaker 3 (01:20:53):
Kind of that's fine. We're We're liked seven one three
two one two five seven ninety eight on The Man
Tomas Show with loss seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven one of the News and noon coming up in
about twelve minutes from now. Also, we'll have to tell
the truth at twelve thirty and the press conference for
Tatsuya Emi. That's gonna roll off the tongue eventually pretty quick, right,

(01:21:17):
I mean we've got basically three months. That's who you Emi,
That's who you Emi. I will say this, It made
me very happy that he was a client of uh
Scotty Beat. And then they'll have a shoulder label tear
and we won't have to talk about him at all.
Ohting injuries already is ready for the ohohol. Well, we
can predict injuries.

Speaker 4 (01:21:39):
So do we know?

Speaker 3 (01:21:39):
The backstory about why this deal happened is that because
he really didn't want to be a Dodger. Didn't he
wanted From what we understand, and this was channel Roam
was saying on his podcast, is that a couple of things. One,
uh Emi wanted to go to an area where it
just wasn't a natural place for Japanese stars. Ago he
wanted to create his own kind of world. Okay, got

(01:22:00):
opt outs. This could be a one year and done thing. Yes,
And number two, which I thought was very interesting on
Chandler's part, and it does make a tremendous amount of sense.
The new corporate sponsor of the baseball team of which
they play is a Japanese company, oh Daikin, and that
the Astros would like to get involved more in that
community and more of an international world and maybe not

(01:22:23):
relying so much on the Dominican to pipeline players and
maybe the Far East could be something they can go to. Okay,
speaking of that, the Rockets next October are going back
to play in China for a couple of games against
bill Evericks. They are trying to resurrect. Are they still
big in China? They weren't? They were? They were huge,
Yeah for a while and then yeah. Man still maintains

(01:22:46):
a great relationship with the Rockets. So they're gonna play
the Mavericks a couple of games in October. Uh in China.
So they're going to Macau, right, Yeah, they're playing with
the game. Maybe maybe we should go Matt Casinos. I
seen in the United States some funny McDonald's for you.
I don't know if they have McRib in China. It's
probably mc goat. It's Goat's delicious. I've never I don't

(01:23:08):
think i've ever had goat what. I don't think I have.
I mean I might have. I've had you had a
little cabrito. I don't know who that is. So no,
I've had frog legs, Okay, alligator, sure, why not? I
think it's it among animals. Raccoon, No, raccoon. I think

(01:23:31):
you all love possum chili.

Speaker 2 (01:23:33):
I do like.

Speaker 3 (01:23:35):
Venison. Dear Chilima. Let's go to uh the Reverend kJ
on seven and a kJ Happy New Year. What's going on.

Speaker 2 (01:23:45):
To you guys?

Speaker 5 (01:23:46):
As you do? I love the show.

Speaker 9 (01:23:49):
Man.

Speaker 5 (01:23:52):
I watched a lot of football this season, and in
my lifetime, I'm a couple of years younger than you met,
so you probably watched more than I have. And it's
my statement is it's part statement.

Speaker 3 (01:24:04):
Is part question.

Speaker 5 (01:24:05):
I was watching the Texas game just like everybody else,
and I still consistently see CJ. And I know it
may seems like it's over. I have overkilled for CJ.
But I'm just looking for that it in him that
I see in other young quarterbacks. And I'm gonna give
you an example of what I'm talking about. There was
a play the other day yesterday when the line for

(01:24:29):
the most part formed great yesterday, but there was one
play where he had ample time to get rid of
the ball. He dropped back, he went to his progressions.
I want to say at least twice looked couldn't find
anybody open. And rather than him just tucking the ball
and running tucking, stepping into the pocket and possibly see

(01:24:49):
it if you can see something under lead or at
worst case scenario, throwing them all away to the sideline,
CJ stood just strew them all down to Patterson's feet
the lineman and got intention of grounding. Intention of grounding
obviously a lost him down and lost him for yards.
And again, you don't see quarterbacks who are comfortable in

(01:25:10):
the pocket, who are in full command of the offense.
This dude bonehead and plays like that.

Speaker 4 (01:25:15):
Now, granted, we still want the game, but.

Speaker 5 (01:25:18):
We see too many times where penalties knocked us out
of field goal range. A penalty is killed drive and
I would expect that the guy that I'm gonna give
sixty million dollars to. And that's just one incident. I
see this consistently over the course of the game with CJ.
Where he owns the ball too long, he doesn't he's indecisive,
he doesn't make up his mind fast enough to regards
to what he wants to. He just doesn't have that

(01:25:40):
comfort that I see with him. And I'm not saying
these guys are better than CD, but I don't see
the comfort in the pocket or at the position that
I see in bow Knicks. I don't see the comfort
at the position that I see in Drake Laid. I
see him still nervous. I still see him undecisive, and
I still see doubt when he's on the field. That

(01:26:00):
is a Michael cause of of what I see far
too often with CJ. He's just not consistently taking command
of the offense and directing the offense and the way
that it should be, whether it be getting rid of
the ball, whether it be tucking and running, are consistently
making plays and I'm seeing and if you look at
his numbers, I'm gonna makeing this last point anybody that's
listening that have a problem with what I'm saying, that

(01:26:23):
are number of guys if you look at CJ's numbers
since his rookie season, he has gone for he has
gotten progressively worse statistically, and I still don't see him
taking command of the offense the way I like a
sixty million dollars quarter meck to do. Just don't want
to hear what you guys got to say. Man and
again love the show.

Speaker 3 (01:26:46):
I mean, I don't want to sell out the broken
record here. He's not worse than Bonicks. I mean, come on, Bone,
you can't kJ. I'll say this and look, by no
means I think CJ. Stroud is super late. I like
for him to get to a lead. He's can get
to elite with this pro stason performance. Uh, he's still
very good. He is still the best thing that Texans
would have. But it's and it's also not fair that

(01:27:10):
you're comparing him to Bonick. Bonnicks has one playoff game
and one really good regular seas under his belt, with
an amazing defense under and the best offensive line in football. Yeah, arguably.

Speaker 5 (01:27:20):
So.

Speaker 3 (01:27:21):
Now, if you want to do a comp of I
want him to be this. Drake may looks the part
gang and that's it does that's scary. He looks the
part second year guy. Took the significant bump up in
talent and it wasn't like his team got significantly better

(01:27:42):
and theny di get a running game going. They do
have good possession receivers, good pass catching tight ends. They have, yes,
but at a better offensive line, a better offensive line.
But Drake may took the leap that CJ never took,
and that's what scares me a little bit. But if
you want to compare him to Herbert doesn't have playoff wins.

(01:28:04):
Trevor Lawrence okay, won AFC Championship appearance, but that was
also a game where didn't he also throw a boltload
of interceptions in the first half of the game. I
think that in some respects that Jacksonville's success now this year.
During the regular season, he's been really, really good. It's
his best year in quite a while. But he has
to prove the postseason. There are a lot of guys
c J that you described that could be said for

(01:28:24):
about I don't know four or five of the playoff
quarterbacks right now in the AFC. Yeah, I mean, that's
how it's going to be, and then those questions are
going to be there for basically everyone unless they go
to and or win a Super Bowl. I got news
for you, Baltimore Radio today. It ain't pretty for Lamar Jackson,
even though he threw those two great touchdown passes and
his kicker missed the kick I know, but I would

(01:28:47):
assume that Baltimore Sports Radio has not been overly pleased
with a crazy amount of money that has been given
to Lamar Jackson. Now, granted, the bad back did hurt
him multiple occasions and he played through pain. Clearly that
was the kid played through. How many games he missed?
A few game he did, But they've underwhelmed the Baltimore Ravens.
If I'm a Baltimore Raven fan, not that I want

(01:29:08):
to take the conversation in that direction, but if I'm
a Raven fan, I've been watching this team year in
and year out. Fall short, this is a big postseason
for the Buffalo Bills yet again. Josh Allen great quarterback, right,
that's how you build it. A guy who's got a
cannon of an arm who can run. Is one of
the best running quarterbacks maybe in the last twenty five
years in the NFL, and he has not gotten it

(01:29:29):
all the way. There are a lot of guys that
resumes don't fit your narrative, and CJ is the one
we care about here because he's the one we watched
seventeen weeks a year. So if you think it's just
your guy, other cities are feeling the exact same way
about their guy. That's look. I mean, look, Drake may
very well be a better He's better than the CJ.

(01:29:53):
Stroud right now, maybe overall a better quarterback, and end
up that way. He did make a huge second year leap,
and he was a top top prospect coming out. All
you need is for CJ to have four good, not
necessarily manageable games, because I do think you're gonna have
to outscore somebody in to mix. I think you can

(01:30:15):
manage this game, don't make any mistakes and win against Pittsburgh.
You're gonna need to put up some points against probably
everybody else, and you're probably gonna have the most difficult
time putting up those points against a team like Denver,
who you would think would probably be the team that
you'd be playing the round number two, and again, it
all depends on what the NFL does. Is they receed
after every round. They don't do a bracket, They do

(01:30:36):
a receeding after reund. I love they should do and
I guess you could do that probably in baseball, and
you could do it in basketball. You can't do it
for the tournament because you're yet teams moving around from
spot to spot. But you could certainly do that in
every other event, and maybe that's not a bad You
should they should always recede because if I'm the number one, yeah,
I should have to play the weakest team. That's absolutely correct. Yeah,

(01:30:57):
I've a not necessarily change my tune in, but I
can see the point and go. Okay, Now, the Intiabillity
Tournament bracket, the bracket's a bracket. You got to you
gotta do what you gotta do. And I'm also not
going to ever change of mind that even though Carolina
has a worse record than the Rams, there should be value.
You should be able to host a home playoff game
for winning your division. Congratulations, you beat up on the

(01:31:18):
Buccaneers and the Saints, Saints and the Falcons. You went
eight and no eight and nine teams should not be
hosting a playoff game. I will follow my sword on
that one, okay, And that's okay, all right, let's get
the news at noon underway to tell the truth in
a one half hour. You guys have a clean slight.
By the way, both of you are zero and zero
to tell the truth. Thank the Lord. Jonathan's a record

(01:31:42):
last year and better he was like he's improving. He
was like, he's not quite Titans. I was gonna go
with a baseball cop. Oh okay, he's not Monty Maldonado.
Oh okay, you're hitting. But he's more like Mauricio Dubon
after playing six days in a row.

Speaker 2 (01:31:57):
You know what, I'll take that.

Speaker 4 (01:31:58):
Okay, it's not bad. It's not back fairs, you get
traded away.

Speaker 3 (01:32:01):
The Texans are back in the saddle again. That in
the news at noon. Next at eleven fifty nine on
Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (01:32:07):
One, it's the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 3 (01:32:47):
All Right.

Speaker 2 (01:32:47):
Back in the saddle again, Ross all at the different
saddle this time.

