Could Deandre Hopkins go into Coaching ?

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary Payne & Pendergast, July 27, 2026

Episode Theme:
Could DeAndre Hopkins go into Coaching?

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Overview

This episode of Payne & Pendergast centers on DeAndre Hopkins’ unexpected presence at Patriots training camp and speculates about whether the former NFL superstar is genuinely contemplating a move into coaching or if he’s leveraging his visibility for future playing or media opportunities. The hosts, Sean Pendergast and Brandon Scott (in for Seth Payne), also provide their sharp takes on other NFL personalities and current league storylines—particularly focusing on Mike Vrabel’s public image campaign, Tony Romo’s arrest, and J.J. Watt’s growing role in sports broadcasting.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DeAndre Hopkins—Coaching Aspirations or Career Maneuvering?

[02:16–07:44]

• Hopkins at Patriots camp: Sighted at Patriots training camp, leading to speculation.
• Mike Vrabel on Hopkins’ visit: Vrabel noted Hopkins is considering career options, including coaching. Emphasized his tactical intelligence and play style, despite not being the fastest receiver.

“DeAndre Hopkins is here with us…just to kind of check things out as far as what he wants to do as far as coaching.” – (Vrabel, relayed by Brandon Scott, 02:40)

• Hosts’ skepticism about coaching: Both hosts agree it’s counterintuitive for a player who famously disliked practice to become a coach.

“Coaching for DeAndre Hopkins…a guy who…got traded…because he didn’t like to practice.” – Seth Payne (03:34)

• Alternative motives: Brandon suggests Hopkins may be looking for a way to stick around the league, possibly as a "player-coach" or simply networking for a soft landing if no team signs him. Seth lauds the networking, calling it “always smart.”

“Is DeAndre Hopkins looking at this now as, hey, the only way I'm really going to get on a team is if somebody's injured or if I come parachuting in…so is he just kind of getting a head start…?” – Brandon Scott (04:08)

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2. Hopkins' Post-Playing Career: Media vs. Coaching

[06:07–08:23]

• Not a coach-in-waiting: Both hesitate to label Hopkins a future coach, seeing more potential in media or content creation.

“I just don’t know if he’s going to examine the hours and go, you know what? That’s for me.” – Seth Payne (06:28)

• Potential in sports media: Hopkins’ thoughtful interviews and social presence, especially via IG Live, suit him more as a personality or a supporting cast member on big shows rather than a headliner.

“I think he fits best as an interesting cast member on a show…like the next generation’s version of The Pivot.” – Brandon Scott (07:44)

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3. Revisiting Old Beef—Hopkins vs. Payne on Practice Habits

[08:23–10:22]

• Social media back-and-forth: Seth recounts his viral Twitter interaction with Hopkins about his practice habits, culminating in a deleted tweet and a friendly direct message from Hopkins.

“DeAndre DeAndre tweet retweets my rare footage tweet and says, just buy my jersey for your wife. At this point, I'm sure she's tired of hearing my name and in your sleep.” – Seth Payne (09:10)

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4. Mike Vrabel: “Infidelity Washing” & Public Image

[11:44–17:45]

• Vrabel’s press conference optics: Vrabel brings a puppy to Patriots’ camp, touting the Potriots adoption initiative.
• Skepticism: The hosts humorously dissect Vrabel’s attempts to rehab his public image after recent marital scandals—“cheat washing”—assigning “effectiveness” scores to his tactics like going to rehab, family photo ops, and bringing his wife to events.

“This is part of the infidelity washing that’s going on with Mike Vrabel right now.” – Seth Payne (13:27)

• Puppy as PR tactic: Brandon finds the dog more of a calculated deflection than bringing one’s child to a press conference.

“What is the dog up there for?...That’s a clear deflection.” – Brandon Scott (14:46)

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5. Tony Romo’s Arrest—Broadcast, Performance, and J.J. Watt Comparison

[22:31–29:14]

• Romo’s OWI: Payne and Scott riff on Tony Romo’s drunken mug shot, speculating about what the dashcam footage will be like and how Romo’s erratic broadcasting style might translate to a police encounter.
• Romo’s career decline: They note Romo’s broadcasting peaked early and has become less impactful, raising the question of whether there’s a contractual “out” for CBS.

“His performance as a broadcaster has not been to the level…that earned him $18 million a year.” – Seth Payne (24:56)

• J.J. Watt’s rise: They argue that Watt is now objectively better on air and discuss whether this incident could pave the way for Watt to leapfrog Romo on the CBS A-team.
• Watt’s objectivity: Even opposing fanbases, notably Colts fans, appreciate Watt’s fair coverage—a sign of his professionalism.

