Speaker 1: Lunchtimers. This is the Matt Thomas Show. I'm gonna tell
you the truth. This's going around here, by the way,
anything goes Friday here on the Matt Thomas Show rows.
You can clearly tell that I'm not sounding my best.
I don't feel real good. I went to bed last
night at eight o'clock Pacific time and got up at
seven point fifteen Pacific time, and I was hoping to
get like NonStop sleep, just let this thing sleep off.
But I woke up every seventy five minutes to cough
and to go to the bathroom. So I'm gonna be
brutally honest with you. We don't have anybody as backups.
Dan works at a four hour show. Adam and Adam
do their four hour show. Ross need to take some
time off, so sometimes you have to gut it out.
And that's exactly what I'm doing today here on the show.
I'm going to gut it out. We do have a
lot of great guests coming up on the show today.
We'll have a Gordy stop by at ten fifty this morning.
We will also have a Robert Ford, the voice of
the Astros, stop by at eleven o'clock looking forward and
talking with him. We usually have him on opening day,
but I wasn't working open a day because the Rockets
were on the road and the guys were at the
opening day plaza ceremony, so I missed that opportunity. So
we'll talk to him. I'm sorries at eleven thirty. You're like,
what is that? Well, if you're new to the show,
first of all, where you have been, second, damn glad
to have you. I'm sorry, this is where you get
to call and apologize for anything you've done. And we
really don't judge you very much on that. I mean,
we can judge you a little bit, but not a
whole lot. So I'm sorry. They're coming up at eleven thirty.
So if you won't apologize, anybody in this world know
that you can do it on this radio show. We'll
have the news at noon, and then later on today
we will have Craig Ackerman, the voice of the Rockets
television sign we were with us at twelve thirty. He's
bumping around here somewhere in LA and we'll talk to him,
and then Ema A Doka is going to join us.
At one thirty, we'll have the non Florida stories and
of course Helly Aeron out. So I put together a
few things today to hopefully make it less of me
and more about the other great people that are on
this show. And I've got all my good friends joining
me today on the radio program. Now I consider you
my friends. So if there's anything you want to get
to today and you're like Maddy, we feel sorry for you.
And I heard your take on this, and you can't
fight me on this because you're at about thirty percent,
you're right. So today is a go after bat On
Sports takes day. Like if you want to say that
Joe a Spot is the reason why of the astros
are five and seven, I ain't gonna argue with you.
I'll listen, may not agree, but I'm not gonna fight
you on it. I'm not gonna go Jamison on you
like we have done in the past. If you want
to get into the Jalen Peatree signing, which just happened
within the last hour. As the Nick Cassia continues to
spend a lot of money on the defense and took
that money that he did not want to use towards
Larry Tounsel and put into other people's hands. That's very interesting.
We'll get to that as well. We will also get
to the Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. I'm
hoping forward to taking a nap at noon Pacific today
to hopefully get my voice up to at least broadcast
material for that. Rockets have two games left to go
in the season before they get to the postseason, and
who they're playing, I have no idea, because these things
fluctuate literally every day. And I've told you all this before.
Speaker 2: I have a problem, a lot of problems, but my
number one problem is I'm infatuated by looking at the
standings in the Western Conference, and last night it moved
all the way around.
Speaker 1: Case in point. Last night, the Golden State Warriors were
a seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs before the
game between Minnesota and Memphis was played. Now there's a
bunch of tie breakers. You had a bunch of teams
with similar records. I woke up this morning, I actually
woke up several times this morning at about I don't know,
one thirty two o'clock in a morning to go pee.
I don't mean to say pe a lot, but I did.
I don't know. It was terrible and right now Golden
State is bumped up to the sixth spot. Golden State, Memphis,
Minnesota all at the same record at forty seven and
thirty three. So clearly, if there is a three way
tiebreaker between those two between those three teams, the Golden
State Warriors would have the advantage over Memphis and Minnesota.
My guess is because of how who they've beaten so far.
Be it from me to try to figure out who
they're going to play, because you got games tonight, you
don't have anything on Sunday, and then you ra Saturday,
and then you have all these afternoon games on Sunday.
So I will still stare at these standings. I will
still be obsessed with it because that's a problem I have.
But that's just me because I can't wait to see
what the Rockets do as a number two seed in
the Western Conference playoffs and whether or not they're gonna
be taken on a Clippers team, a Minnesota team, a
Memphis team, or Golden State. I mean, all of them
are certainly into play. Even for that matter, if the
Clippers lose their last two games, that could be a possibility.
So it's going to be a very interesting time for
the Rockets and how they play this up, knowing that
they can have a hand in the decision making as
to who they play. Does he may play a lot
of guys tonight? Does he may set I got a
lot of guys like he did against the LA Clippers.
Does he? We'll go full throttle today and then back's
offense on someday. I mean, we'll ask you ma it
come up at one thirty. But I really think that
they're not going to still be able to figure that
out for a while. So that's going on with that
as the Rockets are down the two games, and I
really hope, and I've been saying this before, I really
hope that this city, who is lukewarm on certain things,
especially if you don't win, can kind of get into
the Rockets playoff vibe. I can't guarantee a series win,
I can't guarantee a long playoff run, but I can
guarantee they're gonna play their ass off, and they have
done so to finish the number two seed in the
Western Conference because I know for a fact I didn't
have them as a second seed. My guess is the
Rockets didn't have him as a second seed. And you
certainly didn't. So we'll see what kind of energy we
have on the rockets between now and the start of
the playoffs. We mentioned Jalen Petrick getting a new contract.
It's a three year extension worth thirty nine million dollars.
That's it. Excuse me, Nick, you see spend some serious money.
Sure enough. That defense Texas football in twenty twenty five
is we're gonna lock you down defensively. We're gonna put
the best players out there, give them nice, long term deals,
and then we're going to pray that our offensive line
can keep saj Strout upright, because the one thing they
haven't done is spend a lot of money on the
offensive line. Now they may go do that come draft time.
I mean I would be startled if they didn't pick
at least two offensive linemen in the first three rounds.
So that's what I think they'll do, and they'll be
guys that you won't recognize. And let's be brutally honest,
the Texans have spent the last couple of years reinforcing
an offensive line with draft picks and it hasn't worked out,
thus the mess they're in right now. But there's something
that you can do, and that's the defensive players that
have hit. Pay them, make sure they don't test free
agency and get them locked in. And that's exactly what
Nickosario has done. Astros and Angels play series tonight in
dyke in Park, three game series with the Halos, and
then they go back on the road for a series
at Saint Louis early next week. So we'll get into
some astro shato if you want to, the story of
this show today is less of me and more of you.
Although I sound like very white.
Speaker 3: Did I'm not?
Speaker 4: That?
Speaker 5: Was that you sound amazing? That I just went to
the cee that like the how it sounds on? Are
you sound like a smooth la?
Speaker 6: You know what I mean?
Speaker 1: You're The very first sound you made today was a cackle?
Speaker 7: No?
Speaker 1: Is that a cackle of respect? Were you legitimately laughing
about the situation?
Speaker 6: Yes?
Speaker 1: Do you feel sorry for me at all?
Speaker 5: I kind of do. I'm I have a lot of pride.
I'm proud of you for doing this, Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: And I wish we had backup people at the station,
but we don't, so it is what it is, all right?
Seven one three, two, one two five seven Hounty. You
get carte blanche today more than you ever have before
in the history of this show, because again I need
to hold onto this voice for four hours and then
called a basketball game tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers
seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seventy. Come in and
say hello, I don't care if you babble at this point,
it's your talking. You command the floor. Let's go. It's
a Matt Thomas show without Ross today from Los Angeles
here on Sports Talk seven ninety. It isn't anything goes Friday.
By the way, Uh, those of you on Twitter, I
believe I was with the strippers last night. I wish
I was, but instead I was in my bed at
eight o'clock Pacific time. That was the anti Well, I
wasn't with the stripper. Put it that way, man, I
could have been a bed to talk with the stripper,
but that's not the here nor there. I wouldn't do that.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 1: It is a Sports Talk seven ninety here from Los Angeles.
We will look forward to talking with you because again,
more of you and less of me saves my voice.
So you're going to get as much of a leeway
as you've ever had in the history of this show.
So I think any of you that say, hey, I'm
going to call and say how to Matt. I got
a sports take I want to get to, or I
got something about my life I want to get to,
you can do that right now. It's seven one three
two one two five seven ninety seven one three two
one two five seven ninety My first my new best
friend Clay and Hockley at ten nineteen on seven. Hunty Clay,
good morning to you.
Speaker 8: Morning, Matt. How you doing that stupid question?
Speaker 1: I can tell you that's all right, you can said
you gets all right?
Speaker 8: Yeah, I got a question for you about the batting coaches,
you know, for the Asktros I understand, you know, not
every player is like Trout, and some of these guys
are just hitting up to their you know, their best abilities.
But my question is when do you start looking at
the batting coaches for things like well, you know, going
deeper in the count or not hitting them swing, having
pitch that's you know, it's two feet outside of the
third you know, do you think they can if that
coaches make that much of a difference in the MLB I.
Speaker 1: Really don't, Clay, and I've been doing this a long time.
I think when you start attacking hitting coaches, you're just
trying to find blame with somebody when it's really not there.
These are athletes that have been playing professional baseball for many,
many years. Some of them have been in major leagues
for a long period of time. I don't think all
of a sudden, Christian Walker crushing the ball in Arizona game,
here to Houston and learn some bad habits and all
of a sudden can't hit anymore. So I think it's
the lowest of hanging fruit. And we're talking about the
two astro hitting coaches, Alex Centron and Troy Snicker. If
they walked into your house right now, and Clay, you
wouldn't recognize them. So it's very difficult for me to
attack a group of people that I don't see. What
they do. All always say is this, if it was
a if there was a prolonged team wide slump and
things are really underperforming, Sometimes hitting coaches are the sacrificial lamp.
Sometimes the player hit, the pitching coaches are. I don't
endorse that under any circumstance, but sometimes, just like in football,
you have to get rid of coordinators, and that certainly
happened with the Texans and Bobby Slowick being moved. I've
seen hitting coaches being fired before, and I've seen some
of them make significant differences, but more times than that,
they don't make any difference. Like the Astros way back
in the day, and like going back before they were
good ten twelve years ago, they fired the hitting coach
and Jeff Bagwa did it for a little while, and
Jeff was cool, but Jeff bag would excuse me. Can
only do so much. I mean, if you're trying to
correct Matt Domingez and make him a major league hitter,
that's not going to happen. If you're trying to make
Justin Maxwell on everyday centerfielder in the big that's just
not gonna happen. So no matter what you have in
your camp, and no matter what you think you can offer,
it's more about the athlete. It's more about what that
player has done in the past and adjustments he can
make now. The good hitting coaches are the ones that
will see something and say, hey, you're moving your left foot,
or your back foot is in a particular situation, or
you're your bat speed is not at where it used
to be. What can we do to fix that? But
I just it's just that it's so nuanced that I can,
as a radio host go on my show and say
the Astros offensive os would be all fixed if they
got down to one hitting coach or they replace the
two hitting coaches that are there there. That's just that
to me just doesn't ube.
Speaker 3: Now.
Speaker 1: What you would see is if there were some issues,
people would whisper about it. Everybody wants to whisper as
long as you don't attach your name to it. And
I don't think that has been the case. It certainly
wasn't the case at all last year. And all you
got to do is get Christian Walker going to did
what he did last year. All you gotta do is
get Yann ar Diez to start popping ball and Jeremy
Pinyon whatnot, and you'll be fine. I mean, look, Hoseel
Twobe is having a good start of the season and
people thought there may be a downturn for him in
his career. Maybe those guys have been influential in keeping
Hosel Tuba with an ops of nine hundred or one thousand.
I just can't speak to that, and certainly you wouldn't
make a decision like that based off of a twelve
game sample size. You just wouldn't. Thanks for the phone call, Clay,
Thank you for speaking seven one three two one two
five seven nine zero seven one three two one two
five seven ninety. I mean, like I said, it'd be
the same situation if all these relievers that the Astros have,
I mean, they've been journeymen, and that's what mental believers
typically are. I mean, are we all of a sudden
gonna tell say, Josh Millner and Bill Murphy, you guys
are on the hot seat because Taylor Scott is not
performing well, or that Brian A Bray, you who has
been lights out the last couple of years for the Astros,
all of a sudden sucks? Is that is that on you, guys.
I've just been always of the belief that it's up
to the athlete more so than the coaching unless there
is a really deep disconnect that we would hear through
the grape vine, and that would be guys like Chilona
Rome and McTaggart and Matt Kawakara over at the Chronicle saying, hey,
hearing rumblings of this, this, this, and this, and I
don't think you're hearing that at this point, and certainly
then nobody else is making that public. And this shouldn't
be it's twelve games. It's more sample size seven one three, two,
one two five, seven nine. If you want to get in,
Thank you Clay again for rescuing me for a little bit.
Seven to one to three two one two five seven
nine zero. And again, as crazy as things are, excuse me,
and as bad as things have been so far for
the Astros in terms of underperforming with its bullpen and
its offense, We're sitting here twelve games in the season.
The Rangers are nine and four, You're three and a
half out. I mean, that's nothing that can be made
up in seven eight days. And I'm not gonna really
start to settle in on what this season is gonna
be until I watch probably the fifty game point or
maybe the seventy five game point. I think Astros Twitter
can't do that. I think Astros Twitter likes to go
pounce on whoever's not performing. Won't have them fired, whether
it be the general manager, whether it be the manager
or the player. I just it's just it's just too
easy and you gotta let you gotta go through the
long stretch, Like I said, fifty seventy five games before
you really start thinking about whether or not any staff
changes can be made. And even so, most times that
doesn't happen unless somebody whispers and say, hey, you wouldn't
believe what's going on right now. Ten twenty seven on
Sports Talk seven ninty, it Isn't Anything Goes Friday seven
one three two one two five seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety If you want
to reach out through Twitter, you may do that as well.
It's at Sports Empty. Excuse me. We have a Gordy
coming up for a stop buying about twenty five minutes
from now. Robert Ford, voice of the Astros, joins us
in just a little bit. It isn't Anything Goes Friday
here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross, who is
off today. We'd like you to be a part of
the show. And for those of you that have joined me,
thank you for those of you that future joining me.
I really appreciate you. Seven one three two one two
five seven nine zero seven one three two one two
five seven. I don't know if I've got allergies or
just a sore throat or I had a fever last night.
Just listen to me, bitch and moan what a baby
I am. I'm really and I don't know if y'all are.
I don't know who's ever a good sickie, but I'm
the worst sickie. I want massive amounts of Oh, I'm feel.
Speaker 6: Sorry for you.
Speaker 1: Thatice is who I am. It's a character flaw. Back
on the phones, we go. Let's talk to some people
and say hi to Ronnie in Houston on the Mott
Thomas Show with Ross at ten thirty two. Ronnie, good
morning to you. Good morning man.