Speaker 3 (01:32:51):
It's not at Saturday at three thirty, and it's not
as an AFC South champion. They're back in a different bronco,
not a number bronco, but you know what I mean,
Or of a Pittsburgh Steeler. That's right, three and a
half point favorites at Pittsburgh next Monday. All right, why

(01:33:12):
are they playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let's find out right
now with the news at noon. The US bath. You know,
we will talk about it the news at noon as
the Texans get the win over the Indianapolis Colts, who
also had the Jaguars absolutely thrashing the Tennessee Titans, and

(01:33:34):
then the Sunday night game decided that the texans fate
was the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers twenty six
to twenty four. The Steelers got the victory as Tyler
Loop missed the field goal that could have won the
game and sent the Baltimore Ravens to the playoffs to

(01:33:54):
host the Houston Texans. If you're a Texans fan probably
wanted the field goal to miss it. Did Steelers finish
the season ten and seven. They will host the Houston Texans,
who are three and a half point favorites at the
Pittsburgh Steelers, don't expect a whole lot of offensive fireworks.
Total at thirty nine and a half when Loup missed
that field goal, I was generally speaking, stunned and my

(01:34:16):
wife was asleep. I had the volume turned on verygow honestly,
because the build up, with Tarico's build up, we'll play
against will was beautiful. But in the back of my mind,
I don't know why, just in the back of my
mind it was like, what if he misses this and
as I did say. It is the hardest, second hardest
place to kick field goals besides MetLife Stadium is where

(01:34:36):
the Steelers play. Lots of the field goals areers. You know,
we put Chicago in there. I think Cleveland can be
tough anything. Yeah, but I think that really in the northeast,
ish with wind, midwest. But one side of the stadium
is significantly more difficult than Okay, the close side, I
guess is a little easier. Which were he I don't
know what he was. Yeah, was that right?

Speaker 4 (01:34:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:34:53):
The fans were right in front of him. They're losing
their mind. Well, they're all losing their mind because they
get to get beat down by the Houston Texans in
the playoff Monday night, six thirty. With a bunch of
heavy set women from Pennsylvania. It's gonna be interesting, for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:35:06):
Has everybody heavies?

Speaker 3 (01:35:07):
All the women are?

Speaker 2 (01:35:08):
Have you set in Pennsylvania.

Speaker 3 (01:35:11):
Quite a few? Why are you saying that there's no
fit women in Pittsburgh? There are fit women. Yeah, you
met the Penguin's dancers. Yeah, okay, and then they're not
Steelers fans. It could be, but I just said lots.
I didn't say like every single one just said lots interesting.
All right, Well, let's get roll call going for the
NFL head coaches. Who's been fired and who's staying As

(01:35:34):
of right now, Browns have fired head coach Kevin Stefanski.
I mean they had no quarterback. Deshaun Watson ripped his achilles.
They went five and twelve, Matthew Kevin Stefanski two time
NFL ap Head Coach of the Year, Uh huh, twenty

(01:35:54):
twenty and twenty twenty three. Yes, they determined he is
the best head coach in the NFL twice in the
last six years. Yep, and he's been fired. You missed
the playoffs two years in a row, or you have
two bad years in a row. You're out with who
with Shaanor Sanders and Dylan Gabriel and and Joe Flacco
who they traded away. That's that's pretty insane. He's gonna

(01:36:16):
find work somewhere else. We're gonna call it out to
Kevin Stefanski's name being brought up again. Kevin Stefanski offensive coordinator,
Houston Texans, come on down. I wait from what head
coach written all over? I'm waiting for McDaniel by the Way,
who's still in mi en Uh? Okay, you want to
go back to the West Coast, Shanahan Tree, Bobby Slowick No,
I want to go to a team that's got a
decent running back and an offensive line that I'm proud of.

(01:36:38):
I mean, I'm not saying anybody can call plays as
long as you have pieces, but it's a lot easier.
Bobby Slow clearly struggled. Nick Kayley, everybody hates him. It's
two guys who, I mean well, have somewhat of a resume,
but first time played callers. You need some Jimmies and
Joe's with these sex's and o's as well. Raheem Morris
fired by the Atlanta Falcon Giants. General manager Joe Shane

(01:37:03):
is safe. Will be returning next year despite the four
and thirteen season with let's see Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston
and maybe some promise with Jackson Dart as long as
he doesn't get concussed, he is still there. Let's see
who else was fired. Jonathan Gannon fired Arizona for the

(01:37:24):
Arizona Cardinals. Pete Carroll fired by the Las Vegas Raiders.
One season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Old man. Pete
Carroll is out. Here's how it went down. Pete, we
need you to resign. No, I thinkin of the other
year left to me we did start of things here. No,
you're fired. Yeah, he's like seventy three. Who thought that

(01:37:44):
was a good idea? Nobody?

Speaker 5 (01:37:46):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (01:37:47):
What's his name?

Speaker 4 (01:37:48):
Davis?

Speaker 3 (01:37:48):
Yeah? Was it Mark Davis? No, that's a referee. Uh,
it might be Mark. Maybe it's Mark Davis. It looks
like a Marquie with his weird haircut. Does he a
member the Funky Bunch as well?

Speaker 4 (01:37:56):
Maybe?

Speaker 3 (01:37:57):
Okay, all right, let's see. So what else? So, of
course we have the Steelers in the playoffs, as I
mentioned earlier, you had the Jacksonville Jaguars, as I said thrashing.
They are the AFC Soule champions. And the Week one
by going to the playoffs goes to the Denver Broncos.

Speaker 4 (01:38:15):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:38:17):
And in the NFC goes to the Seattle Seahawks. Yes,
that'll be part of my tell the truth coming up
at the bottom of the air. Oh really, yes?

Speaker 4 (01:38:24):
Are you.

Speaker 3 (01:38:26):
Seattle Seahawks pretenders or contenders? I guess we'll find out
from Matt Thomas. And one more A quick college football
note Trinidad Chambliss, the Ole Miss quarterback.

Speaker 2 (01:38:38):
He has reached a deal.

Speaker 3 (01:38:40):
You will have him return to the Rebels in twenty
twenty six, as long as the NCAA approves his penning
waiver for a sixth season of eligibility. And as you
mentioned earlier, Matt a big deal for the Texas Tech
Red Raiders. Brendan Soresby, the top player in the portal,
according to sources, has committed to Texas Tech. The rumor

(01:39:04):
is sorry, I was just reading the quote.

Speaker 4 (01:39:08):
Matt.

Speaker 3 (01:39:09):
He said he was blown away by Texas Texas facilities
and appreciated the culture set there by the coaching. It's
all accurate. He was most blown away by the five
million dollars of Cody Campbell's giving in and the five
million dollars he will be getting. The number one portal
player has landed and a son Sonati All right, well,
we're gonna talk about when we come back this a

(01:39:29):
little bit, because this is nuts, and it's not just
the fact you're paying the players that that isn't where
I think the nuts part of it is. We're gonna
come back and talk about this. We got to tell
the truth. A bottom of the hoar by the way
Rockets signed against the Phoenix Suns. Alpern Shangoon out today
with a bad ankle stepped on Daniel Gafford stepped on

(01:39:50):
his ankle one minute into the contest they other day
and the Rockets could not rally. Great, so he had
the calf issue. He missed time with hes back and
now he's got an ankler. Yes, that's great, but hopefully
Stephen Abams is close. How's he doing? What happened to him?
Mean as hell? Turn his ankle to I missed a
lot of I'm sorry. What are you been on vacation? Yeah,
but doesn't mean you can't keep in touch with your team.

Speaker 5 (01:40:11):
I can.

Speaker 4 (01:40:12):
I know they lost. I watched the game.

Speaker 3 (01:40:14):
You're not gonna be doing You're not you got rockets tonight.
You're not working because you're gonna be at the game.
You're actually gonna be witnessing the game itself. It's gonna
be gonna be I in proud of you for that.
And then we got nine o'clocker's Wednesday and Friday. It
means no post game for you, okay, so what by
fall asleep second quarter? Also this extra work that I
don't get paid extra for I'm doing less of it.
Oh No, Happy Year seventeen of The Matt Toms Show

(01:40:38):
Ross seven one three two one two five seven hunt.

Speaker 2 (01:40:42):
All right, to tell the truth, it's coming up with
bombay out.

Speaker 3 (01:40:44):
If you like to join us to brag about your
team beating the Steelers, we're gonna guarantee you you gonna
put our name on it. I guess you can't with
a playoff game because things, things could crazily happen, players
get hurt. I'm feeling good, you should feel good. I
right now again, I would say if I was a
betting man right now, which I'm not gonna bet on

(01:41:05):
this game, I would bet the Texans. Give the points.
I'm taking the Texans, Okay, plus the hook. Let's go. Okay,
we want you're a hooker, I'll take the hook. Okay,
I'll give the Actually I'm given the hook. You've given
and received a hook a few jabs as well.

Speaker 2 (01:41:20):
All right.

Speaker 3 (01:41:20):
Point being back that I was saying so among the things,
and look, you and I've been together for a very
long period of time. Opinions do change. And that's the thing.
If you if you fall on your sword for every
single opinion in your life, you're gonna you're gonna wind
up losing friends and never being open to other people's interests. Yes,
I don't believe that to be the case, especially in
something as silly as sports. Okay, So I have turned.

(01:41:42):
I would say as close to a one to eighty
about compensation of players as possible. Okay, So I want
to make sure I very clearly put that out. Okay,
and I spent I told you this earlier that my
timeline was full of Look what Houston got, Look what
Oregon like with Texas Tech free agency. It's free. And

(01:42:06):
knowing that I love on Saturday the passion of a
college football Saturday, knowing I love the passion of a
good college football playoff. He had some good ones and
some duds. Alabama Indiana was a complete duds. As woman,
and I know that at some point the money is
going to dry up, But right now the money has

(01:42:27):
not dried up. If I am a professional sports team
and I am paying a particular player five million dollars,
six million dollars, or whatever the number may be, I
have a feeling I'm going to keep him for a while,
because they can't move around when you sign a professional
contract unless you sign a one year contract, which most
players do not sign. Not everybody, but most players in

(01:42:48):
professional sports do not sign one year deals. You build,
you pay somebody a lot of money because you want
to keep them there and build something. Here's where the
old school met comes into play. How can you build
something when you are literally just playing free agency every
single year? I don't think that's a recipe for long

(01:43:14):
standing success. I think when the Texas Tech you, what's
the kid's name that from? Since what what does he
got left in the he's goligibility don't And I don't
want to point him out because this is this could
be happening all over the country. But ROSSI, there's just
a small part of me, and I don't know if

(01:43:35):
you want to agree with me or say I get
your side or I don't get it. There's a little
bit to me that says this is hired gun one
year that if this is how you want to build
your college football program, you're really not going to build
a program. You are just building an individual team. In
the hopes and dreams and prayers of that one year,

(01:43:55):
your team is going to be good. Now on the
other side of that, you can say, well, I'm paying
soores Bey five million dollars this year, and Soarsby goes
on to play somewhere else, I now have five million
dollars to pay for the next athlete. It's like back
when twenty twenty five years ago, when college football teams
ROSSI would spend would would only go to the junior
college to get the good their players. You have to
build a program, and I don't know if I'm going

(01:44:18):
to see sustained success in this new world of nil
and school compensation. If I'm playing free agency games every
single year.

Speaker 26 (01:44:28):
I just.