“Not just that he's really good... but I've noticed...the fan bases of the opposing teams…really respect how JJ goes out there, calls it like it is...” – Brandon Scott (34:18)

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6. NBA Segment—Rockets’ Contender Status

[34:50–44:07]

• Fred Van Vliet’s return: Hosts echo recent analysis that Van Vliet’s presence transforms the team’s identity/leadership. The injury forced too much responsibility on younger players like Alperen Sengun, whose assist rate plummeted.

"He’s older. We do know what he means to the team in terms of leadership. And...it's different being the floor general out there." – Seth Payne (36:52)

• Kevin Durant is key: Brandon pins the Rocket’s immediate contender hopes on Durant’s ability to still perform at an elite level.

“The best thing that they have going for them is definitely Kevin Durant...” – Brandon Scott (35:58)

• Offense resets: Fred’s return allows young players to resume their proper roles, addressing last season’s biggest flaws.

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7. LeBron’s Free Agency & Top NBA Matchups

[41:11–44:44]

• LeBron as a Sixer: Segment explores the excitement around LeBron joining the Sixers and the new batch of marquee matchups.
• Most-anticipated games: Brandon chooses Sixers-Lakers (“Brown vs. Board of Education” on NBA Twitter), while Seth prefers Sixers-Cavs for the potential Cleveland drama.

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Memorable Quotes

• “Coaching for DeAndre Hopkins, a guy who...got traded up and out of here in part because he didn’t like to practice.”
  — Seth Payne (03:34)

• “Is DeAndre Hopkins looking at this now as, hey, the only way I’m really going to get on a team is if somebody’s injured…is he just kind of getting a head start, sort of a quasi player-coach role?”
  — Brandon Scott (04:08)

• “Networking is smart. Yeah. Always, always, always.”
  — Seth Payne (05:09)

• “DeAndre fits best as an interesting cast member on a show…like the next generation’s version of The Pivot.”
  — Brandon Scott (07:44)

• “Just buy my jersey for your wife. At this point, I’m sure she’s tired of hearing my name and in your sleep.”
  — DeAndre Hopkins, via Seth Payne (09:10)

• “This is part of the infidelity washing that’s going on with Mike Vrabel right now.”
  — Seth Payne (13:27)

• “What is the dog up there for?...That’s a clear deflection.”
  — Brandon Scott (14:46)

• “His performance as a broadcaster has not been to the level…that earned him $18 million a year.”
  — Seth Payne (24:56)

• “I think JJ is just better at it than Tony Romo.”
  — Brandon Scott (27:38)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:29–02:16: Breaking news—Michael Lombardi placed on leave; transition to DeAndre Hopkins at Patriots camp
• 02:40–03:05: Vrabel’s remarks on Hopkins and coaching speculation
• 05:35–06:28: Is Hopkins setting up a last-shot play or true coaching pivot?
• 08:23–10:22: Revisiting Hopkins/Payne social media spat
• 11:44–17:45: Vrabel’s public image rehabilitation—“cheat washing” segment
• 22:31–29:19: Tony Romo’s arrest, Romo vs. J.J. Watt in broadcasting
• 34:50–41:11: Rockets as title contenders—Van Vliet’s impact and Durant analysis
• 41:11–44:44: LeBron James Sixers storylines and anticipated matchups

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Summary Takeaways

• Hopkins-to-coach is intriguing but unlikely; more plausible is a pivot to media or “waiting in the wings” for another playing opportunity.
• Mike Vrabel’s public image restoration efforts amuse the hosts, who assign “cheat wash” ratings to his most obvious PR plays.
• Tony Romo’s off-field trouble may open the door for rising star J.J. Watt, whose broadcasting objectivity and skill impress even rival fans.
• Rockets’ 2026 prospects hinge on health—especially at point guard (Van Vliet)—and the continuing relevance of stars like Kevin Durant.
• LeBron’s pending move has the NBA waiting with bated breath, with hosts ID’ing the new Sixers’ top matchups for the coming season.

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For listeners interested in H-Town sports or the broader NFL and NBA landscapes, this episode blends original insight, candid banter, and a healthy dose of humor at the intersection of sports and pop culture.

Transcript

[Seth Payne]

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[Brandon Scott]

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[Seth Payne]

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[Seth Payne]

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[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Placed on administrative leave. No other details.