Speaker 9: I have a suggestion for you guys, and I don't
know if you can do it or not. First off,
I've been a fan. I mean I've been a fan
of yours, although I would prefer somebody else do the
radio broadcast, just because it's not anything against you personally.
It's just that you know, you have certain preferences, and
I know Geen Peterson left some big shoes to fill.
And also Mike Edmund's doing you of h broadcast. You
probably remember him, Yeah, but I would for tonight. I
wish you and Craig switch places. That way, you wouldn't
have to talk as much being on the TV side,
or even more. Uh you know, interesting would be is
you did a simulcast with Craig.
Speaker 1: You don't like me doing the games, is what you're saying,
not with a.
Speaker 9: Sore throat and the horse voice and coughing.
Speaker 1: Oh well, we got we got time. I will rally,
trust me, I will rally well.
Speaker 10: But I you know, I don't.
Speaker 9: I'll say that I'm a bigger fan in terms of
just style, and it's all a matter of personal preference.
It's nothing against you, because my god, I have a
lot of respect for what you've done in radio and Houston,
all the years you've been here, back and forth and whenever.
Speaker 1: But I have a lot more.
Speaker 9: I like Jeremy Brownham. I wish you could fly him
up to LA and he could do the game instead
of you having to rest you. You know, if we're
going to rest some of the players, we need to
rest Matt Thomas and get him ready for the playoffs.
You know so, But I mean, I hope you can
do well tonight because I don't want to try.
Speaker 11: Well.
Speaker 6: Thank you for the playoffs. We thank you for the playoffs.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you, Ronnie. I think appreciate the phone call.
I think I think I don't think he likes me.
Speaker 12: You know, he gave you a.
Speaker 3: Very back.
Speaker 1: It was very backhanded, right he came.
Speaker 12: He came like a corporate way, you know, like an
incorporated Yeah, yeah, that's fine.
Speaker 1: I mean I get it. I'll be ready for the playoffs,
trust me. This two show pass. Let's go to uh
Ryan and sugar Land at ten thirty five on seven
Andy Ryan, good morning.
Speaker 13: Yes, good morning. First of all, I like you guys,
and I appreciate you guys.
Speaker 4: Second of all, you of h game the Cougar.
Speaker 13: I know it was this past Monday night. I was
there in person too. We'll go We'll go down as
one of the biggest choke jobs in he said, sports history.
And then my second take is on the Rockets. Who
would be a favorable matchup for the Rockets where we
rather play the Clippers, Memphis or Minnesota. And I'll hang
up to listen.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean all those turnovers late couldn't get shots up.
I mean the Cougars did it to Duke and then
Florida did it to Houston. It's painful, it's very, very painful.
We were in our seats in San Antonio on Monday
night and we were all sitting around, We're standing around.
We were standing and we said, who's going to take
the shot to win it? Do you go for a
two pointer? Do you go for a three pointer? And
I said, ah Man, real sharp for a win. And
he thought about it too, except instead of doing the
plump fake shot fake that didn't involve the ball leaving
his hands, he let the ball leave his hands because
he saw a Florida defender coming right at him. That
thought was the ball was going to hit it. It
was going to hit him and block him, and then
he couldn't grab it because it would have been a
travel and there was a mad scramble and the game
is over, A ridiculously painful way to lose the game.
Ridiculously So I don't like to use the word choke,
But if I said it against Duke, I mean I
guess I have to be fair that the Cougars had
the lead with a minute left to go, couldn't take
its shot to turn the ball over, couldn't run their.
Speaker 12: Offense on the coaching say again, do you blame any
of that on Sammons.
Speaker 1: No, it's on the players. Kelvin Sampson executes everything beautifully.
I mean, you can't, you can't. You can't give him
his flowers when he draws up that play against Purdue
and all of a sudden say he can't coach. I
mean they drew up plays and even Calvin has said
as much. So, yeah, that was indecision. That was the
moment was too big and Franklin that it happens a
lot in college athletics. Sixty six thousand people in the
stadium playing for a national championship, Millions and millions and
millions of people are watching on television. It takes something
special to make that happen, and the Cougars couldn't do it,
and it really hurts, you know. I will never forget
in eighty three when the Cougars lost to North Kaliston
and the buzzer beater. I mean, I was eleven years old,
but I'll remember that where I was, how I watched it,
and that will never I will. I don't think I'll
forget this either, because I was actually in the building.
So these are those moments that you go, oh, I
remember where I was when these things happened. So it's stings,
very battling, and probably stings as much for Calvin Sampson
because of any of it, because that was the best
opportunity for him to finally win a Final four and
get the national championship. Now, as far as the playoffs
are concerned, I don't like Golden State. I've told you
that multiple times. The Rockets did beat God, excuse me,
it be Golden State, but they still are a playoff
savvy team, been there and done that, and maybe they're
not as good as they were a year ago. Clearly
that's the case, or even the last three or four years.
My preference is I'd rather the Rockets play in order
Memphis one, Clippers to Minnesota three, Golden State four. That'd
be my preference of who would want to see in
the first round. And the reality is in it could
be Denver two. You never know. I mean again, you've
got two games left everybody. You've got games tonight, and
you've got games on Sunday. So a lot of me
just says, you know what, whatever happens happens. You can't
really root because there's so many people trying to play
each other and beat each other. Up that you've got
tie breakers in play. You don't know exactly what's going
to happen, but yeah, I would say if my teams
that I would want to play, I want to see
Memphis first, Clippers, second, Minnesota third, Golden State four. But
I can be a convinced otherwise. Thanks for the phone
call seven one three two one two five seven ninety
if you want to jump in seven one three two
one two five seven nine zero, If you want to
reach out to me on Twitter, I appreciate that, but
uh more opportunity for you to come in and say
hello today. Even if you want to say that I'm
not as good as Jeremy Brannon, Orgie Peterson or Mike Evans,
I can live with that. Seven one three two one
two five seven nine zero. Let's talk to my man
Biscuit here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Biscuit
can always fill up some time. What's up, Biscuit?
Speaker 14: Who mad cougar mask?
Speaker 6: So your call it is just called in. Uh, it's
not even closed.
Speaker 7: Man.
Speaker 15: This was painful, Matt.
Speaker 3: Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 14: Now it's coogle like yourself and me is painful. But
we wouldn't even favorite going into the game. Now we
had the game in our hands, but we wasn't favorite
nineteen eighty three man, that was we was that was
supposed to be signed field delivered.
Speaker 1: And we and we choked it off.
Speaker 14: And then that's that oiler game when they had that
great lead against Buffalo.
Speaker 6: Come on, man, that was that was.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, those are from at the top two they.
Speaker 7: Got that got a team ran out of town.
Speaker 1: Man, Oh it did it? It was you know what
it was Besically it was the day the orders died, right.
Speaker 6: Because uh, Bud.
Speaker 14: Then budd came out on a new staying there like, man,
you better get out of here. But uh, I'm a
I called in Matt to to First of all, I
knew somebody had to get in the portal, Matt. So
you know, yeah, man, censor, he got some horses coming in, Matt.
That's what I told you the other day, Matt. And
you know from inn in that from Indiana, Matt, right,
and I started to go down there to the Alamodome
on Monday. A couple of Buddies did because my color
cool color cools. But I'm telling you right now, Matt,
I'm gonna meet you in Naptown.
Speaker 3: First round gonna be on that.
Speaker 1: By the way, Indianapolis is a great place to watch
the Final four. Downtown is awesome.
Speaker 14: Exactly, and so I'm gonna see you in that town, man.
Speaker 13: And to the Rockets.
Speaker 15: You still think you want to play the Lakers.
Speaker 6: I don't know, man, the Lakers.
Speaker 1: I don't think the Rockets the Lakers.
Speaker 10: Yeah, but I mean the other day you said you did,
I'd rather play.
Speaker 14: Denver Memphis, and even the Timber was because the Timber
was the soul streaky, you know, like you say. They
don't look like it looked like it's either gonna be
between Minnesota, Golden State, and Memphis.
Speaker 6: One of those three probably who they're gonna play.
Speaker 14: But I like the rockets chances second round though. Rockets
and Lakers. Man, that's gonna be fun.
Speaker 1: A lot of star power, a lot of Nationals, a
lot of big time ABC Saturday Night games.
Speaker 16: Right, sir.
Speaker 14: I was there man in eighty six, me too, you know,
right in the in the summit, back in the day.
Speaker 3: Back in the day.
Speaker 1: Thanks Biscuit for the phone call. I appreciate you listening.
I missed the summit. There's a generation of Rocket fans
that have no idea what the damn summit is? It
was such a magical place. First of all, the name
was ridiculously cool. Secondly, the roof was low, so you
could you know, all the noise was really really loud.
And then third you could just you could. You could
pick me up, blindfold me and drop me in the
summit anywhere you wanted to, and I can smell, I can,
I wouldn't know where I was. It was like burnt
caramel corn. It me and me. Some of you are like,
why do I want to smell burning for charmlcorn? It
was just to smell of the arena had But I
loved it. I also love the fact that you didn't
have to pay for parking when you were there either
back in the day. How about that Now everybody's charging
a big time parking ten forty three Sports Talk seven
ninety It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Ross
has the day off. We got a Gordy drive by
coming up next here on Sports Talk seven ninety getting
ready for the weekend of Astros Baseball. Robert Ford is
going to join us in about ten minutes. Congratulations to
Chris Gordy. He was named the programmed director by the
Houston of the Year by the Houston Media Alliance last
night at Big Shin Dick congratualations. Gorney, thank you, Matt.
Speaker 17: Exciting times could know without our all of our staff
here and our host. So you share a part of this.
Jonathan shares a part of this. Maybe Raw shares a
little part too.
Speaker 1: Sure, go ahead, you gonna be What do you want
to say, Jonathan, he's just time to be modest? Oh
he isn't. Okay, he slept with it last night. He
made look, he put it next to his pillow. I
guarantee you.
Speaker 17: I will say it didn't Uh, it didn't hurt to
have our competing program director there in the building too.
Speaker 3: Oh really, that's always fun.
Speaker 1: Okay, what's good? Did you walk up there and say
suck it?
Speaker 12: Yeah? I thought about it.
Speaker 1: Good for you.
Speaker 12: I'm modest, though.
Speaker 1: I don't want you acting with class and dignicky.
Speaker 6: I don't want that.
Speaker 12: Well you you were nominated for one of the awards
and lost apparently.
Speaker 17: But Adam well, it's tough because you're going to against
like FM DJs and all kinds of other stuff. But
Adam Clinton was there because Teresa was nominated.
Speaker 1: She did not win.
Speaker 17: Either, but we had agreed that if you had won.
I told Adam that you had that he would have
to go up there and accept on your behalf.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well you didn't have to worry about that. It's fine.
I was nice to be nine many dime. That's all
I can ask for.
Speaker 12: You've won things in the past.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but that's I mean, it's good. I mean I
was nice, and we recognize. I appreciate that very much.
All Right, Gordy off day for the local nine yesterday,
chance to lick their wounds a little bit, and the
Angels coming in for a three game series.
Speaker 17: Yeah, it's a weird kind of like they were on
the road for six and then they come home for
quick three gamer and then they immediately head back out
to Saint Louis for a series with the Cardinals up there.
But yeah, the day off is nice because with the
Arraghetty injury, it kind of gives you a data reset
things a little bit. But they're gonna go with Ryan
Gusto on Saturday, you know, and then so it'll be
run out Blanco tonight, Ryan Gusto tomorrow, and Hayden was
Nesky on Sunday. And this is an interesting Angels team.
I mean, they've got some firepower, they've got some pitchings decent.
Will avoid Kakuchi in this in this series so you
don't have to see the guy that you traded for
last trade deadline.
Speaker 12: But it's it's gonna be a good see. I mean,
this is one wher.
Speaker 17: It just feels like you got to get that bad
taste out of your mouth on Wednesday and come back
and win tonight. Because let's be real, too, run out,
Blanco ain't been great so far, and if he struggles tonight,
I mean the era is over nine right now. Like,
if he struggles tonight, that's gonna be really big red flags.
And there's really nothing you can do though, because with
the injury at a Righetti like you're kind of stuff.
Blanco has to be part of this rotation.
Speaker 1: And unfortunately, there were some warning signs about his performance
in spring training. He did not have a good spring
so that's he did not bring with him a new
add and the new approach to Houston because yeah, every
time I'd listened to the Astros, he was getting hit
pretty hard. Yeah.
Speaker 17: The thing you just always worry about is like, Okay,
a guy like like Taylor Scott last year has one
of his best seasons ever ever ight and then this
year it's kind of the numbers have gone back up again. Okay,
was last year that anomaly, like, you know, was that
the one year you know we saw it were for
Rafael Montero in twenty two, he was awesome.
Speaker 12: You Rafael Montero was part of the reason you won
the World Series in twenty two.
Speaker 17: But we can also say that was the anomaly that
he was never that good before, and it looks like
he'll never be that good again. And that's what you
worry about. Ronald Blanco amazing year last year, but that
you can make a case he will never be that
good again. And so you know, you look at this
rotation and again, if Arraghetty's healthy, maybe it's not that
big of a deal, you guys, the number five guy, whatever,
But now you're looking at him a little cross eyed.
And this is I mean, all these guys have to
pitch well this weekend, but Gusta's been awesome. That's been
the nice surprise so far this season. I'm excited for
him to get his opportunity on Saturday.
Speaker 1: Well, the reality is this, everybody has to worry about
middle bullpen. I've never been around a baseball team for
two or three years in a row that said, hey man,
we are so locked in in our fifth, sixth, seventh inning, guy,
we got nothing to worry about. It's first of all,
changes all the time. Second of all, you do take
advantage of the one great year, you haven't turned it
into money. That's where teams typically overpay for people, and
that's what the Astros did with Montero so and then
usually it bites in the ass. I mean, the the
only crazy money, Gordy I would spend on relievers would be, frankly,
the closers, and I'd keep it at fair market value
with everybody else. But you need a dominant closer. Those
other guys you know you could have, I mean, Taylor
Scott was fantastic last year, mid so far this year.
You know, they change all the time, and so I'm
I just pray that somebody catches fired that a guy
from last year who wasn't good could be good. And
I thought might have been Montero because he got a
second chance, but now he's playing for the Atlanta Braves.
Speaker 17: Yeah, I got a text for a buddy, Atlanta said, Hey,
well it's MONTERRONI good. I said, no, no, just off
It really was uh by. The question though, was like,
since when does Louise? When did Louis Contreras earn you know, like, okay,
he made the opening gay roster.
Speaker 12: I feel like we didn't even really talk about him.
Speaker 17: He made a couple appearances in the middle of last season,
but like him the other I thought that was tempting
fate in that game on Wednesday, when you know Bennett
Sussa got the one out and then you bring in
could you know Catrera's he he gets you out of trouble,
but then he comes back to start the next inning
I think was at the eighth, and then he loads
the bases up with nobody out and then they go
to Ochert and no offense to Okert. You know, he
gets the next two outs before he gives up the
Grand Slam. But I don't really blame Okert in that spot.