Speaker 3 (01:44:30):
I don't see this getting any better. I don't see
this getting to be the way that I want to
build a program. It's the rules everybody has to play
by right now. And I get it because my University
Houston team is taking kids left and right from people,
and we've got money we're spending too. So I'm not
saying I'm trying to exclude Houston. The five million dollar
thing for the higher gun just came across as Wow,

(01:44:50):
that's a huge trust for quarterbacks. Are you taking this year?

Speaker 4 (01:44:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:44:54):
I mean so Sores He's making five million dollars. He's
got what I just looked it up. He's got one
year of eligibility left, so it's a higher gun. So yes,
it's a one year, five year if he doesn't go
to class. So what in theory, what's the young man's
Dayshon Treyshon Henderson?

Speaker 5 (01:45:08):
Ye?

Speaker 3 (01:45:08):
Is it trashon? No, it's uh, it's something Sean something,
Sean Henderson, Jayshawn uh Kishon, Keish Henderson. Yes, yeah, I
mean the theory is he's gonna stay there and maybe
Red trip this year. He's gonna behind Wegan, or maybe's
gonna play we'll see and be there for four years.
Well I'm not counting any college role players saying for

(01:45:30):
four years ever true.

Speaker 4 (01:45:31):
But uh, I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:45:36):
I understand it is a it's a new it's a
brave new world, and it's weird and it's different. But
I don't have any problem with Texas Tech poning up
the cash. I think so far really for the for
the overall health of college football to where a lot
of the worry was gonna be is gonna be the
haves versus the have nots. I mean, you look at
the final four left, what is it Ole, Miss Miami,

(01:45:57):
Indiana and uh or again there's no traditional who's the
biggest traditional power in there? Or Miami, Miami, May Oregon
hasn't won a national championship fifties or ever Miami's thirty
plus years Miami has been Yeah, so two thousand and one, okay,
so twenty five, two thousand and one, Indiana came out

(01:46:17):
of nowhere. Ole Miss hasn't won a championship since like
the fifties, and then even in the semis you had
you have the Texas text of the world, and but
then it's the traditional guy's Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia.
So yeah, I think it's great. I now, could it
be better? Yes? Does it need to be regulated better?
Does it just feel like it's it's the wild West

(01:46:39):
and everybody's just spending all this cash and maybe there
should be some sort of semblance of a salary cap,
but all of that is just impossible with the way
that everything is so splintered, with the conferences with the
haves and that with the gut the teams who can
play pay all this money, and you know, Rice shouldn't
have the same salary cap as Texas or Texas A
and m So that's I'm gonna stop you there wild West.

(01:47:02):
That's how I would describe it. Free agency we're accustomed
to in baseball and in basketball, right we know that
becomes especially when a guy's contract comes to an end,
when you literally cannot name your team from year to
year to year to year. Now again, you're doing it
for the front of the helmet. In Kentucky basketball for
like twenty years, I know they go through starting five

(01:47:23):
every year. I wish I could tangently tell you what
it at its core.

Speaker 5 (01:47:30):
It just.

Speaker 4 (01:47:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:47:34):
I'm trying to I'm I'm trying to gasp stresses you.
It's just a it's a bothersome point. And I'm not
saying this because one school is getting players at aren't
because my school's doing it too. Everybody's everybody that wants
to be in the big boy game has to do this.
It just feels like four schools in four years, three

(01:47:55):
schools and fours. The one that bothers me the most,
particularly one is the kid that's the cornerback about of Oregon.
He's leaving Oregon, entering the transfer portal. He's still in
the playoffs. He doesn't care about playing for a national championship.
He's leaving the game. He's leaving the goal, is not
playing he's yeah, he's in there.

Speaker 4 (01:48:14):
No, I'm not.

Speaker 3 (01:48:16):
And I'll find out who it is. I just again,
I was just flippingly go through. There is a kid
from Oregon that's leaving the portal, leaving the school to
enter the transfer port Is he playing? Is his starter?

Speaker 4 (01:48:25):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (01:48:26):
I don't even know. Again, I think he's a guy
that people recognize.

Speaker 4 (01:48:29):
Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:48:30):
I'm not.

Speaker 3 (01:48:32):
But if it's not him, it's gonna be somebody else.
Oregon guy leaving or leaving team Oregon football, leaving player.
I mean, I know I'm not making this.

Speaker 4 (01:48:41):
No, No, I see it.

Speaker 3 (01:48:43):
I can find his name. Oregon cornerback Dyalen Austin. Yeah,
he entered the portal on Friday. Uh, twenty three tackles,
five PBUs and one pick. So he plays. He plays
some twenty three tackles in the whole season. He's probably

(01:49:05):
not playing much. But even so, and maybe this is
a question more for it, we need to move the calendar,
which I think is going to happen.

Speaker 2 (01:49:12):
I think they need to do that.

Speaker 3 (01:49:13):
They've got to move this calendar. Look, yeah, but I
mean even if you yeah, and if and if you
move the calendar, maybe this isn't nearly an uncomfortable situation.
But I saw that Kim leaving when his team is
two games away from winning a national championship. Well, if
he's not playing, or if he's not playing enough, if
he's a starter, I'd be surprised. Or if he if

(01:49:35):
he hasn't offered get more money. Oh, if you only
get so much amount of eligibility, you only get so
many opportunities. And if he doesn't think he's going to
play next year with Oregon, and somebody's gonna be either
a pay him more money or be getting more of
an opportunity, I don't know what the situation. Then you've
got the kid at Cincinnati going to Texas Tech. Yeah,
Cody camp with five million dollars. That's great, good for him,
discover for him and his family. Cody know at the

(01:49:56):
end the day is probably going to not be a
good investment. Whenever else in the would a Cincinnati quarterback
make five million dollars to help him and his family
or do whatever? I think that's great. Yeah, Or if
he just wants to buy a bunch of lambos, he
can do whatever he wants. With that five MILLI Cody,

(01:50:18):
I mean, you're getting some hired guns and you're building
a roster, your roster building. So I guess essentially is
we've got to start. And here's what I have to do,
which is gonna take me a long time, because I
used to watch football forever and ever, and then it
wasn't this way. College football is flat out hired guns.
Now it was it's been that way for coaching. Now
it's just for players, and I just I guess I
have to self evaluate and say, Matt, I do wish

(01:50:39):
there was more structure for sure, figuring out I don't
know salary caps. You also, you don't want to tie
it into revenues because then that that does keep the
halves more of the halves. You can't have all upward
mobility as far as programs. But I think Texas Tech
a prime example. Now they got crushed in their playoff game. Well,

(01:51:00):
Cody Campbell looks like he's ready.

Speaker 4 (01:51:01):
I was ready to.

Speaker 2 (01:51:02):
Pony up some more cash.

Speaker 3 (01:51:04):
And at the point is Cody gonna say, wait minute,
I've given you guys fifty million dollars and I've got
a first run exit in the tournament. That's what we
have to figure out, or then he's gonna fire Joey
Maguire and then he's gonna hire the next coach or
the next coach or whatever. Yeah, I mean how much
of an endless cycle? How much is he willing to
pour into this? I don't know. Well, he's worth billions,
so I think it's plenty to tell. The truth is
up next after I tell you about Big City Wings.

Speaker 18 (01:51:32):
I never know.

Speaker 2 (01:51:44):
So the wonderful thing about me, and Rosson said, I
can tell the truth, Jonathan, I.

Speaker 3 (01:51:48):
Can also tell the truth. You just can't figure it out.
Usually can also lie. Occasionally I lie lots, and sometimes
I get him. How about Jeeves nice going by the
Chargers yesterday? By the way, they're in there. That'sought matters.
That is true. You know again, one of my best

(01:52:10):
friends in life since we've been in the sixth grade
is a big Charger.

Speaker 4 (01:52:12):
Fan, and.

Speaker 3 (01:52:14):
He was not happy against the Texans. I'll just be
honest with you. All right, here we go. It's time
to play America's most interesting game. It's not the most
America's popular.

Speaker 4 (01:52:23):
No go, there you go.

Speaker 3 (01:52:25):
Sorry, That's what I'm talking there, all right, It's time
to play to tell the truth. Guys.

Speaker 2 (01:52:30):
There are four takes I'm about to give you. Three
of them are lives.

Speaker 3 (01:52:36):
Oh wow, okay, one, I'm telling the truth. Okay, hold
let me write this now.

Speaker 17 (01:52:40):
Three lies?

Speaker 3 (01:52:42):
How many truths? Jonathan Well know how many lies? Ross seven?

Speaker 2 (01:52:46):
Three?

Speaker 3 (01:52:48):
Number one? Before he leaves office, Donald Donald? What President
Trump will utterly mandate an nil regulatory committee?

Speaker 2 (01:53:07):
Okay, has got some bigger fish to fry.

Speaker 3 (01:53:12):
Number two upset of the weekend in the National Football League.
The Los Angeles Chargers beat the Patriots in Foxborough. I
can see that. Okay, we're not lighted on that bad boy.
I don't know, and I guess four and a half
patriotswhere Number three I've decided something about the Astros offseason

(01:53:35):
still ahead. By the way, you got the press conference
coming up a half Hourbole carry for you here on
seven auty wonderful. The Astros must trade estci paratus. You
cannot get value back for Christian Walker. You can't. You
can't find any takers for Christian Walker. You need outfield
to help. You absolutely must trade Essig Paradis.

Speaker 2 (01:53:56):
And number four.

Speaker 3 (01:53:59):
The Seahawks and the Broncos are the number one seeds
in the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (01:54:03):
The only number one seed that is going to Super Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:54:08):
Will be the Seattle Seahawks of the NFC. Those are
my takes. I only believe one three of them. I
do not believe. Which one am I telling you the truth?
And I'll recap them again. President Trump by the time
he leaves office, will federally involve a nil regulatory committee. Okay,
upside of the weekend, the Chargers beat the Patriots in Foxborough,

(01:54:32):
the Astros must trade essac parade is the Astros need
help outfield, the help in the worst way. And number four,
the Seahawks will represent the number one seed and win
the n F seed. Which one am I telling you
folks the truth? Now, we don't normally talk politics on
this show, so that was a big curve ball number
one job that the year. I don't think. I mean,

(01:54:58):
this is more complex than like, I don't really pay
attention too much to politics. Isn't there like a war
going on or something like right now? Yeah, I mean,
I guess he does have some time before I leaves office,
But you know, I don't I feel like Matt could
believe that, but I don't think he does. I don't
think he believes the Esti preade is I don't. I

(01:55:20):
don't do that in that one bit, and we've already
got confirmation that he's gonna be ready to go. I'm
not buying the Astros must trade the est sic parade
as thing must trade is a little much. I think
I think he ordered it strongly to make it a
knot and me believe him or not, because they they
don't must trade Estik Paradus. They can figure something out.

(01:55:40):
I mean, it's gonna be difficult.

Speaker 2 (01:55:43):
For sure.