Ochret had been lights out. Okert sitting there going, hey,
if you'd have given me the a fresh, clean inning
to start, I probably would have gotten out of this thing.
So I just I didn't understand the bringing Contrera's back
out for another inning. And I also don't feel like
that guy has earned the trust yet to be a
reliable guy to go to a big spot.
Speaker 18: Now.
Speaker 1: My guess is again, Contreros is in a situation where
his his his valuable is his high leverage situation is
gonna flux. Right. You're gonna have to hopefully put him
in spots to make him look good. He's got the stuff,
but it's inconsistent, and I don't think anybody was like, man,
Luis Cancerra's now part of this bullpen. We are rock
and we're rolling now. So I think you just gotta
pick your spots and probably minimize how much he pitches.
I think that the extension that he gave he got
over the weekend in that Seattle series is probably gonna
be a one time thing.
Speaker 17: Yeah, And I guess it was a five to nothing
game at the time, so you're probably thinking, Ah, no
big deal here.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you have to get length. You've been working, you've
been worrying, you've been wearing out your bullpen gored, do
you know that. I mean it just they've got to
get some guys a day off here there, because if
you're sitting here twelve games end of the season, worrying
about your leveraged bullpen. Guys you're gonna run on a
guess are really quick.
Speaker 12: And I think the problem is too.
Speaker 17: I mean, look, Hater had pitched so much already he
wasn't available on Wednesday that you know, I think it
was a little one. Like Briana Bray has been good
in that eighth spot, but when he's been called on
at times, you know, to pitch the ninth that he
hasn't been great in that ninth one the few opportunities
he's had.
Speaker 12: So I mean, I don't really put it on him either.
He just he didn't have his best stuff.
Speaker 17: But that that that game just sucks because we'd be
feeling so different about this team if they had gone
up to Seattle take it two out of three, after
take it two out of three in Minnesota. It's just
one game, but it does it's a completely different feeling
coming into today.
Speaker 1: Well, the reality is you want very few of those
types of games. If you can put those types of
losses on one hand, you're gonna be in a good spot.
If you start thinking about those being ten times with
the Asters at a multiple run league, going to the
eighth inning, you're going to really start working out about
whether or not this team can overcome everything, because I
think this American League West is going to be really
really tight the entire way through.
Speaker 17: It feels that way. I mean, Seattle is good enough.
The Rangers are loaded.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 17: I think the surprise right now is the Angels being
eight and four. You know, the A's are the A's.
I mean they got Brett Rooker and Mason Miller. They
got some good players. They're not great, but you know
they're right there five and eight, Mariners at five and eight,
and you're at five and seven. So this is a
This is a big series with the Angels just because
they're three up on you right now, Like you lose
two out of three or get swept by the Angels.
Speaker 12: God, now you're chasing not just the Rangers, but you're
chasing the Angels too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and Mike Trott is feast or fam in five
home runs with batting average and just over two one hundred.
Gordy is here to help you with some beverages when
you get to the stadium this weekend.
Speaker 12: Yeah. I was just looking at they're doing.
Speaker 17: They're back for the home stander doing that happy hour
thing start at five o'clock today if you have a
ticket to the gaming and get a little bit early
and get started on the happy hour. But when you
get in the ballpark, no mistake. And what makes the
feel of the ballpark even better, that's grab an ice
cool Crawford box from our friends at car Bock Brewing.
The Tequila Sunride stripes on the can and on the
signage all over the ballpark. I like that big tall
Crawford back can they have behind home plate there near
the escalators when you come in the ballpark. But grab
yourself an ice cool Crawford block. You're heading out to
the ballpark this weekend at Dyke and Park and root
on the Astros. It just goes better with Astros baseball.
Let's hope the Astros win two out of three and
enjoy Crosford box from carbuck Berry.
Speaker 1: It is eleven oh one here on Sports Talk seven
Hontiy Matt Thomas with you from Los Angeles Rockets and Linkers.
Tonight we'll have the broadcast for you. I believe we're
going to kt rhnin don't I don't even know where
Kate Terriach or seven ninety, I don't know which one
it is, but we're nine thirty. The other station will
have the astros on, and that was where Robert Ford
will be and he's a longtime friend and we usually
have him on opening Day. But I was not working
Opening day and I'm thinking, well, with Ross being gone,
i gotta get the voice on here. Robert Ford, you
have already been to see Attle once you're going on
the road back to Saint Louis. How about do you
even know what a linky homestand is at this point?
Speaker 6: I do not.
Speaker 19: As a matter of fact, I just started packing after
getting back what Wednesday night? So yeah, that's just the
way it goes sometimes.
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. Hey, I got an interesting question earlier
today and I couldn't answer because I'm not around the
team like you are to the level that you are.
Tell me about the relationship in general with hitting and
pitching coaches, about nuances, about time in the video room,
the subtleties, because you know, I think there's the lowest
hanging fruit is if something doesn't go right, you have
to get rid of people. And I've never believed in
that under any circumstance. I think it's about the player.
But you are an opportunity to see a little bit
of that behind the scenes stuff. So what can you
tell us about at a major league level, the role
of pitching and hitting coaches, about just getting guys out
of slump or making subtle adjustments.
Speaker 19: Well, I mean those coaches, the hitting and pitching coaches
probably are the ones who are the busiest on any
team in any clubhouse, whether it's hitting coaches with guys
in the cage looking at video, pitching coaches obviously out
there when guys are throwing bullpens, or even when the
pitchers are playing catch before the game just to see
how guys are feeling. They are constantly and constantly on
the move. And you're right, at the end of the day,
it comes down to the player getting the job done.
And it also comes down to when a player is
struggling to seek out the hitting or pitching coaches or
seek someone out who can who can help them. I
think that's the part that a lot of people don't understand.
Who may not be around a team on a regular basis,
is a lot of times a hitting coach and pitching coach,
or a pitching coach can see with you know, what's
going wrong with someone what somebody needs to adjust. But
if that player is not interested in listening to that
coach at that given time, there's not really much that
you can do as a coach in those situations.
Speaker 6: You can it's a.
Speaker 19: Little easier with younger players obviously than it is with
with veteran players, but really with all players, it comes
down to they have to be ready to to to
listen to feedback and get information. I always think about
something Brent Strom, who of course was the Astros pitching
coach for a long time, something he used to say,
and I don't think he came up with it, but
I always liked this expression. He always said, when the
student is ready, the teacher appears. And I think that's
what it really comes down to for hitting and pitching coaches.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good some good insight. Robert Ford, the
voice of the Astros, with us here on The Matt
Thomas Show with Ross on seven ninety Cam Smith makes
the roster coming out of spring training, wide eyed and
bushy tailed, excited about it, and then the numbers haven't
been great. He's had what three hits in the last
couple of days. What's it like watching him in the
small sample size, and I look Decendels played some right
field as well, but kind of watching him learning and
going through the growing pains right now, at least for
the first twelve games of his major league career.
Speaker 19: Well you said it, I mean it's growing pains, and
this is something that he's never really had to deal with.
I mean, only played thirty two games last year after
getting trafted. I mean he was at Florida State, you know,
this time last year, So there's a there's a lot
that has to be learned. And then you throw on
the fact that he moved from the infield to the
outfield the last couple of weeks of spring training, So
there's been a lot thrown at Camp Smith, and honestly,
he's handled it all about as well as you could hope.
And I think when it comes to playing right field,
he's looked great out there. Honestly, he's looked very comfortable.
Speaker 16: And talking with Dave Clark the other day, Ash was
first base coach who works a lot with the outfielders,
he said he described Smith to me as a sponge
was the word he used, and he said that you
tell him something once and he's got it and he's
able to implement it.
Speaker 19: That's what he's seen working with him on defense. And
actually had a conversation with Joe Spot a few days
ago about.
Speaker 6: Cam and I just asked him. I was like, hey,
you know what are you seeing and he said, you
know what.
Speaker 19: The thing about Smith is, Yeah, he's struggling, but he
hasn't looked like he's overwhelmed. He hasn't looked like the
moment's too big for him or anything like that. He's
just just trying to figure it out. But it hasn't
been a situation where he just looks over matter, overwhelmed.
Speaker 6: And that's encouraging.
Speaker 19: And it certainly seemed like the last couple of days
after sitting for the two days before that, he started
to swing the bat.
Speaker 6: A little better.
Speaker 1: Paridies and Walker were built for a minute made Park
in particular, and they neither have not had a great
start offensively. What are you seeing from those two guys?
As it just missed this as I know they and
I don't like this stat but I hear the XBA
is incredible. But give me your thoughts on why those
guys have not been able to click just yet.
Speaker 19: I think the biggest thing with Christian Walker is in
the game on Wednesday in Seattle, he walked twice, and
that's after not having walked at all before Wednesday's game
on the season, which was the most glaring thing. I mean,
the strikeouts were up, but to me, the lack of walks.
I mean, you're talking about someone who saw the tenth
most pitches per played appearance of the big leagues last year,
and he hadn't drawn a walk for the first, you know,
eleven games of the season, So I think that's encouraging.
He also and he did strike out in that game
as well, but he worked a count full and you know,
struck out in a pretty nasty pitch. So he's starting
to see more pitches. So I think that's good for
Christian Walker. And he even mentioned in Minnesota about how, yeah,
when you come over to a new team, you know,
especially in his situation as a free agent sign a
big contract, you you know, it's kind of natural to
put a little pressure on yourself. You want to show
what you can do, you want to prove that you
you you're worth what they're paying you. But I think
we saw signs that that Walker may may start to
be figuring some things out. As for Parades. I mean
he has hit so many loud foul balls. I mean
he is just missing pitches right now, like just out
in front, still seeing a lot of pitches, still having
very good plate appearances. You know, he was number one,
you mentioned Walker was tenth Parades, was number one in
terms of pitches for plate appearance in the big leagues
last year, and that certainly has carried over. But it
seems like he's just maybe just a click off. And
sometimes with guys like that, it takes it can take
one game, one swing to kind of get them back
to where they need to be and all so like
on the defensive side for Parades, I hadn't heard, not
that I'd heard bad things about him, but I had
heard great.
Speaker 6: Things about him defensively. But he's he's been.
Speaker 19: He's better than I thought he would be over at
third base, honestly, very sure handed, handles everything that he.
Speaker 6: Can get to. He's been a pleasant surprise for me
on the defensive end.
Speaker 1: Visiting with Robert Ford for a couple more minutes here
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross here from Los Angeles. Robert,
it was such an even keeled clubhouse for all these years,
never too high, never too low, and look five and
seven is nothing in the big picture of things. But
you don't have Tucker anymore, you don't have Bregman, you
don't have Presley. I mean this, there are some veteran
influences that are now elsewhere. Is have you noticed anybody
taking that next step up? Or is that just kind
of going to be organic? And when you start seeing
guys be a little more demonstrative, it's maybe because the
season is a little more impactful and you're looking for
guys to kind of take over and be all those
leadership roles that obviously Breggs and Tucker some other folks did.
Speaker 19: I've seen some little things, I mean, I think, uh,
I mean, you know, I've noticed that, you know, Christian
Walker has been in almost every mound meeting when the
pitching coach goes out there, and a lot of times
even when it's just a catcher who goes out there.
You know, it's a small thing, but I think especially
for someone who you know, has a track record but
is new to the Astros, it's certainly noticeable. So you know,
I've definitely noticed that. I think Peynya probably has stepped
it up a little bit, he's probably a little more comfortable,
maybe not necessarily as a as a big time vocal leader,
but I think certainly leading by example. I mean, he
and al Touve to me are the hardest workers on
this team, the guys at least that I see who
are out there. Not to discount anybody else, but those
are the two guys that stand out for me in
terms of the work they put in. And then you
just think about what Altuve has done. You know, didn't
he could have said you and the Astros approach him
about moving to the outfield. He could have just said no,
I want to say at second base, and that that
would have That's what would what what would have happened.
But for him to be well to switch to the outfield,
be willing to potentially embarrass himself, be willing to maybe
potentially fail more than he has in the past, I
think that says that speaks volumes. I mean, if that's
not leadership, I don't.
Speaker 1: Know what is. All right, Robert, Lastly, let's get to
what it has been like just being with his team
right now. Twelve games end of the season, mentioned a
lot of road trips so far. We're also talking about
a situation where you've got a lot of young men
who are trying to play for playing time. Brendan Rodgers
probably wasn't on the radar even a month before the
start of the season. He's playing some times at the
Central's getting some movement. Are you as curious about what
the starting lineup is every day at this point or
is that a situation where you think Joe is just
trying to kind of figure out what fits right now.
Speaker 19: Yeah, I think it's a situation where he's just trying
to figure out what fits, because I mean it's a
combination of things. One, you have a lot more turnover
from last year this year than the Ashers had in
quite some time, so a lot of guys to kind
of figure out. And then also the team's gotten off
to a slow start offensively, and so not that you're
trying to reinvent the wheel, like he's been pretty consistent
with the top four hitters and things like that, but
you're trying to get guys going and figure out where
guys are most comfortable and what works best for different
players in terms of how much they play, we're in
the lineup, they are things like that, So I think
there's just been a lengthy period of adjustment with this
ball club, particularly on the offensive end, which is so
many new position players compared to years past.
Speaker 1: Robert, great hearing your boys, But man, I will be
out at the ballpark when the Rockets are done. Hopefully
we will not be for a significant long period of time.
And we thank you for joining me on the show today.
Speaker 6: Thanks for having me and Bill Rockets.
Speaker 1: You get that right, thank you when I played that
next Thank you, Robert Ford, boy said the astros. Whether
it's here on Sports Talk seven ninety eight is eleven
twelve here on the program, Anthony and deer Park wants
to talk some right, because we'll get to him coming
up at the bottom of the hour. We need to
say I'm sorry. This is people who do you need
to apologize to? It's very simple. Who oh who is
owed an apology? Let us know bottom of the hour
seven one three, two, one two five seven niney all right,
eleven seventeen. Excuse me, you can't tell I'm sick as
a dog. The power through it. Only two hours and
forty three minutes left. Mm hmmm, We're gonna make it.
Then anything goes Friday, which means you get to call
in with anything you want, and you get as much
leeway as humanely possible, because the less the more you talk,
the less I do. And I'd appreciate that I've got.
I'm sorry, he's coming up at the bottom of the hour.
What do you want me to apologize for? If you
get something you want to apologize for?
Speaker 6: Seven?
Speaker 1: One, three, two one you five seven And that's coming
up at the bottom of the hour, Anthony and deer
Park has been patiently waiting to talk some rockets. Anthony,
good morning, and thank you for holding.
Speaker 11: Hey, good morning, Matt. I'm also under the weather, so
I figured i'd get in here and sup with you
for a few seconds.
Speaker 6: Thank you.
Speaker 11: I do want to get to the rockets, but if
I may, first, of all the negatives that we've seen
from the Astros, I would just like to uh give
Brian King his dues. I think every time Joe Spott
has called on him, he's answered the bell and he
has been phenomenal out of the bullten for the Astros.
Speaker 1: And you know, honestly, Anthony, there will be times where
Brian King doesn't come through. You know, Minderal relievers are cyclical,
and the problem is you have one bad performance and
all of a sudden, the Eeri spikes up a lot.
So at this point he has been a go to
guy and there's been very few of those mineral relievers
that the Astros been able to li on. And so
Brian King shout out to you, it's a very good
assessment on your part.
Speaker 4: As far as the Rockets go.
Speaker 11: I don't know if if it's the same for you,
but that game against Golden State, it it kind of
changed my perspective of the Rockets a little bit. I
know they're they're talented enough to beat anybody, but watching
the way that they handled that game, and that's as
close to a playoff game as you're gonna get without
being in the playoffs, and just the way Alpi stayed
within himself and continue to play his game. And I
think the leadership of Fred van Vliet, I think this
team can really go and beat anybody in a seven
game series. After watching that Golden State.
Speaker 1: Game, here's my completely perspective on this. And this is
because the Western Conference has been so filthy close between
really two and eight this year. If anybody wants to
do any think they're going to be foolish to do it.
Anybody can beat anybody. I think I think an eight
can beat a one. Well, I mean maybe, I think maybe,
and maybe not a seven could beat a two. The
Rockets could win the series, they could also lose it.
Six to three is going to be a coin flip.
Four five is gonna be a coin flip. Because again
we're talking about these games, these teams being separated by
time breakers. They're all about the same record. So yeah,
there's nobody I'm scared of, but also there are probably
other teams send the exact same thing about the Rockets.
Rockets two seed, well then they have been there before.
I haven't won the playoffs. They don't shoot very well.
There are a lot about hustle, you know, they I.
Speaker 11: Just think I just think going into Golden State, you know,
both teams have everything to play for. You know, Golden
State's fighting to stay out of the playing games. The
Rockets are trying to wrap up the two seed, and
it's stampacked, it's loud. Draymond's doing what he does right
and and the way A Men Thompson was able to
just completely take Steph Curry out of the game, it
just it encouraged me because Golden State's playing the best
basket I mean, some of the best basketball in the
NBA right now. I mean, they're they're one of the
hottest teams in the league. And it just it just
gave me that little sense of comfort. Now, obviously, I know,
you know, the Rockets can also go lose the seven
games series. It just it just showed me that these
guys are going to be able to stay within themselves
in the toughest of environments.
Speaker 1: The reality is, Anthony, they have beaten Cleveland twice, Boston once,
Oklahoma City twice, Golden State twice. They have some character
building wins on their resume. This wasn't not just beating
up on Utah, in Phoenix and Washington the entire season.
Speaker 6: There are.
Speaker 11: Before I go, if I just want to hear kind
of your perspective of you know, having you know, you
cover the team every single day. I just want to
hear your perspective of how important Fred van Vliet's leadership
and experiences to this team and take care of mat.
I hope you get the filling better.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Anthony, I appreciate it. Yeah, if you guys
want to keep calling you save my Bacon, I would
greatly appreciate that Fred VanVleet team missed him while he
was going.
Speaker 6: That's for sure.
Speaker 1: He is going to have a Knights where he's going
to shoot you into games. He's going to have Knights
are going to shoot you out of games. But he's
a steady veteran influence. He's willing to guard anybody, and
that may not be what you want ultimately, but he
can at least go against anybody. He's not a friend
to go against the guys that are taller and bigger
and stronger than he is. He's very calm, he's very
much taking advantage of what's out there with him with
the men Thompson and Jalen Green making trying to make
those guys look as good as possible. He doesn't turn
the ball over. And then the Knights where he shoots
very really well. It's fun to see him do his thing.
But I don't think friend van Vliet has to make
five or six threes in a game in order for
the Rockets to win playoff series. He just has to
play as best he can defensively, run the offense and
not turn the ball over. And that's what he's done
for ninety eight percent of the season. So yeah, the
Rockets missed Fred Vanvleem to a lesser extent, they missed
Jabari Smith when he was out with that broken hand.
Defense matters in the postseason. It just does. And the
Rockets have been able to use their defense and their
offensive rebounding to make them a team that is very
well respected, a team that is going to be very
physical with you. They're going to crash the offensive boards,
they are going to be in a situation where they're
not going to let you have a free basket unless
there's a defensive miscommunication. Dylan's going to get right in
front of you. Alpi's going to do whatever he can.
Speaker 11: Be.
Speaker 1: The offensive side has been fun too. He's not afraid
to go against Dramont, not afraid to go against Rudy Gobert,
not afraid to go against Zaggiedy, some of those big centers.
He has been able to go right after those guys
and it's been fun to see him do that. And
he needs to continue to do that come postseason. I know,
by the way, the Rockets need to do a better
jubber shooting free throws too. If I had hair, i'd
lose it again. After watching some of the Rockets miss
free throws and in close games it's gonna make a difference.
So they've been around seventy fourth seventy three percent the
entire year. That's a dead lass in the NBA. So
gotta get better at that. And part of that is
Alpi is if you watch Alpi, he leans into the
shot sometimes at the free throw line and if that's
a nervous tick or whatever the case would be, but
he's not shooting it the same every single way. And
that's the reason why guys have troubles making their free throws.
Gotta make your free throws, especially in close, tight games.
Time is at eleven twenty five here on the Matt
Thomas Show with Ross Ross with the Day Off listen.
You owe people an apology.
Speaker 8: You just do.
Speaker 1: I want you to call this show and say you're
sorry to people. Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety seven to one three two one two five
seven nine zero. On Twitter, it's at sports Empty. Send
us a note there. If you want to send me
a tweet saying you're sorry to somebody, I'll read it
for you. But better yeah, I read that you talk,
because that means lest time for me seven one three
two one two five, seven ninety. It is a sorry Friday.
Come in here and tell some people you're sorry. Next
here on seven ninety. Thank you for listening to Sports
Talk seven ninety on. Anything goes Friday. So what I
did on the Good Morning Strippers, I went down an
octave usually go up because I figured out my vose
was gonna crack. I still gave you link on that.
You probably can cold that too, it's for now.
Speaker 12: I was gonna say, hey, that was a really good
I liked it. That was nice.
Speaker 1: I figured you were happy with that.
Speaker 6: Yeah, all right?
Speaker 1: Uh seven one three two one two five, seven ninety
I went seven seventeen point two five seconds. Oh okay,
Bourbon and Baseball had me at seventeen point twenty five.
That's not terrible. I can go to I'm twenty or
twenty five I need to.
Speaker 12: But does it sound like it?
Speaker 1: Oh, you're right, you're right. I'm a sad sack. I
gotta be honest with you. All right, let's get to
the news at noon. Normally Ross handles this, but he
is out today, so I'm going to handle the news
at noon and the news at noon. We'll start locally
with the Astros starting a three game series with the
hated Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Renelle Blanco is going
to throw today with an ERAM nine point four five
something called Jack kochanowitch ko c h A. N o
wic Z is pitching for the Halos. He's want to zero.
He's pitched eleven innings, given up eight hits, eight strikeouts,
three walks, and who he's given up three home runs. Okay,
maybe this will be Christian Walker's nine. Maybe it'll be
Renelle Blanco getting some offensive support. I'm all four it.
Josel two as your home run leader with three, Jordan
Avarez has one's batting averages one ninety five. Things have
got to change Angels and Astros tonight, all right. Also,
the Rockets are in action this evening, taking on the
Los Angeles Lakers that'll be at the Crypto dot Com Arena.
I expect to see many more starters play tonight than
they played against the Clippers on when Lakers need one
more victory to clinch the three spot in the West.
The Rockets have clinched the number two spot already in
the West themselves, but there is a massive jumble mess
between five, six, seven, eight in the West with games tonight.
Nobody in the NBA is playing tomorrow, I don't think,
and then everybody's playing in the afternoon on Sunday. So
games besides the Rockets and Lakers you should pay attention to.
One of them would be the game between the Nets
and the timber Wolves. Wolves would be heavy favorites against
Brooklyn's mailing get in. The Grizzlies Nuggets game is going
to be very interesting. And then you have let's see
what else, Warriors Trailblazers should be interesting, and Clippers are
at the Kings. Two games left to go in the season,
and at this point we still have no earthly idea
who the Rockets are going to play come playoff time.
It could be a variety of teams. It could be
as little. It could be let me tell you who
could be Minnesota, Memphis could be Golden State, the Clippers
could be Denver. I don't think it's gonna be the
Ali Lakers. So basically, you've got five teams fighting for
that seven that stay out of the playing game which
the Rockets will play the winner of. And right now,
if the playoffs will start today, the seven eight matchup
would be Minnesota at Memphis. Memphis right now the seventh seed.
Golden State, who I don't want to see the PLA
at all until I have to, is currently the sixth seed,
but they are tied with Minnesota and Minnesota in a
three way tie, all at forty seven wins and thirty
three losses. At FL news today, Jalen Petrie has himself
a brand new contract. Congratulations to him. He signed a
three year contract extension for thirty nine million dollars. So
the Texans continue to spend serious cash on members of
their defense. We had Derek Stingley Junior already get his
money as well in the off season, and now Jalen
Petrie getting himself new extension. So Jalen Peatrie now has
a three year deal worth thirty nine million dollars. So
Stingley and Petrie two fourths half of your secondary are
locked and loaded for the long term. All right, other things,
the Masters is being played right now, and let me
tell you who is winning that event. Let's see here
you've got Let's see here. Justin Rose is atop the
leader board. He is at minus eighties minus one through today.
He's played fifteen holes. Bryson de Chambeau is one back
at minus seven. He's four under for the day. Then
you have in third place you have Matt McCarty who's
a minus six. And then you've got a player I've
never heard of. Sung j m is also in a
time for third. Other players you would know, Scotty Scheffler
today has not ted off. He is at minus four.
He has set the tee off in about fifteen minutes.
Rory McElroy is minus two today through ten, he's minus
two for the tournament. And Dickie Matsui Matziyama, I should say,
is minus one. To anybody else you guys have recognized.
Freddy Couples is even. Jordan Speeth is plus one. He
is yet the t offf He will tee off today
in about twenty three minutes. The projected cut right now
is plus one, and those in the outside looking it
would be Bernard Longer, Zach Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson
is a plus three. And that's in terms of the
guy that I think you guys recognized.
Speaker 11: So a.
Speaker 1: Jose Maria old Thabo is a plus seven so far,
and there you go. There is your master's update here
on the radio program. All right, and that's the news
at noon today. Here at twelve twelve, we have Craig
Akerman to go to join us next and the next
two segments. At twelve thirty, he'll join us to talk
to some rockets basket. He right now is at rocket
shoot around and getting ready for the game against the Lakers.
He may have it's gonna be with us at one
thirty today to talk some rockets with him as well.
So a lot of rocket chatter coming up. We've talked
a lot about the Astros so far. We had Robert
four with us earlier today. I hope you caught that,
and we have uh, anything goes Friday, which means you
get to talk and I don't get two. That's the
blessing of it. Anything goes Friday. Say what you want
to say. I'll bow out because I'm holding on for
dear life. I got a minute, an hour and forty
eight minutes left of this Friday edition of the show.
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven ninety Is it?
Anything goes Friday, whether you be on a astrosm chatter,
whether it be about the Rockets playoffs coming up. Whether
it be about Jalen Petri getting a new deal, all
that is fair game here on the show. Whether it's
master's chatter, you can do all that if you want to.
Between now and two o'clock, anything goes Friday seven one three,
two one two five, seven ninety. I politely ask you
to please call and talk to me, because, as Joe
name and said once in a long time ago, I'm
TH's reggling twelve twelve on seven ninety. All right, Craig
Akerman's gonna join us in the next segment of the show.
He's twelve seventeen. We may took up with us at
one thirty one none full of stories at one twenty,
and then we'll say goodbye to that. Hey, I don't
know how much you guys and ladies following nil stuff.
I don't know if you're exhausted by it, or you're
intrigued by it, or you're sickened by it. But there
is a really bizarre situation going on right now at
the University of Tennessee. They have a quarterback named Nico.
I am a Leva. I believe it's how you pronounce it,
don't hold me to that, all right. Apparently this morning
he did not show up at practice today spring practice
after reports of his NIL negotiations surfaced, a source with
direct knowledge to the situation telling the Knoxville News, I
am a If I'm pronouncing it right, I Am A
Leva's absence from practice was a surprise to coaches and players,
and it tosses the off season in terminial, especially because
I Am A Leva's team leadership has been a focus
since practice. There are now questions of whether I Am
A Leva will attend or participate in Tennessee's Orange and
White spring game tomorrow at Neiland Stadium. If I Am
A Leva does not play in the spring game, red
shirt quarterbacks Jake mer merk Linger in freshman George McIntyre
will replace him. So apparently, on Thursday, I Am A
Leva is negotiating a new multi million dollar NIL deal
just ahead of the transfer portal opening. He's like, the
portal opens, but I don't want to go into it
because I'm going to get my money at Tennessee. In
twenty twenty two, I am Aliva signed an NIL contract
which paid him more than two million dollars per year
and that helped the five star recruit go to play
at Tennessee. But the market has now changed and now
you can get more than two million dollars. I am
a Leva, I hope I'm pronouncing it right has not
commented on the situation, but his absence or practice at
Leafs give the optics of a holdout. Apparently, I Am
a Leva's representative is one of the nil pay increased
to four million dollars using the possibility of him entering
the transfer portal as leverage. Miami's Carson Beck, Duke's Darren
Mensa have gotten close to four million dollars, and apparently
I Am a Leave's dad has not responded for a
request for comment to the local paper.
Speaker 6: He did.
Speaker 1: The dad did put on social media more games being
played off the field than on the field. Nako's the
reporter from on three Sports called and asked me directly.
I told him I had no idea on what he's
talking about. He said, his close source that he trusts
with his life from University of Tennessee staff gave him
this information. See, y'all can ask them what's going on
because it ain't from us. So apparently ladies and gentlemen
to be a quarterback at I high end college like Tennessee.
Two million dollars is not enough. And that apparently I
am a Leva wants four million dollars or what other
guys are getting. It is absolutely crazy to me. Excuse me, I.
Speaker 17: Got you, matt Oh, thanks, gordy Ia malaiava Ili malayava
Ia malaiyava Ela malaiava Ia Malaiova and.
Speaker 1: Whatever I'm rearely able to sp me only be able
to speak at this point. Okay, So what am I
missing on this? He just wants a cash grap correct. Yeah.
Speaker 17: When he originally signed with Texas it was A or
Tennessee it was a It was a deal for eight
million dollars and I all through his junior year, and
so he's going into his junior year, so they want
to rework the deal.
Speaker 6: Now.
Speaker 1: Not helping Tennessee's cause is they draw one hundred and
ten thousand people per game? Correct?
Speaker 12: Yeah.
Speaker 17: And the other part of this too is he was
a five star quarterback. He was the number two quarterback
right before Arch or right behind Arch, and much of
that recruiting process he was the head of Arch.
Speaker 12: He was thought to be the number one guy.