Speaker 3 (01:55:45):
And Channel of Rome was arguing with people on Twitter
all weekend about that. Okay, here we go. Okay, I
don't think it's a must, but I let me say
with it. But I do believe if I believe this,
they need to trade. I do believe if I think
it's like, if they don't do it, life ends, the team,
season's over. I'm saying that it would be in their
absolute best interest not to think about trying to move

(01:56:06):
Christian Walker anybody else in their best interest to trade.
Maybe is too strong, Okay, I mean, I guess the
Seahawks could be going to the super Bowl. They're the favorites,
they are the number one seed who are the most
dangerous teams in the n f C. It's really the Seahawks.
I mean, the Rams are pretty dangerous, but they're in

(01:56:26):
the same division. They'd have to go. They're gonna have
to go on the road. Panthers suck, Bears are frauds.
Eagles aren't are good. But I'm not super scared of them.
I don't think anybody's scared of them. Remember Broncos are
the Broncos are fraud as well. Yeah, I know that
one's easy. I don't think he thinks the Broncos. But
does he think the Seahawks are gonna win the Super Bowl?

(01:56:47):
I don't know, you know what, That's what I'm going for.
I'm taking four. I was gonna do four as well,
but I don't want to be on the same as you.
Let now you know he is winning percentages like, yeah,
he's horrible. He's terrible. That's okay, But I'm gonna go
with four as well. All right. I do believe President
Trump would like to have something done, but he's got

(01:57:08):
bigger fish to fry. Venezuelan fish. Venezuelan fish, He's got
He's got to put a UFC event in his White House. Yeah,
he wants a golf Master's event is one of his
golf courses. Yeah, he said that to be like a
golf mat, like a man's a major at one of
his golf courses. Yeah, I guess the only one that
rotates the US Open, right, PGA Championship goes, Oh, the Championship.

(01:57:30):
I'm stupid, Okay, but no, that's gonna take. I mean,
he's got some world class goal. I do believe it's
a shot at a nil regulatory but they have one
right now. But it's so loose that nobody's buying into it.
I just don't think Pezident Trump's gonna mandate federal assistance
for it. That's gonna get struck down by the Supreme
Court pretty quick. Number two, I'm sorry, Jonathan. The Chargers

(01:57:51):
are not beating the Patriots and three and a half
the line.

Speaker 2 (01:57:57):
It's not bad, not bad.

Speaker 3 (01:57:59):
He's close. No, I'll take it to win Patriots Twin.
We're gonna make our Super Bowl predictions of who's gonna
be in. Well, we we should do it. Next break
we're gonna talk about we did earlier this year, or
we do it tomorrow. It's Wednesday. We got time, don't Okay, guys,

(01:58:20):
I hate to tell you this. I don't believe in
Sam Darnold. He's terrible in the postseason. Okay, So what
I said is the Astors need to trade you. Well yeah,
you said must Yeah, Well no, I can't. I wanted
to solve playing that should have been here, like your
informal clue to to that was.

Speaker 4 (01:58:32):
What I was going with.

Speaker 3 (01:58:33):
Give us a reason on that though, Like your congestion
of the outfield. In field, I'm sorry you have. You
have a tradable commodity in a sac paradis. You're not
bouncing around four different positions. You're not playing him at
second base, You're not moving Jsely out for a second.
You're not DH and you're gonna have Ordon Alvarez. Your
outfield is not solid. It's got a bunch of uncertainties.
Go get an outfielder. It looks like you finished. You've

(01:58:54):
taken care of your starting pitching. Still a lot of holes.
I think the Astors need to trade you a Solac Paraders.
We can lineup significantly. I don't disagree, but you Christia,
we can't. So unfortunate, Jonathan, You're used to this. You
lose Ross says okay on this, but that's your often.
I've actually been doing very poor the last I don't
know a couple of months. But that was Those are

(01:59:15):
all solid takes.

Speaker 5 (01:59:16):
I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:59:19):
It was pretty easy to throw away. And actually I
thought the Paradis one was kind of ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (01:59:22):
But thanks do Seattle.

Speaker 3 (01:59:28):
What does Seattle have that should be scary is their defense.
It's not Sam Donald's a great defense. They have a
they have I mean, Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonney for
a pretty good run game, good offensive line.

Speaker 2 (01:59:43):
Sam Donald just doesn't win games for me in big
time moments.

Speaker 3 (01:59:46):
He just doesn't. Okay, They're gonna have home field throughout.
It's gonna be noisy, cold, rainy. So if Seahawks go
to the super Bowl, it's a bad take. Go ahead,
write this one down, Jonathan. Seahawks go to the super
Bowl and revisit you know I'm make that go Wait
wait till tomorrow, guys, I'm going tomorrow.

Speaker 10 (02:00:02):
Tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (02:00:03):
List mean to listen to Eric carefully, both of us,
all of us tomorrow super Bowl predictions during gut feeling. Yes, okay,
you want to review our picks for this year tomorrow,
I think you had the Texans at four and thirteen.

Speaker 4 (02:00:13):
I did not.

Speaker 3 (02:00:15):
It would have looked good at Owen three. Yeah, it
looked really good at three. Yeah, but you were getting
that deadly lunch. You know what, I'm not gonna hold
I forgot. I'm not gonna hold you. By the way,
I do win the bet on the field or three thirty,
Yes you do. I'm very happy about that. What we
bet for. I don't think we'd bet anything. We didn't
bet anything. And you know why we're running out of
things to bet. No, I'm been telling victim deady lunch
and let go. Well, we're gonna have it. We're gonna

(02:00:37):
have that lunch. We're going to Streeport for that lunch.
So total shasse on it. By the way, is there
a sh report accent like a Monroe? Probably I would
have Gordy would know this, or if you want to
hear it, you're in trouble.

Speaker 4 (02:00:50):
There's got to be.

Speaker 3 (02:00:51):
There's gotta be a North every Yeah, there is every
kind of accent, like there's an East Texas twang. Yes, definitely,
there is a Dallas is up the West Texas, Uh,
the accent or La Comustas. There's a radio accent too,
that's yes, that's Spanish, all right, twelve forty. Oh, by

(02:01:14):
the way, did you I did not hear from your
girl while we were in New York?

Speaker 5 (02:01:18):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (02:01:19):
Yes, she was too busy doing the Broadway. It's like
two Broadway plays.

Speaker 5 (02:01:23):
Did she?

Speaker 3 (02:01:23):
Did she text you? She missed you? At any point?
Of course?

Speaker 9 (02:01:26):
I got like that.

Speaker 3 (02:01:27):
Mat that's good. I didn't get any of those for
any of my children. I was gone for two weeks. Hey, Dad,
how are you wish you were here opening my presence?
They open press without you? Oh yeah, I was on
a video camp.

Speaker 2 (02:01:40):
Are you serious?

Speaker 3 (02:01:41):
I thought there was supposed to hold They held mine?
Oh yours? Oh that's yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:01:46):
That sounds right.

Speaker 3 (02:01:47):
By the way, the professional rapping was very nice until
I figured out how much it costs.

Speaker 4 (02:01:53):
You know what, I'm staying. I'm staying at it.

Speaker 3 (02:01:55):
You probably shouldn't I try to count.

Speaker 4 (02:01:59):
I don't want to get further trouble with your wife.

Speaker 2 (02:02:01):
Oh it's deep, seems like a waste.

Speaker 3 (02:02:04):
It's a waste.

Speaker 13 (02:02:05):
I can't.

Speaker 3 (02:02:06):
My allergies have been acting up. It's cold front time.
I don't care.

Speaker 2 (02:02:11):
I'll wrap it with a green sheet.

Speaker 5 (02:02:15):
That's what he used to do.

Speaker 3 (02:02:16):
My grandma used to wrap the presents with the newspaper
and it was fine. Well, I said, Carly, wrap a newspaper.
Carli's like, what's the newspaper. I'm like, yeah, touche. Go
grab some green sheet on the Houston Post as a
print anymore find something?

Speaker 9 (02:02:27):
Is it?

Speaker 2 (02:02:27):
Does a green sheet still post?

Speaker 3 (02:02:28):
I don't think so.

Speaker 4 (02:02:29):
I don't think so.

Speaker 3 (02:02:30):
Well, Auto Trader remember those big grocery ads about what
you get the various cuts of meat for like a
dollar fourteen pound. You want some like some floor mats
for a Mazda and you want to open your presence,
wrap it with an Auto Trader twelve forty four on
Sports Talk SEVENNI Call forty nine. We got the press

(02:02:53):
conference coming up at ten minutes, so well, this would
a little bit of a shorter segment. Thank you everybody
for listening to the show. We don't have had a
lot of callers today, but that's okay. Everybody's people back
to work and whatnot. Please remember that this show is
based on interaction between the three of us, four of us,
between Jonathan Ross, myself and you guys listeners. We do
not like to do monologue radio. It's something fun, not interesting.

(02:03:14):
If we tease you. It's because of mostly love unless
your takes are horrifically to yell at you, and you
can yell.

Speaker 4 (02:03:18):
At us too.

Speaker 3 (02:03:19):
A week well opportunity yellers. You can also find us
on social media at sports RV and at sports ET.
We follow them out on Instagram.

Speaker 4 (02:03:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:03:25):
Once the uh, once I'm home for a little bit,
we're gonna ross and are gonna start doing a few
more things socially. We figured it out, but we're still
just a game plan, but we never did. Let's go
to lunch sometime this week. Live to the Rockets now,
I'm leaving tomorrow. Oh if the Rockets is going to
have a home game.

Speaker 9 (02:03:39):
I do it.

Speaker 4 (02:03:42):
It's fine. Gause.

Speaker 3 (02:03:43):
You love my new microphone. Those and it sounds great.
Oh man, I was listening to our air checks.

Speaker 2 (02:03:46):
I was like, damn it.

Speaker 3 (02:03:47):
Things better than the studio. Yeah, sounds great, Matt. It's
gonna be good for promidence when you're with me up
there for a couple of hours. Get into them, get
a second.

Speaker 2 (02:03:56):
Mic I'll get you.

Speaker 5 (02:03:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:03:58):
We gotta make fun. Yeah, we'll do it.

Speaker 4 (02:04:00):
Let's go.

Speaker 3 (02:04:01):
When is that happening on the fall? Is she enrolling early?

Speaker 4 (02:04:03):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (02:04:04):
No, no, no, By the way, how do you feel
about that? What a lot of kids are doing that
in high school athletics in Harley's a lot of her
buddies and a lot of that means football players too. Yeah,
it makes sense in football because it's a fall sport.
Because I mean, especially football, I mean, you need to
get acclimated, you need to game plan. They want to
get a look at you. And I mean it's a

(02:04:25):
huge change. It's a huge leap going from high school
football to college. My daughter, uh, she has a joke
of a schedule the semester, as most seniors do. I
mean I certainly did. And now there are some that
are taking Calculus six as they want to knock out
some college hours. Yes, but a lot of her, I
would say a lot. I would say probably if every
ten French she has, two of them are leaving early.
Uh huh, especially because she's got a lot of athletes.