Speaker 17: So I think a lot of Tennessee fans are looking
at it, going, yeah, we like what you've done here.
You've been good, but you haven't been elite elite, so
what are they gonna do. I think they're kind of
calling this bluff here. I think they're saying, look, we've
already paying you eight million, like we're not going to
twelve million. But this is the weird error of like
contract renegotiations because it's like the NFL.
Speaker 1: Now, you know what Ross say, Gordie, it's not even
sort of like the NFL. It is literally the NFL.
Every single year a player signs a one year contract.
At least in the NFL, you signed four or five
year contracts Now, granted you can get those erased and
you can release because they're not guaranteed, but in college
they're worth twelve months at a time.
Speaker 17: Right, Well, what I mean you got to do like
what A and M did when they were signing kids
to nil deals. It was like it would come out
and be like they gave this kid eight million, but
it was two million per year each year you stayed,
so it was basically two million in a year contract
the more you stay at A and M, the more
you guarantee that money. But if you leave, you only
get what you got for that one year.
Speaker 1: And the money is coming for him is coming directly
from Boosters. Correct, the VALL collective or whatever, it's a collective,
which is Boosters. But now what's changed is the SEC
revenue sharing landscape. Now these schools are allowed to share
the revenue from the TV contracts, which the SEC. It's
around twenty to twenty two million per school. So he's
gone give me.
Speaker 12: Some of that money, man.
Speaker 1: You know what, who does have the bargaining power? Now?
Speaker 12: I think both sides do.
Speaker 1: Both sides do. Because if he wants to not stay
at Tennessee and there are probably ten or fifteen schools
that can pay him what he wants, he can be
a starting quarterback in any place he wants to.
Speaker 17: Yeah, and Josh Hipel has shown he's he's worked with,
you know, really good quarterbacks from his time at UCF
to what he did with Hendon Hooker at Tennessee. And
I think Nico on that path, but it only he
only continues to develop. I think if he stays with Hypel,
I don't know if he's gonna continue to get great
coaching if he goes elsewhere.
Speaker 1: So obviously, this is how I deduce it is that
this kid is seeing what other guys are getting and
he's like, I'm better than those guys. It's time to
pay up.
Speaker 17: Yes, And that's what makes us such a blessing for
Texas is that Arch obviously grew up in a good
household where his family has said, you're gonna do it,
work your bust your ass, do everything you gotta do.
Like it's just kind of funny to see the contrast
because Arch has been he's getting paid, but he's being
diligent about it, and he's waited his turn there a Texas,
whereas these other guys are going pay me my money.
Speaker 1: Well, but Arch is the abnomber one because again he
doesn't have to worry about money. And there's a lot
of kids out there in this country that they're their
way to take care of their family is through these
Unio deals.
Speaker 17: But it's also know you're worth, and his worth is
worth way more than he's getting at Texas.
Speaker 1: It's true. Is this I am Alov or whatever his
name is, he is he worth a dollar?
Speaker 12: I Amaliava?
Speaker 7: No?
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay. I mean if they don't play them, if
he transfers, where is that football program today?
Speaker 12: Well, I think you'd have a ton of suitors call it.
Speaker 17: I mean even schools that have their starting quarterback right
now would say, well, we'll throw We'll throw a couple million.
I mean, you know, just throw it out, Like the
Florida State schools like that. They they have a starting quarterback,
but they're like, Nico might be better.
Speaker 1: I amalia how about that?
Speaker 12: I amaliava?
Speaker 1: E amali ava?
Speaker 12: You got it?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just saw your pronunciation. Thank you for that.
So Tennessee's gonna go to So they're going They've got
this money that's sitting there that if the kid doesn't stay,
they can pay somebody else. But man, you're really risking
something spending a lot of money on a kid that
hasn't been in your camp until now. April.
Speaker 12: Well, here's the tough part too.
Speaker 6: The SEC.
Speaker 17: I don't know if they've changed the rule, but the
rule they've been steadfast with the last two years was
if you enter in the spring portal, you can't go
to another SEC school. It would have to be outside
of the conference, so you know, and vice versa. If
you're a Tennessee player or you know, if you want
to go play football Tennessee, you can't come from another
SEC school.
Speaker 1: Man, it's dirty, but it's for the enterprise. It's what
the into went NFL freegency is. It's just it, you know,
it's I guess it's not dirty. It's just what the
NFL does. And if any school can pay for it's Tennessee,
because I'm sure there are one hundred and ten thousand
people paying crazy amount of money that want to win,
that want to play in the National Championship with a
super competitive SEC with all the television dollars, they can
afford it. And that's what he's probably saying, you could,
you could afford this.
Speaker 17: Hey, maybe we shouldn't adapt that here. I just won
the Program Director of the Year award.
Speaker 12: Can I read? Can I ask my bosses for more
money now?
Speaker 1: Craig Ackerman joins us in a matter of moment. Thanks
for coming in on that and saving my.
Speaker 12: Voice anytime SEC talk.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I had I figured, I just I knew I
was butchering the name. I know you come help me out.
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven nine zero. The
voice television voice of the Rockets, Craig Akerman, will join
us next year on Sports Talk seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety. You know, Alfie's
English is significantly better, I mean massively improved since he
first became a Houston Rocket. Was the first press conference
he was at, and he can speaking lick English. He
doesn't very well know for himself. A man who's also
a great oratory is the television voice of the Houston Rockets.
He joins us from a parts unknown where the Houston
Rockets are shooting around getting ready for tonight's game with
the Los Angeles Lakers. Craig akermanist where us. Craig, I
had a caller earlier today said they needed to winning.
You and I needed to switch because I don't feel
good and I would do less talking on the television.
I went on radio, so just give me the lads
up on this.
Speaker 6: Wow, you'd actually dumb sound all that? That great? That
happened pretty quickly. How I'm sorry?
Speaker 13: Did?
Speaker 1: I was like, yeah, it hit me in the last second.
I went to bed at eight o'clock last night and
got up about every seventy five minutes. Wow, I'm sorry
to hear that, but the show must go on, mister Ackerman,
go on, shoot around. Just just did wrap. It was
a very quick one. I'm still here on the campus
of UCLA, so are you at the Ackerman Student Center.
Speaker 16: I am not actually physically in the Ackerman Student Center,
but I can throw a rock and hit it.
Speaker 1: Yeah. We should explain that Craig is so famous at
UCLA that they had named a student center after him there. Yep,
they have all Right, Hey, are you as obsessed with
the standings as I am or not as much?
Speaker 20: Oh?
Speaker 16: I am completely obsessed because it's just trying to well.
I mean, look, ultimately the Rockets won't know who they're
going to play. It'll be down, it'll be whittled down
to basically two teams here pretty soon, you know wants
the play in tournament starts. But yes, I am obsessed
in terms of who's going to finish where, who where
they ultimately could or could not play. And yeah, I
do kind of keep an eye on it every single
night and had been for several weeks.
Speaker 1: And that's why I told a caller earlier today Craig
that even though the Rockets are a two seed, no
matter who they play, it's not going to be a
significant favor. Not that we should let Vegas aside, who's
going to happen what, But you could be taking on
theory five teams that are separated by one or two
games that could be as high as three or four
and as lower seven to eight.
Speaker 16: Yeah, I mean, I pretty much think everybody outside of
the Lakers in the thunder and then the Mavericks and
the Kings are still in play for the Rockets, and
then you know whether they win or lose this game
here tonight. I guess this one doesn't technically matter in
terms of some of those other teams as much. But
depending upon how this one takes shape here tonight and
the one obviously on Sunday versus Denver, still so many
different scenarios to take place, obviously that big game, and
for the Clippers and the Warriors and the regular season.
I mean still again, so much, so much madness as
of right now, with so many teams within a game
game of one another.
Speaker 6: And I think what.
Speaker 16: Minnesota crushed Memphis last night, and I don't think really
gained any space or spots and standing or something like that.
Speaker 6: It was it was very strange. So again, anything can happen.
Speaker 1: So if ema A Dooka said, Hey, come down to
the bus with me, let's talk about who we want
to play, and how much we want to play tonight
against Lakers and how much we want to do against Denver,
what would you be advised to him?
Speaker 6: What would my advice to him be?
Speaker 16: It's a they're trying to thread the needle here obviously
between Rest versus Rus. But again they're going to have
a week off anyway in between games to begin with.
They have to do what they feels best for their players.
For it hasn't been one hundred percent obviously, you know,
a men has the ankle thing, you got to make
sure you're one hundred percent okay about. And so I
think that the goal ultimately is just to make sure
that these guys are completely and fully healthy, because regardless
of who they play in the first round, even if
the two seed, it's going to be a really really
tough matchup because there's some there are a lot of
really really good teams in the Western Conference. So I
think they're just kind of trying to thread the needle.
And look, I mean, ultimately, if they do go with
the similar lineup that we saw the other night in
LA against the Clippers, and like the one that we
saw in Oklahoma City, those.
Speaker 6: Guys played super hard.
Speaker 16: They gave both teams a game, and so if they
decided to go with that particular group again here tonight,
I'm sure they're ultimately going to attempt to try to
try to win this game the best they can, but
ultimately it's about being one hundred percent healthy and ready
to go for the playoffs.
Speaker 1: Craig Acterman, television voice on Space Sydney Home Network with
us for a few minutes here on The Matt Thomas
Show with Ross from Los Angeles, Greg, was there a
turning point in your mind this year where this team
went Okay, not only are they good, they're playoff good
and their top four good.
Speaker 6: There's so many big wins this year, I think you
know what I mean.
Speaker 16: Early on in the season, the big win against Oklaho
the City, it was a pretty good sign that this
team was.
Speaker 6: Legit.
Speaker 16: The road win at Memphis as part of the NBA
Cup play as well kind of made me feel like
that they were.
Speaker 6: Legit.
Speaker 16: But I think ultimately, maybe the the win on the
road in Boston against the defending champions. I know a
lot of people probably picked the home win against the
Warriors in the Cup games send them to Vegas as
the biggest win of the season. For me, I thought
it was the one in Boston, and I think that's
when I kind of realized that, you know what, this
team does have home court advantage in the first round,
not just potential but probable, and so to me, that
was the one I think where I personally was ultimately
convinced that everything that we had seen up to that point,
which was really good from this team, was going to
continue to be really good the rest.
Speaker 12: Of the way.
Speaker 1: Rockets Craig beat the Warriors Sunday in San Francisco. They
had a lot to play for. They since have lost
to San Antonio. We have had lot terrible times in
San Francisco and in Houston.
Speaker 11: For that matter.
Speaker 1: Telling me, oh my gosh, was there any thing that
you've took away from that game, going maybe this isn't
your mom and Dad's World's Warriors scene from five years ago.
Speaker 16: Well, what I took away from it was that this
particular Rockets team is and we already kind of kept
seen it. We saw in the second half of last year.
We've seen it all year round this year that they're
just they're not going to allow anybody just to punch
them in the mouth and take it that. If somebody does,
they're going to punch them back. And oftentimes the Rockets
are the ones that hit first. And that's what I
ultimately took away from that game. I mean, this group
finally got over the hump. I mean, outside of Jeff Green,
nobody on this team had ever beaten Golden State up
until the point that they won that home game, and
then a lot of these guys hadn't ever won in
San Francisco either up until the game a few days back,
and so I think psychologically for this group, they got
over a couple of humps against the team that they've
really struggled with, especially again this young core, and winning
on the road in that environment with everything that was
going on, was again another sign that this team is
just not going to back down against anybody. But that series,
if they do happen to play the war is it's
going to be an absolute battle. I mean, I mean
with with Raymond Green and all of his stuff, and
then playing with you know, Dylan Brooks, and the men
Thompson and App and Changoun not taking anything and the
Rockets punching back and everything like that. That'll be that'll
be an absolute war if it happened to be the
first round matchup.
Speaker 1: Craig go coming with us from UCLA. Rockets are warming
up or shooting around, getting ready for tonight's game.
Speaker 3: What do you.
Speaker 1: When the Rockets were making those playoff runs? Aresa had
playoff experience, Chris Paul did, James Harden, Dwight Howard and
obviously Dylan and Fred have it, uh and Steven Adams
has it. But there's a lot of guys, a lot
of key guys, a Jabbari, a jalen on a men
that don't know Atari, that don't know what the playoffs
are all about. What do you think that EMA is
telling the guys about what they're about to experience here
starting in about ten days now.
Speaker 16: Well, I think what they've been prepping these guys for
is that playoffs. Obviously the level of intensity turns up
a notch, But this is the team that plays with
that kind of level of intensity anyway, So I think
they've already they're already used to sort of playing in
that kind of environment. But look that the Vets and
these coaches have gotted these young guys along extremely well
over the last couple of years. But the playoffs are
a different animal, and I think much like as players
grow and learn and mature in the regular season, there's
no substitute for experience in the playoffs, and so a
lot of these young guys will be facing this for
the very first time in their careers. I think we'll
ultimately have to wait and see how each of them
respond to that kind of.
Speaker 6: That level of intensity in.
Speaker 16: Those situations, especially if they happen to get messed up
against a team like Golden State that has guys who
have won multiple championships.
Speaker 6: So we'll have to see how that all plays out.
Speaker 16: But I ultimately, again, I think their style of play,
the way they approach, the way they play teams with
such physicality, will ultimately prepare them for a playoff series.
But ultimately, again for the young guys, experience is something
that they're just going to have to learn on the fly.
And well, as we all know, the playoffs are a
process and typically you have to go through some pain
to experience some pleasure in this league, and so I'm
sure there'll be some of that, and again, hopefully their
talent and again everything they've been taught and the way
they to play with all year long can kind of
overcome the lack of playoff.
Speaker 6: Experience for so many of these guys.
Speaker 1: Very last thing you have been excuse me, you've been
in La all week. You took a little side trip
to the Joshua Tree. How was that for the audience?
Speaker 12: People?
Speaker 4: Know?
Speaker 16: It's awesome? It was awesome, No, it was awesome. Yeah,
we had a couple of days off, so I went
out to Joshua Tree National Park. You know, you know,
I enjoy hiking, and so it was just me nature
and the desert, and it was awesome. It was really
cool out there. I highly recommend anybody who get an
opportunity to go check that place out to check it out.
Although I will say that basically probably the middle of
April would be my recommendation for the latest that you
ultimately want to go there if you plan on doing
any sort of serious hiking, because it was already ninety
degrees and make sure you pack and bring plenty of waters,
and it's about to get much hotter than that.
Speaker 6: So it was awesome. It was a really really cool experience.
Speaker 16: I really do like high desert landscapes, both in California
and Utah and Colorado and some of the other places
that I've been and had a chance to go hiking.
Speaker 6: But it was it was really cool. You should get
out there sometimes.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Hey, well, at least I
does today.
Speaker 3: It's not gonna happen.
Speaker 1: Hey, thank you very much for coming out now, not
today for sure. Help Me'll see you later on tonight.
And what was I gonna tell you? I was gonna oh, oh, chuck.
Speaker 6: Bry how many like you can take or anything?
Speaker 16: You know? There's a pharmacy not too far from the hotel.
You can start, you know, duzzling down vitamin C if
you want.
Speaker 1: All right, so you're gonna pick it up for me.
That's nice of you to do that. I didn't think
you were gonna do that.
Speaker 6: You want me to grab you some vitamin C mat
Apparently one of.
Speaker 1: Our listeners, Bianca says, I need to take a leave.
What did she send me here? She sent me this
is the definitive medicine.
Speaker 11: Here.
Speaker 6: Are you drinking any hot tea?
Speaker 20: No?
Speaker 1: I had coffee this morning, I leave d sinus and cold.
Does that work? I'm not a big fan of over
the counter stop.
Speaker 16: I don't know if I've ever taken that per se
I do like for me, and one of my go
tos is like accepts are cold and flu you know
the stuff that you pop into the water and the
tablets and drink that down along with a lot of
vitamin C and then green tea with honey and linon.
Speaker 6: But you don't like green.
Speaker 1: Tea, so no, I'm finicky just like you are. Hey,
great to hear your voice. Thank you very much. We'll
see you on the bus litter today and good luck
with your car to get a nap in, get a
nap in before we head over today.
Speaker 6: Oh help me sure better? Thank you see anybody okay.
Speaker 1: MAT's Creig Acumen, voice of the television Voice of the
Rockets with us here on the program. Twelve forty three
is our time. We take you till two o'clock today
two one, two five seven nine. If you want to
jump in seven one three two one two five seven
ninety Emeadoka Joints is coming up at one thirty. We
have non flora stories at one twenty twelve forty three.
Come on and join us since anything goes Friday, and
if you join me, I'll be super nice to you
because I'm down the home stretch. I need you guys
to come through for me, and I look, I try
to give you guys every day that super energy, but
today is just not that day for me. So come
on in and say hello. We want to talk some Astros, Rockets,
a jail, and peacherre getting a new three year extension.
We're thirty nine million dollars. I'll take it all seven
one three two one two five seven ninety and we
are with you today until two o'clock. Then the A
team will take over Astros Baseball believe will be at
six o'clock tonight. And then we got Rockets also, I
believe it over on seven forty this evening, so they
take on the Los Angeles Lakers at nine thirty. We'll
have it for you over on seven forty. Rockets off Saturday,
and they played the two thirty game against the Nuggets
on Sunday to close out the season. Everybody's they're going
to play at noon or two thirty on Sunday, so
we'll know by about five thirty six o'clock on a
Sunday night who we're playing. At least the playing game
will be determined seven versus eight, and then we'll be
able to see which one of those two teams wins,
because they're going to play that game. I believe on
Tuesday seven one three, two one two five seven ninety
is how you reach us if you want to get
in today, and for that, I thank you. Let's go
to Manuel at twelve fifty one on seven hownety manual.
Thank you for calling the floor is.
Speaker 10: Yours, hey, Matt Dot I called a savior. Help to
save your voice a little bit.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 6: I'm out here in Soco.
Speaker 10: I live in Riverside, and Craig is right, man, Joshua
Tree is amazing. So really, I tell everybody go to
Joshua Tree if you ever come out here in Socao.
It's beautiful. But I was especial like just enough fan
and iHeart fan of the Rockets. In my humble opinion,
the rebuild is over. I think we're finally at least squad.
They're on the edge of it being an elite squad
and now they just got to go experience the playoffs.
Speaker 13: And I think this team.
Speaker 10: I don't know if to go with a championship this year,
but at least I think they can at least get
to second or maybe second round or even the Western
Conference Final. I just really believe that much in this team,
and I'm just really happy And just so you know,
what I'm really happy about too, is guys like Jabbari
and i'm In. You know, there's no egos on this team.
They're all just trying to fight together to become a
great team. When one guy got hurt, the other guy
steps in. I'm in, and then Jabari got hurt, i'm
In steps in, and there's no fighting. When the next
guy comes back, it's like, okay, you take your role
on the bench, you come off the bench. We work
together as a team, and I'm just loving how Vanfleet's
is running the whole squad together. I mean, I wish
you'd work on that jumper a little more and make
it a little more, but I mean, overall overall, I'm
just so excited and so happy for them. Now we
have respect on our name. When I tell people Rockets
and they're like, oh man, You're squad is good, and
you know, I get out here out here in so
call we hear is about the Lakers how great they are,
and Clippers a little bit. But I'm just so happy
to shove, you know, get w's on them, beat beat
teams like the Warriors and the Thunder and the Nuggets,
and that's so amazing. I'm just it makes me happy
to like tell people, yeah, I'm a Rocket stand, I'm
wearing my akumulij one jersey.
Speaker 3: I'm wearing my trees and my great jerseys.
Speaker 1: I'm wearing my jerseys.
Speaker 10: And people are like, oh, yeah, we got to respect
them now because they're they're they're coming in.
Speaker 6: Huh.
Speaker 10: And they got players and we got ballders now, so
uh that's all I got to say. But go Rockets,
And I'm just so happy. I'm just happy for the
squad and all the fans in Red Nation.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Manuel, that's a great phone call.
All right, see you later. Yeah, it's fun. It is
fun to watch this team do what they're doing. It
is fun to see them not only make the playoffs
but avoid the playing game, which most people thought probably
if they were gonna make the playoffs, they're going to
be a playing game. Win totals around forty four, and
they're gonna be at least at fifty two. I think
of in the dust settles. Again, it doesn't really matter.
They're the two seem in the Western Conference. They will
have won at least sixty percent of their games this year,
and now it's just the great unknown. The great unknown
is a who are you going to play? B wich matchups?
Suit your best and see what are these young guys
going to do? And they have been in the situation
where you have to watch the playoffs with the different
approach to it because the whistles are going to be
more difficult to get. They're gonna know everything about you
and you're gonna know everything about them. There will be
no hiding in terms of drawing up plays to all
of a sudden throw the other opposing team off and
the rockets to be the same thing.
Speaker 6: The running.
Speaker 1: They will scout disappoint opponent left and right. And I'm
anxious about it. I'm very, very anxious to see how
things go on this. I'd love them to win at
least one round. If they get two, that's awesome. If
they win three, if they played it with third round,
that's really gonna get people energized. Oklahoma City has been
the number one team this entire season in the West.
All year long, they have looked, for the most part
unstoppable with Shake Guild of Alexander probably gonna win the
MVP Award, and they've got Jalen Williams, Jena Homer when
he plays is good. It's a nice, really deep basketball
team and Shake guildess Alexander is an elite score as
in the case with all the thirty point games up.
But the Rockets have beat him twice this year. Now
that's me putting the cart well before the horse, So
I want to make sure I don't do that. Let's
just worry about the first round opponent instead. And the
reality is, I don't know who that's going to be.
It could be Minnesota, it could be the LA Clippers,
it could be the Memphis Grizzlies, it could be the
Golden State Warriors, and a small chance it could be
the Lakers too. But I don't think it's going to happen.
Speaker 6: Hmm.
Speaker 1: It's going to be fun. And for those that have
not been around it before because it's been five years,
you're gonna love it. Everything's gonna be magnified everything is
going to have a lot more intensity to it. There's
no gimmes against Charlotte, there's no gimmes against Brooklyn's, there's
no those boring games against Atlanta. These are highly intensive
games with a lot of animosity. And if you think
Dylan Brooks is going to be a riled up for this,
definitely will be, especially at some point if they do
take on the Lakers, because he certainly was the last
time he did so in the playoffs. Let's go to
Dave in Spring before the top of the hour on
seven ninety Dave, thank you for holding a good afternoon
to you.
Speaker 4: Hey, Matt, Hey, two things first, I want to congratulate
Jalen our safety.
Speaker 6: There Utah for that contract.
Speaker 4: I mean, local kid went to high school here, went
to Baylor.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 4: Everything you hear about him is good too. I think
he was our Walter Payton UH nominee for the Texans,
you know, which tells you he's a super community guy.
It's just nice to see good stuff happen to good people.
And he just seems like a good dude and I'm
happy for him. So now let me get to my
main point. I want to ask you about the Koogs
and uh, you know, we're still smarting for Monday night, obviously.
And I heard yesterday. I haven't listened much to him
and busy in and out of the car, so you
maybe talked about this already. But I saw where Terrence
Arsonos entered the transfer portal, and uh, I was wondering,
you think there'll be any other Cougars who might be
thinking about the portal. I'm a little worried about Milos
in particular. You know, we got a five star point
guard coming in next year. I assume he's happy with
the Kougs, but I'd hate to lose that guy. And uh,
you know, just your thoughts on the Kougs and the
poor and how it might help and hurt us, and
I'll just hang up.
Speaker 1: And they did get a point guard. It was a
transfer from Creighton, so they got that kid in just
the other day. Miles usan. I don't know. He might
declare for the draft, and that it doesn't mean he's
going to stay in the draft.
Speaker 5: He might do.
Speaker 1: As long as you don't get an agent, you can
go do that and then pull yourself back out of
the hat.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I don't think he's ready for the NBA.
Speaker 1: I don't think he's ready either. Wait, the number one
mistake I see with all these young kids is they
think they're NBA ready to too soon. So I would
agree with you on that.
Speaker 4: It's like the Center on Duke. I don't think that
guy's ready either. They talk about him coming out, you know,
Milosh or whatever his name is. I mean, he didn't
have a rebound in twenty three minutes. I don't know
if I'm going to, you know, be in a hurry
or to draft that guy in the top ten like
he's projected.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well it's really by Cooper Flagg at this point.
I mean he's he's the real deal at this point. Yeah,
but yeah, I would do. I don't know. Arsenal I
think would be the only transfer. I mean, things change,
there's a nil situations clearly in hand here. But I
think Arsenal's hung on the walls, that the recruiting classes
about to get really, really filthy, and playing time would
be probably not nearly as prevalent today as it would be,
say next year, when those players come in.
Speaker 4: I don't mind losing Terrence mar Allison, to be honest
with they don't want to be too dismissive. But I
always kind of when he came into the game, I
was always a little nervous, and when he started putting
up shots, my nervousness doubled. So you know, it's sort
of like trade Mark, remember Trayvon Mark or whatever his
name was.
Speaker 7: A guy.
Speaker 4: Yeah, he went Darkansas, then to Texas, and he's bounced
all around. I guess cash and nil checks. But I
didn't mind seeing him go either. So some guys don't
look like they fit too well with what Kelvin's trying
to do.
Speaker 1: It's part of it called great information. Thank you Dave
for joining us. That's part of it is that Kelvin
is not going to change who he is, even with
NIL and transfer portal. I respect that because there's a
lot of coaches that can't do that. A lot of
coaches are worried about the portal, a lot of kids
are worried about NIL, A lot of coaches are I mean,
I think it's a concern, and I think obviously Kelvin's
got to take care of those guys that are there.
But it doesn't seem like he makes him sweat like
other schools do. All right, let's get the final hour
of the Matt Thomas Show with Ross underway. Next, we're
gonna talk to emay a don'tt coming up. In thirty minutes.
James and Klim will open up with you to start
the final hour of the show. If you want to follow, James,
I would greatly appreciate that. Seven one three two one
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two
five seven ninety Final hour of the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross. Ross is the day off. I am fighting
through this, got an hour left to go. Thank you
very much for putting up in my sickness, and thank
you for joining the show helping me out a little bit.
Appreciate that. Thanks to Craig Ackerman into Robert Ford for
joining us as well. We got emay a Duncker coming
up in a few minutes. That's a bottle with the
r all right. Seven one three two one two five
seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven
ninety Jalen Peatrie three year contract. We're thirty nine million
dollars renew. Blanco takes them ound today for the Astros
against the Halos. Six o'clock be on Deck show and
then we have Rockets basketball over on ktr H tonight
at nine thirty is a take on the Los Angeles
Lakers seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven Nati. Let's
go to Steven here in La on the Matt Thamas Show.
A Ross Steven, thanks for holding in. Good afternoon.
Speaker 15: Well I'm sorry to hear that you're under the weather, Matt.
Speaker 1: Thank you.
Speaker 15: You know, if you're staying in Beverly Hills, right, Oh yeah,
So I've just thrown it out there. There's a place
that's called the Pure Ivy. They have an Ivy hydration
drip for cold and flu. I had a cold that
knocked me on my ass about a month ago. I
took one of these hydration drips and I was playing
Oops by that that night. So, and they have mobile
services too that can come to your hotel. So just
just throwing it out there if you need to cure IVY.
Just going to cure IVY, Yes, sir, I know you know,
no no sponsor or anything like that, but you know,
just throwing it out. I know you're struggling. I will
just run through some some weaknesses and strengths for the
Rockets playoffs. Just to give you a little bit of
a voice break. So I'm just going to go through
what I feel like are some strengths and weaknesses for
the Rockets atting into the playoffs. Obviously, you know, weaknesses.
I'm wondering if this team is going to struggle to
shoot the ball, you know, in the playoffs. That's always
been kind of like an achilles heel, especially their free throws.
You know, they especially in the playoffs, You've got to
make your free throws. That's the killer when you when
you struggle like the Rockets do sometimes. But you know,
as far as there there's strengths, you know, I feel
like this is a this is a obviously a very
good defense of team. They can rebound the ball really well.
I like the way that they can kind of manipulate
their lineup and either go really long with their wings
or they can go uh double bigs with you know,
uh down the stretch if if needed. And uh so,
uh it all depends on obviously the matchup in any
matchup in the West, is going to be tough, obviously,
but I really do think that the Rockets can win
the first round, maybe even the second round in a
seven game series. So Uh, you know, I'm looking forward to,
uh you know, seeing some basketball. I'm looking forward to
hearing your calls. And I just hope you hope you
get better.
Speaker 1: Man, Thank you very much. I appreciate it very much.
And you killed a lot of time, great insights. You
didn't mess that up. You're good. You know what I
need today? I need a girod call. Gid where you at?
You say my Bacon with the Gerard call?
Speaker 12: Just make it fun on the last two weeks. He
might not call back.
Speaker 1: No chance, my guy, No chance. Gerard is my guy.
Dronic has always got carshbon. So Joran, if you're out
there listening today and you want to give us a
rocket breakdown for the playoffs, the FLOORI is yours, and
I mean literally the flora is yours. Let's go to
U jamal over in Memorial at one o seven on
seven ninety Jamal thank you for holding in a good afternoon.
Speaker 7: Hey, how's it going?
Speaker 11: Uh?
Speaker 7: First when I get to my tape, man, Matt, I
caught a one show of yours last week. I always
thought you was a Maydy tree coaching.
Speaker 3: I didn't know.
Speaker 7: I didn't know you spent a little time your roots
are from from the Spice Lane. You caught one of
your shows. You were saying you back on Lane in
the seventies and so so, uh, yeah, I just had
to take a nob because I was, I grew up
my roots was there from the nineties. I was over
there on the nineties some were beginning so nice. So
when you start talking about Boone Elementary and all that,
I knew exactly where you were coming too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was. I was booned for I want to say,
first and second grade, and then I moved to the
KT area, went to mental schools after that. But yeah,
I'm an I'm an og a leaf for sure.