(02:04:47):
And then we load up on the tennis in the
theater and they're in they're rolling in school or because
they want to get a jump start on things. And
she asked me what my opinion was about it, and
I told her, I said, look, you, first of all,
you're paying club volleyble, so you're still very active in
the sport, and it's not like you're just sitting there
at home eating ice cream and watching TV. But I

(02:05:08):
even for college athletes, especially none that are not playing
at the you know, look, my daughter plays, it's going
to play non revenue sports, so it's not like if
there's intense competition. She wants to compete and play as
a freshman, but football playing in front of ninety thousand
people a little different than playing in a gym with
about one hundred people. But I wanted her, and she agreed,
and she understood. I wanted to be a kid as

(02:05:31):
long as she can. It's about to get especially in
college athletics. You know this with this kid transfers from
CINCINNTI to Texas Tech and he's making five million dollars
if he was making zero dollars and be like, oh,
it's just a kid. Oh well, now we are treating
him as media with way more scrutiny because there's a
paychecks that attached to him. That these kids are not

(02:05:51):
going to have the old darn that was a bad
game against Kansas State. He'll bounce back next week if
you're trying to win a national championship. Cody Campbell's not
doing this because he just has money he wants to spend.
He is spending it for a reason. He is an
alum of Texas Tech. He loves his school, but he
also loves winning as much he won the business world.
He wants to win in the football world, and he

(02:06:12):
knows if it's not for his cash, he can't do
it at Texas Tech. So I think pressure is on him.
But my point was, I enjoy the fact that my
daughter is going to go to prom. I want my
daughter to go a senior skip day. I want my
daughter to do all the little things, the senior sun
rises and the things. What senior sun rise, that's usual.
It's the last sunrise before the school year starts. They

(02:06:33):
get a burl early and go to school and they
have breakfast and for him and everything. It's kind of
a school what. Yeah, it's kind of We just tped
our school were high school, our senior the day before
school started. Yeah, oh really, you're welcome. But I just
think it's now you on camera these days. Oh that's
not gonna happen now, no chance. That's what I'm saying
be shot. Uh I want I want kids today to

(02:06:56):
not grow up any faster than they have to, because
it's a whole world out there it is. Yeah that
I think that's great advice. Also, you should have asked, Jonathan,
did you no? No, No, I didn't go Did you
think about the track is a winter sport as well
as a winter and spring sports, so indoor? Did you
think about leaving school earlier? And do you want to
finish out?

Speaker 6 (02:07:16):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:07:16):
No, I wanted to finish out because I want to
go to State.

Speaker 2 (02:07:18):
But COVID cut our seat.

Speaker 3 (02:07:19):
Oh yeah, that's screwed. Yeah bad. Yeah, so again teach
his own Now, yeah, the coach comes to you and says, hey,
you get up here now, it increases your chances of
making the team, you know, playing. Then maybe Carly changes
her mind. But there was but they but they didn't.
Rhode Island isn't believe in that. And again, I don't

(02:07:41):
know if Olympic sports, non revenue sports does it to
the level that professional foot not college football does. But
I think you know, we're seeing kids. I mean, one
of the things Willie Fritz bragged about when he was
on the show While You Were Gone is that he's
got seven or eight kids like Keehan Henderson's coming to
school early. Yes, that's good. And then they planned that.
I mean the high school kids who are going to
be highly touted, retrestional coming to hor school or private

(02:08:03):
school kids. Uh, just get acclimated to campus life because
it is it's like having a second job, especially when
a country playbooks and all that stuff and limited amount
of practices get into the fold. It makes a lot
more sense when you're when you're a football player. Really short, Keith,
because I got a press conference. Good to Keith. You're
on seven ninety, Good afternoon, do you hey?

Speaker 5 (02:08:26):
I'm calling about the Rockets and and Finny Smith.

Speaker 4 (02:08:29):
All right.

Speaker 5 (02:08:31):
I thought he had a whole bunch of skills. When
he gets out there, he looks like he don't even
want the ball?

Speaker 2 (02:08:35):
What's going on with him?

Speaker 3 (02:08:37):
He's played seventy seven minutes. Are you ready to decide
how he's going to play after seventy seven minutes?

Speaker 13 (02:08:42):
No?

Speaker 4 (02:08:42):
I don't.

Speaker 9 (02:08:43):
I'm asking you because you're inside.

Speaker 4 (02:08:46):
I am an insider.

Speaker 3 (02:08:47):
I am the inside, and the insider is I've watched
Duran Finney Smith Terrorizer Rockets for about ninety five percent
of his NBA career, and I'm not going to let
seventy seven minutes aside whether he has a rotation, he's
on minutes restrictions, he's getting he's getting back into the fold. Yeah,
I would I say the sample sized Keith to beat
to answer your question. Honestly, it's just way too small
at this point. They're trying to play him about fifteen
minutes a game, which is just nothing in the NBA.

Speaker 5 (02:09:10):
Okay, well, I want to saw it as John Harball
is going to be fired today or tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (02:09:16):
Wow?

Speaker 3 (02:09:16):
Is that your gut feeling?

Speaker 5 (02:09:18):
That's my gut feeling.

Speaker 4 (02:09:20):
Definitely, Keith.

Speaker 2 (02:09:20):
If you get it right, we'll give you some props
for that.

Speaker 3 (02:09:22):
I could see that. That's not crazy. How about Mike Tomlin?
Does he leave after this game?

Speaker 2 (02:09:28):
Will get fired?

Speaker 4 (02:09:30):
Quit?

Speaker 3 (02:09:31):
I think there are so many rumors about him going
to television at the end of the year. Really, I
didn't know that. But TV money is good. It ain't
coaching money though it is not.

Speaker 2 (02:09:40):
It is easier.

Speaker 3 (02:09:42):
You know, he's only fifty three. I'm saying, you want
if you want to take a five year break and
then go back to coaching, he could do that. He
could still make great money on television. He man, worry,
but we're going to see the biggest punt to win
playoff game you could between Mike Tomlin and Demiko. Ryan's yeah,
let's break. Let's go to the press conference next year

(02:10:03):
on seven.

Speaker 17 (02:10:03):
Ninety A man of the ol hour I May, and
his attorney Scott Boris. Scott and today's translator, Kevin Ado
is here. So without further Ado, I'm going to turn
it over to Dana Brown right now, go ahead, Dana,
all right.

Speaker 18 (02:10:16):
Thank you, thanks a lot, Geane, Welcome everybody, Thank you
all for coming here. Today is an exciting day for
us in this organization and for our fan base. We
had goals set out, you know, to sign starting pitching
this offseason, and we also had goals to you know,
get into the Japan market and get into a baseball

(02:10:38):
market over there in Japan. And so it was exciting,
you know, because we had the support of Jim Craine,
you know, who's backing us, you know all the time.
And so with that, Scott Boris and I on Friday
came to an agreement to sign my man right here
to say, you to say, y'all, I get it right

(02:11:02):
to Sue to sue you uh Ima ima and so
I'm still working on my language here, but you know,
we're excited to have him here to be a part
of this organization.

Speaker 2 (02:11:16):
And uh, we're all.

Speaker 18 (02:11:18):
Thrilled here and this is a big moment for us,
and we want to welcome you know, his wife as well.
Thank you for for coming. We have a warm welcome
for you and for your four dogs too as well.
And so, uh, you know, this is a this is
an exciting time for us now to to to to
get this done. And you know with that, I would

(02:11:40):
let Kevin translate maybe what.

Speaker 26 (02:11:42):
I said, Maza dit san and support there's santo kya.

Speaker 13 (02:12:16):
Ki shm.

Speaker 10 (02:12:20):
Tonic tonica.

Speaker 26 (02:12:26):
Stamus, there is seagony oxan.

Speaker 10 (02:12:36):
Must you know anymore?

Speaker 2 (02:12:40):
One chan.

Speaker 17 (02:12:42):
Sign okay, Danna And with that we'll give you the
presentation of the jersey and everybody stand against.

Speaker 3 (02:12:53):
This is the test to your EMI conference. And again
you don't need to hear about the standing of the uniform.
Ross much better than Dana. Yeah, let's got to work
on that name a little bit. There is an interpreter
obviously because he might does not speak a word of English.
We can tell you on the day is you've got
Joe Aspata, you have Dana Brown. Scott boris wearing a
how would you describe that orange plaid tween tweed jacket?

Speaker 2 (02:13:17):
All right, are they taking question?

Speaker 4 (02:13:18):
Chip?

Speaker 5 (02:13:18):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (02:13:19):
No, No, Okay, the interpreter's up there, Scott Scotty be
like the astros Ross Scotty Bee does back to the
press conference. There's some crickets in the background. You were

(02:13:42):
he's gonna wear number forty five.

Speaker 17 (02:13:47):
Say, guys, we can be seated now before we open
up the questions. Jem or Scott, did you guys want
to say a couple of words of about I name
Excuse me.

Speaker 25 (02:14:03):
Well, I'll start to gotta let you take over, but
just wanted to thank Dana and Joe for working hard
on this deal, and we're very excited to have.

Speaker 4 (02:14:13):
Ami with us.

Speaker 25 (02:14:15):
I'm unbelievable for us here in Houston. I think he'll
get big support here and I just wanted to say,
you know, one of the things that made this possible
is with our great partners in the front row Taco.
Would you stand up the chief the chief marketing officer
of Dyke and Dyke in Park.

Speaker 3 (02:14:33):
Thank you, sir.

Speaker 17 (02:14:39):
Thay Scott.

Speaker 27 (02:14:42):
I'm gonna thank Jim and Dana certainly recommend Jim's restaurant.
By the way, that was very good, Jim, thank you
for the hospitality. It went easy too.

Speaker 6 (02:14:52):
The uh.

Speaker 27 (02:14:54):
We had a great experience here with Kokuchi coming both
on a internal and external basis in the community and
everyone involved.

Speaker 4 (02:15:04):
And we got the chance to.

Speaker 27 (02:15:05):
Tell Tatsuya all about that and the comfort he had
here and the support he received from the staff in
coming here and improving as a player. How he well
he pitched in the ballpark. And Tatsuya has a tremendous arm,
an arm that is probably for many standards, something that

(02:15:27):
we will grow to know to be something of supreme talent.
And so I'm excited for Houston and excited that Tatsuya
begins here.

Speaker 17 (02:15:35):
Thank you, okay, Tatsuya, here's your opportunity. Let's say a
few words.

Speaker 13 (02:15:42):
What's up?

Speaker 4 (02:15:43):
A song by?

Speaker 13 (02:15:47):
Are ready to chase away? Chump bilship Ritsko kissing.

Speaker 3 (02:15:53):
Thank you so much, very well said.

Speaker 17 (02:16:00):
We're gonna open up the questions now I mentioned earlier
in English first, and then we'll switch over with Japanese questions.
So raise your hand. We have he with microphones hanging
around we got Channel here first, and then Kim and
then uh Matt over here.

Speaker 22 (02:16:14):
Okay, Hi Tatsuya, welcome to Houston. The Astros have not
had a lengthy list of a Japanese presence on their team.
How much did that maybe intrigue you as being one
of the first Japanese players that could come here and
really make an imprint in this organization like you.

Speaker 10 (02:16:33):
Want taken you up?

Speaker 26 (02:16:35):
You won't take an You Anne and Jean Senshu history
Monday nine, You and Skio.

Speaker 10 (02:16:51):
You could do you.

Speaker 13 (02:16:57):
Hid jump us dead. I don't know school Key, I
don't know it.

Speaker 26 (02:17:02):
J Yeah, I'm just very excited to again go after
and chase the World championship here and perform for a
great organization like the Astros. And you know that's why
I made the long twelve hour trip to be here.

Speaker 17 (02:17:24):
Hey, Kim, Matt Christy then Brian, you.