Speaker 7: Okay, okay, but man, now, so on on on my
uh take, man, I tough loss. I went back and
you know, finally had a little time to digest it.
But I went back and and uh and looked at
that last play. I wanted to get your take on it,
because I thought it was a good design. But when
I went back and watched it, it looked like why
uh you, big guy Roberts, if you go back and
look at it, man, the reason why they we couldn't
get cried the ball on that first initial action and
then even with even with Sharp, while while he had
a good clothes, I looked like Roberts didn't. His screens
were kind of half lazy to where where they couldn't
get they you know, they couldn't get the spacing they needed.
Speaker 1: And then that's the reason why Sharp think about that, Jamal,
That's the reason why Sharp was shot faked because he
saw the Lord of player coming at him and if
you have a good numb screen there, he takes that
that screen, that pick and he can shoot it up flallsy.
He was scared he was gonna get blocked. That's the
reason why he came down and then eventually get rid
of the basketball. So yeah, they yeah, it did not
work out very well exactly.
Speaker 7: And uh so here's my take. I think, So this
is my opinion.
Speaker 13: I think.
Speaker 7: The coach is gonna have to loosen up his He's
gonna have to change his philosophy a little bit. I
think it's it's found and everything that he's done. Their
perennial tournament teams as they go, I think they you know,
he continued to make six sweet six teams in it.
But I just think that heavy defense and and minimum
offense that and not styled in that style with getting
to the championship game and losing. I seen an interview
from the Yukon coach and he said something to the fact.
Don't quote me, but he was like, I'd rather recruit
offensive players and then teach them, you know, try to
teach the best defense that they could possibly have, rather
than have the way around. And I just wanted to
get to you know, And I think that's what Cavin
fompin a knee for. Just more offensive recruiting and then
don't lose a defense of our unity. But we got
to have more offensive there because that was brutal the
way they closed off that game, and just wanted to
get a.
Speaker 6: Take on it him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Ja during the course of the year, and it
wasn't like they were playing the poor sisters. They shot
much better than three, much better from the floor than
they ever had before with Calvin's teams in the past.
They just ran into a really I mean two excellent,
excellent defenses. Duke's defense was top six in the country.
I think Florida's was top ten, give or take. And
I think there's a combination of that. I think there's
a combination of is the pressure too big. Is the
moment too big? And I think there's part of that
could be put into play, certainly in Duke's case on Saturday,
and that National SEI semifinal game with the Cougars did
a month. But this is one of the highest scoring
teams that Kelvin ever had, shot much better than ever
had before. So I don't see a whole lot from
an offensive standpoint that I would necessarily change, except for
the fact that you had Uzon up and down at times,
you had manual sharp up and down at times, and
then LJ Cryer, I mean they just didn't shoot well.
I mean both teams who were less than forty percent
from the floor, and a lot of that was because
of I think the moment was big, and also I
think a lot of it was and there were some
really good defenses. I mean, the Cougars have the number
one ranked field goal defense in the country. So it
was going to get into a situation where it was
going to be a lower scoring game. You didn't want
to get into one eighty five eighty one game with
Florida because that's not what you wanted to do, Nor
did you want to do that with Duke either, And
you both held those teams to under their season average.
I think we're just trying to find something to go
hot to that last fifteen seconds go down, on that
last minute, twenty go down, and I think just screening
between the lines of what Calvin said. He's like, I
draw these plays up, we do this all the time,
and the guys just did not come through. And they
did not. They didn't, they didn't. They buckled under the
pressure a little bit. I guess again there was two
I mean having Arsenal, not Arsenal, having Manuel Sharp lose
it off his foot. I mean that's you you had.
You may have had the best play drawn up, but
you couldn't use it because you can kick the ball
at a bounds And then the shot fake, which should
have been a slide over as compared in the dribble,
as compared to putting the ball up in the air,
is because again he had a Florida guy coming and
he kind of got really nervous about what was what
they have to do. The right thing would have been, frankly,
to grab the ball. It called for travel at least
put a couple of seconds off on the clock, hopefully
come in a foul and then have some sort of
massive heave. But in that moment in time, that's awful.
Hard to tell the athlete to do that. I know
I wouldn't be able to do it. Good stuff, Jamal
appreciate it. One thirteen on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross,
we have non full of stories coming up at the
bottom and our email at Donk is going to join
us in eighteen minutes. We have Dean and Alex and
James to get to all of you as well. This
is Sports Talk seven ninety all right, to get back
on the phone, we'll talk to some people. Let's talk
in terms of the longest wait. Dean is with us
on seven ninety at one eighteen. Dean, thanks for holding.
Good afternoon.
Speaker 13: Hi Matt.
Speaker 21: Your voice, I'm sorry you don't feel that well.
Speaker 1: You can just hear it.
Speaker 21: You're staying at the Four Seasons, correct, So they ought
to have something there to get your voice right by tonight.
I hope so you stay at the Four Seasons every
time you travel.
Speaker 1: I cannot confirm or deny that.
Speaker 21: All right, real quick, I know any of the teams
in the West are going to be pretty good.
Speaker 1: I would I.
Speaker 21: Would kind of hope for Memphis although I mean I
don't want to.
Speaker 6: I'm very happy with what the Rockets have done.
Speaker 21: I thought they'd make the playoffs, but I didn't think
they'd be a two obviously, But when you start looking
at matchups, they they have done pretty well against the Clippers,
and I'd rather play them if we if we can
advance a little bit later, because Harden seems to get
worse as the playoffs go along. That uh, that's I
don't I wouldn't want to play them right off the
right off the bat, but a bunch of that is
tough to pick because, like you've already spoke about, most
of those teams are pretty good. I would probably prefer Memphis,
and I think when they play I've.
Speaker 18: Got a couple of questions.
Speaker 21: In a couple of points, I think free throws are
going to be very important because I think, no matter what,
they always are, but we have some games where that
percentage could be extremely bad, and if we can be
good to very good, I think they that would push
them over the top. And do you think that they'll
play any of the double bigs? Because from a point
differential standpoint, it's been effective, but in the playoffs that
they'll play both the big Yeah.
Speaker 1: If they play Memphis, they'll do that because you've got
Zach Eding you Jaron Jackson Junior playing for Memphis, so
you could definitely do that for sure.
Speaker 21: It's kind of impossible to project though, because I mean,
if you're in the two seed, you got the playing
game and everything else, so and and they're also like,
you don't know where they're gonna land, right, So I
know it's crazy with two games left, and I know
you've already spoke about it, but I don't know. I'm
just when I'm sitting there looking at it. First round,
i'd be pretty happy if if it's if we draw Memphis, that's.
Speaker 7: Just what I think.
Speaker 3: They'll be pretty good.
Speaker 1: Thank you for the phone call, appreciate you listening. That
would be my preference as well. But honestly, I think
everybody's hoping they play Memphis, and you know, but again,
things could change. I mean, it all depends on who's
playing who's not playing. I feel like there's those teams
do not want to play the playing game because that's
an extra game and extra travel for one of the teams,
and the playing is dangerous. So yeah, I've said this
earlier in the show. And I'll say it again, the
teams in terms of most preferred to least preferred. In
my mind, it's just I'm and I'm willing to change
this Memphis one. Then I would take one of the
Clippers on, then Minnesota, then Golden State or Denver for
that matter. I mean, now, what is Denver gonna do
now with a new coach?
Speaker 6: I don't know.
Speaker 1: I don't know if it inspires them, if they're thinking
about mailing it in, whatever the case may be. I
don't know on that. Uh, but yeah, I think everybody's
preferred opponent because the fact that the Memphis is just
not played well for a better part of two months,
and does the reason why, excuse me, they made a
coaching change there too. Let's go to Alex and Conroe
at one seven on Alex Good Afternoon.
Speaker 18: Going on, Matt, a couple of things. I haven't been
able to listen to.
Speaker 22: Your show for basically all week just because of the sports, Uh,
the the travesties that we've been dealing with, and it's
just not been something I want to hear about.
Speaker 18: So Uh that that Cougar game, Man, that was the
worst ending I've ever seen. I don't understand why you
don't just come over half court push the ball into
the paint. We need two points. Push the ball into
the paint. Let let Roberts get in on the basket.
Speaker 6: And we're not shooting, you know, we're not.
Speaker 18: I just, you know, go for a higher percentage shot
is where I'm coming from.
Speaker 1: And that just let me ask you. Do you follow
the Cougars pretty tily?
Speaker 4: Not.
Speaker 18: I'm gonna be honest with you know. I listened to uh,
I listened everything that they're doing on the radio. I
catch a couple of games here and there, but I
definitely have been watching for.
Speaker 1: The last two Monestly, I would rather have taken it,
and not that they were going for three for the win,
but Roberts and Tugler, and Tugler filed out. They had
not had a good night in the low block. They
were missing everything there. The rockets are the rockets. The
Cougars inside the paint was about thirty two thirty three percent. Honestly,
I would rather have seen Emmanuel Sharp go for that
three pointer win the game. So I didn't have a
problem with the play call. I just obviously execu.
Speaker 18: Fair enough, disaster fair enough and then going onto the Rockets.
A couple of weeks ago, we played the Lakers. Yeah,
and uh, man, I tell you what, dude, I listen.
I work late, I get off work at like nine thirty.
Speaker 6: So I listened.
Speaker 8: I end up listening to a lot of national.
Speaker 18: Sports broadcasts as well at night. Yeah, I basically listen
to sports radio all day and at night, man, they
were talking about they were they were just making comments
about how you know the Lakers had it, dude. The
reality is if the Rockets were able to sink like
three three pointers because they just went super cold, if
the Rockets, the Rockets almost damnure won that game without
being able to shoot a three, Like, I don't I
don't know where where the delusion comes in that the
Lakers are that much better. But no, dude, if the
Rockets are even halfway on, they're gonna win. They're gonna
win that game. So I'm hoping tonight we go out
there and stomp a mudhole. And speaking of mud holes,
gut feeling, man, I have a feeling that the Angels
are about to pack it in for us. Man, They're
about to They've been the dogs the last what seven
seasons at least. I have a feeling that they're gonna
really put in an effort on the Astros tonight, so
I hope Renel can actually get get a good start in.
But as for the Rockets, one more thing on the
Rockets and Astros. This would be great after after the
game is over. Typically the Astras play that that my
Texas song or what, I don't know what it's called.
If we get on a streak Rockets or Astros, I
think it would be great for the PA announcer to
play that clip from Old School where Will Ferrell he's
at that college party and he gets all sauced up
and decides.
Speaker 6: That they're going to go streak, and he's like, we're
going streaking. That would be hilarious to hear on the
PA personal.
Speaker 1: I'll pass it along. Thank you for the phone call.
Real quick. Before we get to emy Adoka, let's talk
to James Incline on seven on me, James, what do
you got today?
Speaker 7: Yeah, the biggest surprise with the Rockets so far this
year is, uh, Steven Adams and Chagoon have worked together.
Speaker 3: I'm just amazed, Well they work together.
Speaker 8: I don't know how you feel about that.
Speaker 1: Oh, for sure. Yeah, I never thought they would work
together like that, but they have been very very effective.
Speaker 12: Yeah, that's all I really have to say. I just
that's the biggest surprise.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's surprise because I would not have thought that
was in the repertoire. But it has worked out very
very well. All right, let's talk to em Adoka next.
He'll join us here on the program seven to one
to three two one two five seven ninety seven to
one three, two one two five seven ninety. Em Doke
is next. It's one twenty six here on Sports Talk
seven ninety one thirty on Sports Talk seven ninety it
is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross Ross the day off,
Let's spend tenqulty minutes right now with the head basketball
coach of your second seeded Western Conference playoffs Houston Rockets,
Ema Doko with this on the show. Coach, Thanks for
joining me like this morning. A thought or two about
first of all, capturing the two seed and obviously you
sat out some folks against the Clippers the other night.
And what's it like being in a in a really
good spot here we can rest some guys between now
and the end of the regular season.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's an accomplishment.
Speaker 23: Obviously got more to go, but you know, our guys
should be proud of where we're at and the fact
that we earned some rest and are in a position
to pick our own, our own destiny and fate instead of.
Speaker 3: Having to rely on anybody else.
Speaker 23: There'll be in the late season battles like a lot
of teams are doing right now. So guys understand that
they deserve it. They put in the work to get here,
and now it's a chance to get healed up, rested up,
sharpened up and give some other guys some opportunities so
we can improve our depth.
Speaker 1: Is everybody? I mean, by the time that you guys
get started, you feel like if they'll be back to
close to one hundred percent? Is this is this off
time between not only these games that they may or
may not playing in the week off. Is that is
that put you as close on a hundred percent as possible? Oh?
Speaker 23: Absolutely, I mean other than All Star Break, you don't
get this amount of time off in the season at all.
Speaker 3: And so we got guys nicked up.
Speaker 23: You know, if Fred got the ankle, Jabari had come
off the ankle and got a little growing some out,
you got a little back and things here and there.
They could obviously play through if we needed to, but
a chance to get healed up. Obviously in these games,
don't want to be off too long, so we'll get
in some work in the next two games, but chance
to stay sharp, get rested, get healed, and at this
time of year, with that week off before the playoffs,
avoiding the playing is a big advantage as well.
Speaker 1: So is there gonna be a big watch party at
the Adoka House on Tuesday night to see who you play?
Speaker 3: Not a watch party, but I'll be watching alone to
see something like that.
Speaker 23: Obviously myself and the staff will be preparing for two opponents,
and so we'll have a step ahead regardless of who
it is, and then obviously focused and zero in on
the opponent once we figure out who it is. But
it's a little bit different than the years past, where
you may know a week before who you're going to
play based on the stootings. The playing brings another element
to that, but exciting for the fans, opportunity for other
teams to sneak in.
Speaker 3: But we have to prepare for two as if we're
playing each of them.
Speaker 1: You may have your personal favorite and I wouldn't ask
that of you because I have my personal favorite and
I don't want to give that out too much either.
But the point being is that you know, I've looked
at the standing to look at it every day. I
look at it fifteen times a day. I didn't anticipate
the Spurs beating the Warriors a couple of nights back,
and then they lose that game, and then Memphis loses
to Minnesota and that moves up the Golden State of
the six spot. It's incredible how tight these teams are
and how you try to anticipate who you might be playing,
and it would be frankly idiotic to do it because
things could just change here a lot in the next
forty eight hours.
Speaker 23: Yeah, that's why ever since, probably with ten games out,
twenty games out, we've worried about ourselves and wanted to
be in this position to solidify our seed.
Speaker 3: And not have to worry about anybody or get the help.
Speaker 23: And at this point, to your point, it could be
anybody changes on a nightly basis, and a lot of
these teams are playing each other heads up, so it
can change and flip flop, like you said, game to game,
night to night and.
Speaker 3: So for us, so we worried about ourselves.
Speaker 23: We'll figure out the opponent when it's there and not
try to get too cute and manipulate anything. And like
I said, being in the number two seed with the
days off and the rest is that was our goal.
Be healthy, be playing our best basketball, be sharp, And
then we've achieved that.
Speaker 1: You might not have said this yet, but I know
there's going to be a speech coming up from you
about what plays basketball is Like Dylan knows about it,
Steven knows about it, Fred knows about it, but you've
got a lot of young men that don't. So what
have you told them from your experience about the game
of the NBA playoffs that is unlike a regular season game.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that everything's heightened.
Speaker 23: I think we've done a pretty good job of building
toward that in the last ten games. We obviously our
last eight games, I think seven of those were against
high level teams, playoff contenders, and so we already had
our mindset around starting to shift our mentality towards that
preparing for the playoffs.
Speaker 3: So we don't have to flip a switch. But what
we do is what we do, and it carries well
in the.
Speaker 23: Playoffs, of physicality, the effort that we play with all
those things are great things going forward, but you have
to experience it for the first time.
Speaker 3: But at the same time, keep its simple as just
basketball and what.
Speaker 23: We do works and what we've done all year the
guys that bought into so at the end of the
day that will carry over.
Speaker 3: Well, I'll let the.
Speaker 23: Bets talk to the guys about experience as well, but
we'll share our stories. But getting out there and getting
a feed wet for the first time is the best
way to handle it.
Speaker 1: What do you think was more impactful and it could
be both. The answer to it you guys playing more
zone second half of the year or you go into
the double big lineup second half the year.
Speaker 23: Well, they coincided with each other, honestly, and so the
reason obviously, when you play a smaller lineup, we can
switch some things and the.
Speaker 3: Results are great.
Speaker 23: I mean we're top whatever three in the league and defense,
and so what we do mainly works, no doubt. But
when you want to play the double bigs, which is
really good offensively, you have to go to the zone
with some of those smaller lineups, and so they coincide
with each other. The more double big we played and
teams don't match it, they try to downsize. We have
to play some zone for matchup purposes, and our zone
is really good. Communication is good. We got active at
great activity. Feels like we are talking even more in
the zone than in man. And then on the offensive
end we take advantage. We have big bodies down there
getting second third opportunities and so they go hand to hand,
no doubt. But even when we do play with one big,
we do like our zone.
Speaker 3: The activity is good.
Speaker 23: Keep teams out of rhythm and part guys if they're
in power trouble or a little bit of rest.
Speaker 1: You may talk with us for a few more minutes
here on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross you may
you took the Celtics to the NBA Finals and you
played three series and won them. What is it like
for the players, because look, video is a huge part
of it. Are there a lot of things that teams
will throw at you different wrinkles or is it just
kind of accentuate the stuff that you want to do?
I mean meaning, is there anything that the other teams
could be hiding that they have not put out until
the playoffs and would that surprised you at all if
teams would make a massive shift or is that just
doesn't happen in the NBA in right now.
Speaker 3: Oh, it's a little bit of both.
Speaker 23: You have to do what you do really well and
then obviously somebody's going to make an adjustment at some point.
If with what you're doing is working, obviously stick with
it and try to amplify that. But teams that are
struggling will obviously go to adjustments. And that's the job
of the coaching staff to have you know, plan ABC,
D E if you need B. And for us, I
think we've thrown a lot out our guys this year,
mixed some things to keep teams off balance, off rhythm,
and you don't throw it all out in a meaningless game,
but you save certain things that you've seen worked well.
And then obviously you have all your stuff in your
back pocket, and so if what you're doing works, you
go with it until need be. But expecting other teams
to throw adjustments if they're struggling in a certain area
or trying to take advantage of something. So it's a
little bit of a chess match, of course, much different
than a regular season game where you're preparing for that
team one time, and then you're moving on to the next.
It's back and forth ups and downs of a playoff series,
and a lot of times it comes down to.
Speaker 1: That in your mind and your history of being in
the league. Are the whistles tighter or are they a
little looser come playoff time?
Speaker 23: No, I definitely think they'll let you play more, which,
like I said, goes well for us. You know, we
want to be a physical team. We are one of
the more aggressive physical teams, and at times we have
to adjust to how they're calling it in a regular
season game. In the playoffs, the game slows down, the
physicality goes up, and I think, like I said, what
we do well well, we do well travels in the
playoff and so it's not like we're trying to flip
a switch and become aggressive all of a sudden. That's
what we've been all year, and so they let you
play more, no doubt. I think, like we said, the
pay slows down, you have to grind out possessions on
both sides of the ball, and so.
Speaker 3: It bodes well for us.
Speaker 23: It's in our favor to have that, and we like
the games that they let us play aggressive, and so
that's that's the case in the playoffs.
Speaker 1: Great stuffer is always coach. Thank you for the time.
We'll talk in next week prior to the series, and
we'll see later on tonight in the Crypto dot com
for the Rockets and Lakers. Appreciate it as always. Thank you,
We'll see you. You may dook it with us year
on Sports Talk seven ninety. All right, there's a few
thoughts about the Rockets playoff from the head coach himself,
and we will have those games starting up a week.
I think it's gonna be a week from Saturday, don't
hold me to that. But the first playoff game, the
first two games the playoffs will be in to our centers.
They will have the two seed and they will have
games one, two, five, and seven if that is needed
in a seven game series. All right, let's do non
Florida stories next. To wrap things up today, I just
did not do a Believe or not because I'm just
not feeling great and so thus, uh, if you have
an opportunity to listen and just relax and enjoy this
final segment of the show, I thank you for that,
because we're gonna give you some stories that every other
state in the Union can brag about, except Florida. Because
every other radio show in the marketplace does stories about Florida.
We do non Florida stories, and we'll have it for
you next here on the show. One forty is our
time seven one three two one two five seven nine.
If you want to jump in and say anything about
what Emay had to say, any thoughts about the Astros
weekend series with the Los Angeles Angels, all that is
fair game. Plus, Jalen Peatree signed a new contract, a
three year extension for thirty nine million dollars, and that
means that Peatree and Stingley had both been paid this offseason.
So two half of your text and starting secondary is
very very well compensated. Seven one three two one two
five seven nine. If you want a time in and
say hello, we got to no on Florida stories coming
up in just matter moments against seven one three two
one two five seven ninety in the eighteen will be
with you today coming up at two o'clock.
Speaker 20: We find interesting stories that occur outside the state of
Florida and share them with the people of Houston. It's
time for non Florida I'll time for non Florida store
on coast to coast ollgrading strange and wild, no alligator
e tails, but something that will.
Speaker 10: Make you smile.
Speaker 20: It's time for laps from far and wha. In this
cracy world, there's no.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, and I made it down the home
stretch here on the Matt Towmas Show with Ross, I'm
gonna take a big nap, hopefully be in much better
frame of mind for the Rockets and Lakers that are
on tonight. Since Ross is not here, I'll do two
stories and Jonathan you'll do one. All right, I'm gonna
go first. We're gonna go to uh space you okay
with that?
Speaker 6: Okay?
Speaker 1: For obviously here, I'm gonna read this sentence in this
story that I saw for humanity to become a space
faring civilization, there's a lot of there is a blank
ton of problems to solve. I think i'll have you
know what blank is. There's a blank ton of problems
to solve, one of which is how to deal with
are poop oh God, currently on the moon. I don't
know if you knew this or not. There are a
hundred plastic bags of even cramp on the Moon right
now because the people out there, Yeah, they just wait,
you gotta go, you gotta go.
Speaker 12: I mean, huh, it's filthy.
Speaker 1: I mean, it is what it is. I didn't realize
it was that many. That's a hundred, that's a lot,
Oh my god. To spark solutions, NASA has launched the
Lunar Recycled Challenge. It is a three million dollars competition
quote focused on the design and development of recycling solutions
that can reduce solid waste and improve the sustainability of
longer term lunar missions. Space Agency says that NASA's committed
to sustainable space exploration. As we prepare for future human
space missions, there will be a need to consider how
various waste streams, including solid waste, can be minimized, as
well as how waste can be stored, processed, and recycled
in a space environment so that little or no waste
will be needed to return return to Earth.
Speaker 5: What the what's the problem of doing space letter? Like,
what's still the scientifical reason why they don't.
Speaker 1: Want a hundred bags of poop up on the mood?
So they don't want accordinate A Space Agency innovations could
also trickle down to Earth and eventually lead to technology
to help terrestrial communities eventually and safely deal with their
own poop.
Speaker 12: I don't believe it.
Speaker 1: How can you recycle poop in space? NASA will pay
three million dollars for an answer, So if you have
the answer of how you recycle poop, it could make
you a very rich man. If you would have said, Matt,
how many bags of poop are on the Moon? I
would not upset one hundred? But now you know all
hundred bags of poop? Is it like trash bags?
Speaker 13: Or is it like?
Speaker 3: Wow?
Speaker 1: I don't know, that's a great question.
Speaker 12: I'm having a hard time seeing that.
Speaker 1: Like well, my guess would be like maybe like Sam
with the zip lock bags.
Speaker 5: Maybe No way, it's gonna be like a big CBS
bag at least right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean you gotta leave yourself pon in your room.
You don't want to mess it up.
Speaker 12: We're messing somebody's lunch up.
Speaker 13: I just know that.
Speaker 1: I know there are people driving around town going did
I need to hear this right now? At one? Yes
you did, because that is my first nine and Florida story.
Speaker 3: What do you all?
Speaker 1: She got? All right?
Speaker 5: I got Jude Hill off Plymouth, England. She went and
traveled to Thailand a few months ago out there fire
at her home in September. Metro News reported around three
am on Christmas, Hill and her boyfriend that she went
and traveled with. We're seeing in the lobby of the
film Flipper Lodge Hotel and Pataya, Thailand, consummating, consummatated, consummating
their relationship on a sofa in the.
Speaker 12: Middle of the lobby.
Speaker 5: That's fine, bear, nothing just straight, you know what I
mean When this is said, the pair didn't tried to
move the glass table in action, but as they were
going and getting more experienced, it shattered. Quote from the lobby,
the staff lobby that was there behind the desk, not
when they got approached from the people says. We approached
them and they discovered they weren't even hotels counselors at all.
So we tried to usher him out, but Hill tried
to run away with her clothes as well as a
boyfriend going in going and getting detained by near a
nearby beach over in Thailand by an armed officer. The
hotel plans to plus chargers on both Hill and the boyfriend.
Speaker 1: So basically these people went to a hotel, didn't stay there,
and had sex in the lobby.
Speaker 12: Just she had her house was burnt down.
Speaker 5: They wanted to go travel, and they went in the
middle of three am, and there's just no one in there.
Speaker 12: You know how the hotels, no one's in there.
Speaker 1: It's there.
Speaker 12: Boom just went crazy and broke the table in the process.
Speaker 1: Okay, I mean love, no love knows no bounds.
Speaker 12: Correct love and Thailand, I guess I don't.
Speaker 1: Could you imagine walking into a hotel and having people
just having second Maybe I do. It doesn't only matter
if they're attractive or not, just the whole act of
having sex in the middle of a line.
Speaker 12: The smell is probably horrible.
Speaker 6: Oh my god, that's true.
Speaker 1: Thank you for that. Thailand, Non Florida story. My last norms.
My story is about a woman by the name of
Marie Pearl Zelmer Robinson. She admits she has a big
yawn when she opens her jaw, there was always this
sizable gap between her top and bottom row of teeth,
exposing her tongue. Okay, she tells the Ketchacanda Only News
in Ketchacan, Alaska. I've always kind of known I've had
a big mouth. I talk a lot, and apparently I
do have a physically big mouth, but we never really
did anything about it. I was always just kind of
a joke that I could fit two, you know, three
and a half jinga blocks in my mouth. Excude, Okay,
she can fit three and a half jinga blocks.
Speaker 12: That isn't that how?
Speaker 1: That's like she is submitting evidence, oh, to the World
Records Club that she has the largest mouth gape in
America today.
Speaker 12: She wants that title.
Speaker 1: She wants that title.
Speaker 12: Hmm, the irony.
Speaker 1: If there's any women listening to the show right now,
would you want that title of having the biggest mouth?
Speaker 5: I couldn't imagine introducing your wife. Yeah, this is my wife,
you know, the biggest mouth on the you know, in
the little world.
Speaker 1: There is video of this, not video, there are still
photos of her shoving a coke can or in a
soup can in her mouth.
Speaker 12: Soup.
Speaker 1: She's very proud of her record, she says. She just
doesn't go around showing you everyone when I do, it
kind of creeps people out. That's a creepy jaws, she says.
Speaker 12: And what's wrong with the job.
Speaker 1: There's nothing wrong with it. It's just it's big.
Speaker 12: She was just born that way.
Speaker 1: Yoh yeah? Oh no, how many jingas can you put
in your mouth? Can you put three and a halves?
Speaker 12: Is she talking about the mega zingle blocks sometimes? I think?
Do you think box are kind of small?
Speaker 1: Noah, I mean the videos, I mean the photos in there.
Speaker 12: She can stick.
Speaker 1: She can stick a lot of one hundred dollars bills
in her mouth.
Speaker 12: She can good block.
Speaker 1: Her mouth is seven point five nine centimeters long or
two point nine eight inches, So those are you playing
at home? Two point nine eight inches? How long her
mouth is.
Speaker 12: Vertically?
Speaker 1: Yes, that's her job on is positioned back near her
ear canal, providing her with a wider range of movement.
She's really proud of this.
Speaker 12: These jingle blocks are huge, dude, Oh my god.
Speaker 1: I mean, don't you think she should be on America's
Got Talent to do something like that? I mean, that's crazy.
Speaker 5: I don't think anybody on America wants to see that
on television.
Speaker 1: You're probably ranked.
Speaker 12: I don't even like when the musicians do the sword
thing in their throat and try to.
Speaker 6: Like, you know what.
Speaker 1: I've never watched one full episode of that show.
Speaker 12: America's Got talent. Nope, is because a Nick Cannon Is
that a guy that was?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 1: No, I just I just don't like that kind of stuff.
I watched American Idol the first year, but then I
kinda get.
Speaker 13: Tired of it.
Speaker 1: I watched the first season of Hell's Kitchen, and I
got tired of it. I'm not a big reality show guy.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I like massive chef Master Scheff. Yeah, I get
that because it's it's tripped. It's scripted half the time. Though,
Like Jerry Springer came out scripted, I was like, oh
my god, my childhood's a lie.
Speaker 1: Oh no, my poor youth. Jerry Springer coke. And that
is how we close out today's edition of Non Florida
Stories and the show today we made it. Thank you
very much to all of you that called the show.
Because I was not feeling good. You guys came through
for me. Thank you very much to Jonathan for his
hard work today who as I have pulled up the
four hour shift. Now I'm going to take a deep nap.
You can't call me, you can't text me. I don't
care what you want to do. I am unavailable for
the next two hours. Up next to entertain you for
the next four, it's the eight T with clann and Wexler. Next,
I'll talk to you for Rockets at nineteen thirty. I'm
seven forty good. I never