Speaker 28 (02:17:28):
Know question You mentioned that I wanted to sign a
picture and I wanted to get into the Japanese market,
and you talk about why you wanted to get in
Japanese market in Are you done for this year?

Speaker 5 (02:17:40):
Uh?

Speaker 18 (02:17:40):
No, We're not done yet. We're still trying to sign
other players. But as far as the Japanese market. Look,
we we wanted to be active. You know that there's
some very good players coming from Japan and uh you know,
uh these guys are being becoming part of championship caliber
Toomes and sou You know, we were so focused, uh

(02:18:04):
you know on getting in that market. You know, our
partnership now with Dyking is very important to us as well,
and so uh you know we're we're locked in and
over there. So it's an exciting time for us.

Speaker 17 (02:18:16):
Okay, Matt Christie than Brian.

Speaker 10 (02:18:21):
That's what were the factors in your decision?

Speaker 9 (02:18:28):
And what decision that's really.

Speaker 10 (02:18:34):
Mark hughestoning on there? Do you wash.

Speaker 11 (02:18:39):
Mm hmm?

Speaker 13 (02:18:41):
You don't like you must take it all not itch
with it usual state? What of the chump you on
your day?

Speaker 5 (02:18:52):
Do you.

Speaker 18 (02:18:54):
Dutch?

Speaker 10 (02:18:55):
Don't it?

Speaker 26 (02:18:59):
You know, obviously I had the privilege to have a
couple of other offers as well on the table, but
you know, at the.

Speaker 10 (02:19:05):
End of the day, I truly believed that the.

Speaker 26 (02:19:10):
Here in Houston with the Astros might be able to
seriously take a shot at the World Series and make
a run. And just was I thought that this would
be the best fit for Myselfeay, Christie and.

Speaker 14 (02:19:23):
Brian after playing professionally in Japan for so long, what
do you think will be some of the challenges of
making the move to the.

Speaker 6 (02:19:32):
M L by this she my.

Speaker 13 (02:19:59):
She Hi when you'll steak downs?

Speaker 26 (02:20:07):
Yeah, the you know, the obvious changes, pitching on shorter days,
rest four days and then in Japan. Obviously there's no
time difference that I would have to adjust to. But
you know, those challenges are definitely going to be there.
But I look forward to, you know, overcoming those challenges
and learning and growing as a player and hopefully be

(02:20:29):
able to make a quick adjustment in my first year.
And you know, definitely want to just be able to
jump in with the guys and get to know my
new teammates.

Speaker 17 (02:20:41):
Okay, Brian, Leah and then over here.

Speaker 4 (02:20:44):
Than Jim what was important to get in the Japanese market.

Speaker 25 (02:20:48):
And well and people assisting to identify talent over there. Now,
we just made that adjustment in the summer. Probably didn't
have much to do with this one, but it'll have
a lot to do moving forward as we work on
those markets to try to bring the great players here
to Houston.

Speaker 17 (02:21:06):
Okay Leah, then over here, I.

Speaker 10 (02:21:10):
Go to Houston.

Speaker 4 (02:21:11):
One of the big things here is the boottine.

Speaker 10 (02:21:14):
So where have you been to eat?

Speaker 4 (02:21:15):
And where are some places?

Speaker 10 (02:21:16):
Were excited to score in the city make Houston, I know,
I know, you don't know.

Speaker 2 (02:21:28):
I don't know.

Speaker 26 (02:21:29):
Hohung more mad nanosca.

Speaker 13 (02:21:42):
Schedule my mother tonight money duet way much.

Speaker 26 (02:21:51):
So just yesterday last night it was at the restaurant
in the hotel.

Speaker 5 (02:21:55):
But uh, I uh.

Speaker 10 (02:21:58):
Tried some lamb chops.

Speaker 26 (02:22:00):
For the first time. Definitely was uh an adventure, you know,
but I loved it. You know, I you know, first
time trying something like that, but I loved it. I'm
looking forward to uh uh trying some more lamb chops
in the new future.

Speaker 17 (02:22:14):
Ka Oba here than hoveer than Dan.

Speaker 13 (02:22:17):
Tell you twelcome to Houston.

Speaker 17 (02:22:19):
When did you know that you wanted to come in
to Major League Baseball?

Speaker 13 (02:22:23):
To the US and who they have inspired you?

Speaker 26 (02:22:27):
Ma, I don't know what time day it may it
be me They putas title Kanji much the Mako goten
Eko got Segati Musco you must come.

Speaker 9 (02:22:39):
Mm well, I don't know.

Speaker 13 (02:22:43):
Well what else is shotter?

Speaker 4 (02:22:44):
You got put?

Speaker 3 (02:22:44):
What else do.

Speaker 4 (02:22:47):
When play?

Speaker 13 (02:22:47):
When the man mart?

Speaker 8 (02:22:49):
You know.

Speaker 13 (02:22:55):
That's what they most uh m hm, jep come.

Speaker 4 (02:23:05):
Click this.

Speaker 10 (02:23:10):
Yeah, so I I'd want to say it.

Speaker 26 (02:23:11):
Five years ago is when I had the privilege to
meet mister Boris over here, and that's when I, you know,
really uh began to seriously consider making my over to
making my way over to the MLB.

Speaker 13 (02:23:27):
It was.

Speaker 26 (02:23:29):
Definitely at a moment where I told myself, Hey, if
I put in the work and if I trust myself,
I really do have a chance at this.

Speaker 17 (02:23:39):
Hey hoavier than Dan.

Speaker 5 (02:23:44):
So for.

Speaker 25 (02:23:48):
In Japan between two.

Speaker 26 (02:23:53):
Before waters, Moto doesn't say shoot matso you sounds can save?

Speaker 13 (02:24:01):
You know, what's.

Speaker 6 (02:24:39):
This? What do all of us?

Speaker 10 (02:24:49):
Yeah?

Speaker 26 (02:24:49):
So, you know, unfortunately he had to leave the organization
mid season, and so because of that, you know, unfortunately
haven't been able to keep in touch with them very closely,
obviously seeing Hi here and there, and so yeah, I
haven't been able to speak with him yet, but I've
definitely been looking forward to it, and I would definitely

(02:25:11):
make my day if he were to be able to
come over here to Houston. I'm sure, you know, he
loves golf, so I'm sure he's definitely going to be
able to find himself a nice golf course out here
as well.

Speaker 17 (02:25:22):
So have we got Dan, Chandler, Brian and then Kim again.

Speaker 2 (02:25:27):
Yeah, that's as far as.

Speaker 24 (02:25:35):
Ma Son.

Speaker 13 (02:25:42):
M pretty much.

Speaker 2 (02:26:06):
Straight.

Speaker 5 (02:26:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 26 (02:26:17):
So ever since I started playing baseball back in elementary school,
I was always I felt like it was a competitor,
wanted to always come out on top, throw the ball,
the furthest the fastest, and you know that's really that
mentality stuck with me through throughout my career with the
Sable Lions. And you know, that mentality of the must win,

(02:26:41):
you know, and compete and do my best. That mentality
I feel like has stuck with me ever since elementary school.

Speaker 17 (02:26:51):
Okay, Chandler, Brian Camon and Christy.

Speaker 22 (02:26:54):
Scott mentioned Ysakkuchi's experience over here and how much he
enjoyed it. Have you been able to speak to him
either before you signed or since you signed about what
he experienced here? And then maybe Scott if you could
also add, what what about that experience resonated so well
with you guys to to make this partnership happen.

Speaker 10 (02:27:16):
Sanga British.

Speaker 13 (02:27:37):
Money, same place.

Speaker 10 (02:27:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 26 (02:27:56):
So ever since he came over to the m l
B unforse on, I wasn't necessarily in close contact with him,
but right when I signed with Houston, he reached out
immediately congratulating me and also mentioned, hey, like if you

(02:28:16):
need anything, If you ever need anything, let me know
and I'll be.

Speaker 13 (02:28:20):
There for you.

Speaker 27 (02:28:23):
I've known Testsua for five years and I'm gonna thank
to Caledino and Toksato or our employees based and they
monitor the nip On Baseball League very closely. And my
first meeting and watching Tatsuya pitch was he had an

(02:28:44):
air by the shortstop and then another air by the
second baseman, and he then struck out the next three
batters and probably saw the most emotion I had seen
from him as a player. And I asked him after
the game, I said, what what motivates you?

Speaker 4 (02:29:03):
What what what compels you?

Speaker 27 (02:29:04):
And he says, There's nothing better than picking up your
teammates and and making sure that you can help them
through the process and the rewards you get from that.

Speaker 4 (02:29:14):
And I knew immediately he was built for Major League Baseball.

Speaker 17 (02:29:18):
After that, Okay, Brian Kim Christie, than Matt, did.

Speaker 4 (02:29:23):
You wanna interpret that or for that media Japanese? I mean,
I don't know. I think.

Speaker 2 (02:29:31):
I don't know if there's Japanese right yet. Okay, Scott,
what was it?

Speaker 13 (02:29:37):
What was the courtship of of eve a life as
far as the astros?

Speaker 2 (02:29:41):
How far back did it go over there? Sort of
the steps that you.

Speaker 3 (02:29:44):
Know you have a place for you know, player for
coming from the den.

Speaker 27 (02:29:48):
Dana and I you know, meet annually at the at
the general manager and meetings and we lock him in
the room for a couple hours and then we uh
have discussions about their needs and what they're doing and
and of course he had had a full dossier on
on Tansuya and said, look, we this is somebody we
may want to reach back to you about and talk

(02:30:09):
to you about. And so we've been in dialogue since
then about the possibility of him coming here.

Speaker 17 (02:30:17):
Okay, Kim Christy.

Speaker 28 (02:30:18):
Then Matt, can you talk about what adding emas been
right to your pitching.

Speaker 10 (02:30:26):
Staff and how excited you want to add?

Speaker 4 (02:30:28):
Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 23 (02:30:30):
I'm super fired up because you guys well know the
importance of starting pitching.

Speaker 13 (02:30:35):
You could never have enough pitching.

Speaker 23 (02:30:37):
But one thing that my conversations with Maya has been
a few conversations how much he says the world champion
and that really I love that about him because he's
a competitor.

Speaker 13 (02:30:49):
He's uh, you could hear the grid and.

Speaker 23 (02:30:52):
The toughness, and I'm just excited to have him on
board and and give him the ball and see him
compete for us here and help him through those challenges
that I mentioned.

Speaker 5 (02:31:01):
We have.

Speaker 23 (02:31:01):
We added some pieces and I'm sure that we'll we'll
make sure we put in the best position for him
to succeed.

Speaker 17 (02:31:08):
Okay, Christine, Matt and then over here and then Chad.

Speaker 4 (02:31:13):
It seems like you have a pretty big personality.

Speaker 28 (02:31:15):
I was wondering for people that don't know you, how
would you describe yourself as a person and what kind.

Speaker 10 (02:31:20):
Of teammate are you.

Speaker 13 (02:31:23):
Am?

Speaker 26 (02:31:23):
I saying you are called the insua out in the
SKA no more. But even you say, do your.

Speaker 9 (02:31:38):
Mm to.

Speaker 13 (02:31:46):
Ship Houston Cord what you don't want Kodio state, Hi,
you don't.

Speaker 10 (02:32:06):
HI to use personality wise?

Speaker 26 (02:32:17):
Yeah, I just like to have fun, whether if it's
baseball non baseball, you know, and that that includes you know,
interacting with fans and just having a good time with
them as well. And you know, I also I feel
like I have that feeling of wanting to give back
to all those who have supported me. I feel like

(02:32:39):
I'm here today because of you know, all the support
that I've received, and just overall, I I look forward
to challenges and that I guess that's my personality.

Speaker 17 (02:32:51):
Okay, Matten overhead and Chandler, we got times for just
a couple more in English.

Speaker 4 (02:32:56):
And Joe.

Speaker 26 (02:32:59):
Notation or how would you just to see you've done that.

Speaker 18 (02:33:07):
Yeah, So you know, one of the big points for
us this offseason was to beef up the rotation, and
you know, getting a guy like Emi is just it's big.
It's a big part of what we're gonna do and
what we're doing there. So, uh, we feel good about
the rotation right now. As I've always said, I'm always

(02:33:28):
in the market for pitching because it's one hundred and
sixty two games and you never know how tough the
season is gonna be with injuries, so you're always looking
for pitching. But we feel pretty good about the rotation
right now.

Speaker 23 (02:33:40):
Yeah, just to add, you know, important to continue to add,
and we've done a really nice job adding first month
of the season, we played twenty five games in twenty
seven days, so important to have enough pieces just to
get us going to get out to a good start.
And you know this guy right here, really exciting to
have him picure. He's he's only contribute right right off
the bat.

Speaker 17 (02:34:00):
Okay, we get over here, then channel, then one more
after that over here.

Speaker 4 (02:34:04):
Okay, thanks for for for Joe.

Speaker 29 (02:34:07):
Well, I just want to say welcome you a Mason.

Speaker 4 (02:34:10):
Joe.

Speaker 29 (02:34:10):
If you can answer also with this Spanish, I will appreciate.
Are you planning on taking some Japanese lessons and how
is the process for a player as experienced but adapting
as quickly as possible for the MLB level.

Speaker 23 (02:34:23):
Yes, on the Japanese, I'm gonna try it. I'm gonna
work really hard trying to learn some Japanese, be able
to communicate with him. Uh panel seeing Portia the willa
being in Portante.

Speaker 2 (02:34:42):
Yeah, Yu Gallo, are you going to move to ament.

Speaker 4 (02:34:50):
And hinted and.

Speaker 17 (02:34:59):
All go okay, okay, channel and then one more over here.

Speaker 22 (02:35:05):
Too really quick, Tatsuya, will you pitch in the WBC
A WPC the.

Speaker 26 (02:35:10):
Nagidies as of right now, no plans to participate.

Speaker 22 (02:35:19):
And then Jim you mentioned wanting to get boots on
the ground in the Pacific room that in Asia. I
guess is there has there been like an inflection point
or something that has really enhanced your desire to expand
you guys's footprint into that market.

Speaker 25 (02:35:32):
Well, that's an easy one. I mean the Dodgers kind
of led the way there, and I've got an international company,
so it was pretty easy to kind of set up
quickly in there and give those guys a place to
work and you know, communicate back here in our system.
So we'll be moving pretty fast in Asia and continue
to focus on that and evaluate all the talent over

(02:35:54):
there so we can hopefully get some more of them
over here to play and to deepen the team. I think,
you know, you can really see the Asian market as
the players coming out of there are are really equivalent,
are better than some of the guys we have here.
So it was kind of untapped and I and think
until we had the Otani effect, and I think a
lot of people are focused on it, but we'll be

(02:36:16):
laser focused on it moving forward.

Speaker 17 (02:36:18):
Okay, last two.

Speaker 7 (02:36:25):
On a latter note, Houston, in a term of endearment,
likes to give its players nicknames. We have Diesel, we
got Spaghetti, we got the Red tile or Christian Javier
there's been a couple of nicknames doing about. For for
mister Tatsuya in line with a very popular ramen noodle
chain rama, how receptive of of that term of endearment.

Speaker 10 (02:36:47):
For now, mahis.

Speaker 6 (02:37:00):
In.

Speaker 10 (02:37:02):
I don't know the money your government, so you.

Speaker 13 (02:37:16):
What you'll be?

Speaker 2 (02:37:26):
I know, you get it.

Speaker 26 (02:37:33):
Yeah, I don't really know where this whole Ramen thing
came from, but uh yeah, you know, at the end
of the day, a name uh that really sticks, you know,
within my teammates and obviously the staff and most importantly
the fans. You know, a nickname that is easy to
remember and and pronounce I think would be ideal.

Speaker 17 (02:37:54):
Okay, last one in English will switch the Japanese news.

Speaker 8 (02:37:57):
And have you had been contacted with any of your
new teammates or coaching staff and if so, who has
been like the one player you're interested in working with
at your time in Houston?

Speaker 4 (02:38:10):
And miss.

Speaker 13 (02:38:33):
Yo so Houston, the missage.

Speaker 3 (02:38:38):
The Longe.

Speaker 2 (02:38:50):
Yes.

Speaker 26 (02:38:50):
So this morning I woke up to a lovely notification
from Instagram a follow from Josh Hater and the d
M as well stay basically welcoming me to the Houston Astros.
And you know he also sent me his phone number,
saying hey, let me know if you need ever need
if you ever need anything, and so you know his uh,

(02:39:15):
his messaging was a very fast, one hundred miles per hour,
it felt like, and I definitely want to reply back
with a hundred mile per hour reply.

Speaker 17 (02:39:24):
All right, folks, let's switch over to Japanese race.

Speaker 3 (02:39:27):
That is, the press conference took ends today that the
English portion from Tetua Emi what app age? Did he say?
What up age town?

Speaker 13 (02:39:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:39:35):
Did he throw the ages up? I don't know he
was doing that at the Texans game. Yeah, he looks
like he's going to be a fit right in for
however long it's going to be. In three year deal.
There are opt outs, that's what baseball does, and hopefully
Kyle Tucker do the same thing here shortly. We don't
know that yet. For whatever team he happens to choose
from reputation's good, very successful. Likes the fact he'll get

(02:39:58):
extra day's rest here as compared to playing with the Japanese.
I pitched much more often. But it makes a lot
of sense. First of all, I think it does help
build a relationship between Scott Boris and his clients that
can't hurt. There is Dyke in park that is Adkin's
a huge sponsor. Was Jim Crane was thinking the president
or whatever the executives and probably acted as a conduit

(02:40:21):
between the two. And my guess I wouldn't be totally
surprised if Tatsua does some sort of endorsement deal down
the road with them. So absolutely it wasn't. Josel Tube
was in some diking advertisements, was yeah, it'll all work out,
all right. We are super late for break obviously it's
stay cool in the summer. Yeah, I believe it or not.
Today is all things about the fire coming. You know what,
I don't know if we have time.

Speaker 4 (02:40:39):
We do have time.

Speaker 3 (02:40:42):
Em I three times m B peb nipon Probe baseball
at Thai what they call it from All Star last
year ten and five e are a one point nine
to two one hundred and seventy eight strikeouts and one
hundred and sixty three point two thirds innings whip point
eight nine two. Now, uh, it depends on who you

(02:41:05):
believe and how the quality of play is. I've heard
a mixture between double A and triple A for.

Speaker 2 (02:41:09):
The Jackers League.

Speaker 3 (02:41:11):
Great numbers, green numbers. How they translate, yeah, and I
hope the army is in good shape.

Speaker 2 (02:41:18):
I would think.

Speaker 5 (02:41:18):
So.

Speaker 3 (02:41:19):
It is interesting that was physical first thing it came
out was they were thinking six year, seven year deal.
And the Scott Boris, like most Scott Boris agents do
tend to he tends to overseell his potential clients. He
also doesn't normally represent slappies.

Speaker 9 (02:41:35):
No no, no, no no no.

Speaker 3 (02:41:37):
So I think that that kind of gives me a
bit of a vote of confidence. How good he's gonna
be to me? Please, please, please, Let's get a good
scout relationship between Scotti be and our diastros. That's what
would be my thought. Let's go the phones before we
get to believe it or not, which will be coming
up in about thirteen. James and Kline on seven on

(02:41:58):
eighty James, good morning or good afternoon?

Speaker 5 (02:41:59):
Do you.

Speaker 11 (02:42:02):
Good morning? Half of new year? Don't you think that
he shot himself in the fit might be just a
figure of speech. I talked about the area in the broadcast.
He probably didn't literally shoot himself in the foot. It's
probably just a figure of speech from whoever reported that
maybe shot himself in the foot because he didn't make
the playoffs something like that.

Speaker 3 (02:42:18):
Mmm, No, that was just a rumor, just a rumor.

Speaker 11 (02:42:22):
Okay, Well, anyhow called about the Ashes. Ass looked like
they have plenty of pitching with JP France and Jason
Alexander and picking up this new Japanese guy.

Speaker 3 (02:42:31):
They look like, I don't think You don't think one
of those guys are going to make have a major
role in this baseball team.

Speaker 11 (02:42:37):
Oh you don't think so? Okay, well maybe not. Anyhow,
That's what I called about. I thought, well, we needed
to really find an outfielder, and Bregman and Tucker haven't
signed with anybody yet, that is correct.

Speaker 3 (02:42:48):
Yeah, and that isn't happening a lot. We've seeing a
lot more of these guys signing much later in camp
than they normally have. It usually got free agency, usually
done by the counter turn and this and not in
this case at all.

Speaker 11 (02:43:00):
All right, well, thanks for letting me in again.

Speaker 4 (02:43:03):
See you later.

Speaker 3 (02:43:04):
All right, James off to a one for one start
on calls.

Speaker 4 (02:43:09):
He's doing great.

Speaker 3 (02:43:10):
He's doing great. Uh, Josh Hater reaching reaching out through
d MS.

Speaker 8 (02:43:14):
I like it?

Speaker 2 (02:43:17):
Sure?

Speaker 4 (02:43:18):
Why not?

Speaker 2 (02:43:19):
So let's talk about the guy.

Speaker 3 (02:43:20):
Let's talk about the stunning rotation here really quick Hunter
Brown check mm hmmm, Christian Javier perceived check possible. He
was kind of up and down last year. Who's the
guy they just signed?

Speaker 6 (02:43:35):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:43:36):
It was a pretty Burrow.

Speaker 2 (02:43:37):
Mike Burrows.

Speaker 3 (02:43:38):
Mike Burrows not even on their website right now. Hum My,
Lance mccallors junior Arraghetty, Oh yeah, Arraghetty should be ready.
It feels like to me one spot open for sure,

(02:44:05):
in a massive battle for that one spot. Lance mccullor's
junior in the mix. Well, let's see it right now.
Opening Day Brown, Yeah, that's easy peasy. Uh My Day
two okay, Burrows three, Javier four okay, and then five
is up in the air to the Tyler Jr. Yeah,

(02:44:29):
I mean JP for me not to completely dismay would
say what James said, But I don't JP. Frantz long
shot mcclors. Oh no, Ragetty, tell me, I mean I
just I just gave you your five right there. If
Aarraghetty's healthy, doesn't he's supposed to be. He's supposed to be,
he'd be your fifth.

Speaker 2 (02:44:46):
Starter, right. Tell me I'm wrong?

Speaker 3 (02:44:48):
I think so, Brown, Burrows, Javier Arraghetty a different starting
five not a particularly heavy hitting starting five. Question marks
certainly there with at least two members that starting five,
especially coming off vene. But as we learned last year,
the Astros need as much depth in the pitching staff
as humanly possible. Yes, well, I mean they had I

(02:45:08):
think it was thirteen or fifteen different guys start a game. Yeah,
so there you go. I think I think I've given
you what would be a considered an early January rotation.
Could you sign Burrows as a free agent? Correct? Did
they trade for him or was he I thought it
was a trade. Oh, it was a trade with the

(02:45:29):
Pittsburg Yeah, yeah, yeah, yea, yeah, yeah, he's young, twenty
six years old.

Speaker 4 (02:45:35):
M hm.

Speaker 3 (02:45:36):
He already under four last year? Y a plus one
on nine.

Speaker 2 (02:45:40):
Okay, So let me let me give you glass half full.

Speaker 10 (02:45:43):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (02:45:43):
Then they're all gonna be healthy all season long, okay,
and not saying that. Okay, If Hoppyer and Arrogaty are
your four or five for seventy percent of the season,
that's a I feel pretty good about that, honestly.

Speaker 4 (02:45:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:45:55):
Now, Arrogady still got a lot to prove because he
had that few months before, you know, last year, throwing
a bunch of strike caps where he got over those
walks early on and then he got hurt last year.
Was I didn't count. I'm going back to twenty to
twenty four more than twenty five, Raghetty. He was hurt
most last year. So yeah, that's there's worse. I'm and

(02:46:17):
again Hobber big question mark because when he came back
last year, he wasn't very good. But robre It else
takes sometimes it takes a two seasons to get back
after major you know, army shoulder situation. The Burrows seems solid.
Emi is a guy that you've obviously invested a lot
in and Hunter Brown jerrays and hopefully it's gonna get
really fat and happy with Scott Borough staying in town.

(02:46:38):
I wonder So Scott Boris got a free meale out
of Jim Crain yesterday. That's good, that's what it sounds like. Yeah,
that's good. They're building a bridge towards Hunter Brown for life.

Speaker 4 (02:46:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:46:50):
I had a trade him in a couple of years.
And we'll see what sounds more realistic doing answer that question. Okay,
I won't all right, believe it or not, it's coming
up next. It is so one forty two on Matt
Thomas schoel Ross. We gave you Demico Ryans today. We
gave you little Emi press conference as well, and uh,
things are moving around. We're gonna talk some more Nil
tomorrow on the show, plus more on the Texans and

(02:47:10):
hopefully Rockets win tonight against Phoenix without Opera and Cheng
Gun if you want to play believe it or not.
One forty three here on Sports Talk seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety All right, Rockets

(02:47:34):
against the Suns tonight, and we'll have it for you
here on seven onty. Beginning with the launch pad at
six tip lay Dylan Brooks over points, would you like
some tidbits about the game? Oh? I feel feels like
he he he at least gets up about twenty shots
every time he plays the Rockets. Now, the Suns did
not arrive here until about an hour ago. They had

(02:47:55):
mechanical issues in their plane, so they spent the night
back in Phoenix, and so they're flying day game, which
you know what, honestly for them, I mean you get
to go home, sleep in your own bed. It won't
be the worst thing in the world. In the two games,
Brooks had twenty nine in one game and twenty three
in the other. Rockets did beat the Suns twice already

(02:48:15):
this year, once in Phoenix and one here in Houston.
We got one more game here and one more game
in Phoenix for.

Speaker 4 (02:48:19):
At the end of the year.

Speaker 3 (02:48:19):
You say those point totals again, twenty nine and twenty three.

Speaker 2 (02:48:22):
Yeah, that's up. That's above average for him.

Speaker 3 (02:48:26):
M hm. Coming in on the year averaging twenty one
point four.

Speaker 4 (02:48:30):
That's kind of bay.

Speaker 3 (02:48:31):
There's a lot of meat on that bone. No operaing shingoon.
Don't know on Stephen Adam's availability. Clint Capella did play
major minutes for the Rockets to almost twenty seven minutes
at a night. Yeah, he was looking spry for a
lot of good look and you can use the left
and the right hand on the mid range little jump pook.
He's got good rebounding. Rockets just had so many looks
at three point shots and could not act them down

(02:48:52):
in Dallas. How many second chance opportunities did they blow
in that game? It was very frustrating and like third
chance and four chance. It felt like, yeah, I don't
look it up, Okay, don't. I mean, I'll probably use
it for the broadcast, but I mean I won't be
brock out of this. Yeah, So seven o'clock and then
tomorrow back with this for our first gut feeling to
twenty twenty six. We'll also recap how we did on
our playoff prediction our playoff predictions. I don't think it

(02:49:15):
was really good because you have always been Team Ravens
and you're feeling good until that. Literally the odds on
favorites to win the Super Bowl, So I can't. I
thought I was going chalk. Yeah, they don't even make
the playoffs. Yeah, we can we play it really quick? Jonathan?
That sound by Oh yes, it's tree Rico. Can we
play it real quick? Here's we'll get I probably looking
to believe we're not here, but but I want you

(02:49:36):
to hear this one minute. This is Turrico setting up
loops field goal attempt that would have sent Baltimore to
the playoffs. Instead, Pittsburgh goes and here's the call from
the NBC from last night. Freezing, freezing, freezing, Uh follow
me on Instagram. Got thirty one hundred followers on Instagram. Now,
so if you want to give yourself a New Year's treat.
Follow me at sports MT on Instagram. I'm down to

(02:49:59):
thirty nine and somebody must have dropped me. Probably a
spam account. That's a shame. It's some one of those spots. Yeah,
you weren't responding to our dms. I'm not going to
Oh my interney, Okay, forget it.

Speaker 2 (02:50:10):
Five minutes wint in doubt.

Speaker 3 (02:50:12):
The internet's out. Oh that's a good one. Five minutes
left to go on the show. What should we do?
We should play America's fastest growing sports radio game show.
We simply call it a b Believe It or Not?
And heresyle works. You'll call seven one three two one
two five seven ninety seven to one three two, one
two five seven hounty. Today's edition of Believe It or

(02:50:32):
Not is all things about uh former coaches that got
fired today around the National Football League. I'll read your
statement about one of those coaches completely the same as
completely utterly actor. You'll say this believe it same as
Ronie is full of bunk of men. If you'll say
this not to believe it or not in a row,
win your prize. We are playing today.

Speaker 6 (02:50:50):
Four.

Speaker 3 (02:50:50):
Are you ready for this? Here we go here we
Go UH a seven onty T shirt or a pair
of tickets to see Monster Energy am A Supercross at
Energy Stadium, or a pair of tickets see ever Clear
Live January the fifteenth at House the Blues. Both tickets
are available by going to ticketmaster dot com. It's ticketmaster
dot com for Monster Energy am A Supercross or ever Clear.

(02:51:13):
Let's talk to Ruben on seven aunty. Ruben, you're ready
to play. Believe it or not?

Speaker 2 (02:51:18):
Believe it?

Speaker 3 (02:51:19):
Ruben, good luck to you. After his college career at Hofster,
Raheem Morris had a brief NFL career as a safety,
playing his safety each with the Steelers and the Jets.
Believe It or not.

Speaker 5 (02:51:31):
Believe it?

Speaker 3 (02:51:32):
No, it's a false. Sorry, thank you for playing. Austin
on seven Aunty, Austin, You're ready to play. Believe it
or not?

Speaker 4 (02:51:42):
Believe it.

Speaker 3 (02:51:42):
Raheem Morris's first job in coaching was as a quality
control and video assistant for the Atlanta Falcons. Believe it
or not? Believe it? No rossmanded up to the Ross
Center pressure. He usually tends to do a lot of knots.
It's not true, Lewis on seven, Aint you ready to play?

Speaker 2 (02:51:59):
Believe it or not? Believe it.

Speaker 3 (02:52:01):
Jonathan Gannon was a three star athlete in high school,
a state champion point guard and all district hurdler, and
a two way football player. Believe it or not not,
that's a believe it that you been playing? Seven on
three two one two five seven nintie seven one three
two one two five seven nine zero seven one three

(02:52:22):
two one two five seven nintie neil on seven Are
you ready to play? Believe it or not?

Speaker 2 (02:52:28):
Believe it?

Speaker 3 (02:52:28):
Jonathan Gannon married his high school sweetheart, Samantha, and the
couple has three children. Believe it or not.

Speaker 4 (02:52:35):
Believe it?

Speaker 2 (02:52:35):
No, d how do you know his family?

Speaker 3 (02:52:38):
Come on now some of your this is a horrific
start too. Did we get three people with three nuts?
But I mean as Kim is family losing? That's terrible.

Speaker 6 (02:52:49):
What is it?

Speaker 2 (02:52:50):
Sweetheart?

Speaker 3 (02:52:51):
Hike on seven? Are you ready to play? Believe it
or not?

Speaker 2 (02:52:54):
You better believe it.

Speaker 3 (02:52:55):
Although Kevin Stefanski is an offensive background, he played defensive
back in college. Believe it or not not, that's a
believe it. Come on now, I'm roughing it to you earlier.
Ross believes a lot of things. Maybe going uh, that's
five incorrect?

Speaker 6 (02:53:12):
Right?

Speaker 3 (02:53:12):
Or is it five for five? Five for five? Geo
on seven or are you ready to play?

Speaker 2 (02:53:18):
Believe it or not?

Speaker 4 (02:53:20):
Believe it?

Speaker 3 (02:53:20):
Kevin Stefanski is a two time AP NFL Coach of
the Year and is only forty three years old.

Speaker 2 (02:53:26):
Believe it or not, that's Hound's unbelievable.

Speaker 5 (02:53:30):
So I believe it.

Speaker 2 (02:53:31):
Believe it is right.

Speaker 3 (02:53:32):
Statement number two for a win as a head coach
and assistant. Pete Carroll does want to combine two college
national championships and also three Super Bowls as an assistant
and as a head coach. Believe it or not?

Speaker 26 (02:53:44):
Believe it?

Speaker 3 (02:53:45):
No, just one super Bowl? Thank you for playing?

Speaker 2 (02:53:47):
No Scott on seven or are you ready to play?

Speaker 3 (02:53:50):
Believe it or not?

Speaker 5 (02:53:52):
Yes? I am.

Speaker 3 (02:53:53):
Pete Carroll is the oldest NFL hook coach NFL head
coach in the history of the league. Believe it or not,
that's right. Congratulations, we got a filing on a winner there,
nicely done.

Speaker 4 (02:54:03):
Believe it.

Speaker 2 (02:54:03):
I'm here for now seconds.

Speaker 3 (02:54:05):
George Powers third, older than Vince Lombardies two and all
those guys. Yeah, I'm gonna blip all right, have a
great day. Ross. We'll see at the game. Seem number seven,
You're your number seventeen. Off to a rip roaring start.
Everybody sit back, relaxed. For the next four hours. It's
by Adam Clinton, Adam Weser. I'll join you for Rockets
basketball tonight at seven right here on Sports Talk seven

(02:54:28):
ninety