[Brandon Scott]

Administrative leave.

[Seth Payne]

Administrative leave. Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. Normally when you're placed on administrative leave, it is not a good thing. No, not automatically a bad thing, but normally not a good thing.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. So I don't know how popular Michael Lombardi is around football circles. I'm guessing there's a lot of people, A, speculating as to what it could be. B, happily speculating about what it could be.

[Brandon Scott]

Well, and to the point of not being all that popular, I would say one of the few places where he is in good favor would be with Bill Belichick.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

So if, if he's where. If he's already where he has some of his few advocates on planet Earth or in the football world at least, and he's there being put on administrative leave. I can only imagine what's going on.

[Seth Payne]

How surprised were you when you heard Mike Vrabel say this? Over the weekend, DeAndre Hopkins was spotted at Patriots training camp DeAndre Hopkins, who played in the NFL last year.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And obviously not the same level of player he was at his peak, but. But still presumably good enough to get on a roster somewhere. So he was at Patriots camp and here was Mike Vrabel answering, well, why was DeAndre Hopkins here?

[Brandon Scott]

You know, DeAndre Hopkins is, is here with us kind of in a, you know, just to, just to kind of check things out as far as what

[Seth Payne]

he wants to do as far as

[Brandon Scott]

coaching, and you'll see him on the field and whether that's personnel. And so I use him as an

[Seth Payne]

example because he wasn't the fastest receiver,

[Brandon Scott]

but he had a unbelievable play style and a play strength and a route craft that allowed him to succeed.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, so Vrabel, so the money out of all that is.

[Brandon Scott]

Wow.

[Seth Payne]

DeAndre Hopkins looking at it sounds like looking at various career options here, it's, I think to me the biggest takeaway from that. B. Scott, that, you know, 25 seconds of audio that explained why DeAndre Hopkins was there was that one. Okay. DeAndre Hopkins seems to be operating like somebody who might be done playing, period.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

2.

[Brandon Scott]

Wow.

[Seth Payne]

Coaching for DeAndre Hopkins, a guy who you, depending on who you believe, got traded up and out of here in part because he didn't like to practice. Yes.

[Brandon Scott]

Well, and it's, it's hilarious because it's like he didn't like to practice himself. Doesn't mean he didn't necessarily like attending practice or putting in the extra work. He just didn't want to practice. So it'd be funny if the moment his playing days are over all of a sudden, DeAndre Hopkins is now committed to practices. Yeah, Work and the, the nitty gritty part of the game, but it's a

[Seth Payne]

lot of hours, man.

[Brandon Scott]

I, I thought it, I thought it like this and I talked about this yesterday on the, on the Weekend show with Zach Gilb. I wondered if DeAndre Hopkins is looking at this now. Mind you, he's got a background with variable, obviously, right from both here and in Tennessee. Yep. So. So there's a relationship there. Is DeAndre Hopkins looking at it now as, hey, the only way I'm really going to get on a team is if somebody's injured or if I come parachuting in midway through the year or something to that effect. And so is he just kind of getting a head start in sort of a quasi de facto player coach role?

[Seth Payne]

He likes selling himself a little bit.

[Brandon Scott]

A little bit Selling himself, hedging his bet. Yeah, there's a couple of different ways that you could. Or angles you could take on it. But you understand what I'm saying?

[Seth Payne]

Sure.

[Brandon Scott]

Could this be like his soft landing spot if he does take one last ditch at it? And by the way, it is the team that was in the super bowl last year.

[Seth Payne]

Dude, I hadn't even. I just took it at face value of Rabel was saying. And maybe DeAndre.

[Brandon Scott]

No, it could be. It could be a piece of all of it.

[Seth Payne]

That angle is interesting to me because if he were doing that, it's almost like networking is what he's doing. If that's the case. And I always think networking is smart. Yeah. Always, always, always, always. Networking is smart. So if that's the case, if he's doing it just to maybe get some FaceTime up there, kind of scope out the situation. I think they have needs at wide receiver, the Patriots do. I know they. I know they traded for A.J. brown, but I, you know, they. DeAndre Hopkins might be able to latch on with them.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. I mean, even.

[Seth Payne]

And it's a contender also.

[Brandon Scott]

That's what I'm saying. They were in the super bowl last year. And even if there's nobody on that depth chart that at this stage of his career that DeAndre Hopkins could beat out, I think you can make the case for that. Even if that's true, we understand the war of attrition and injuries. It could be him just kind of waiting there on his moment or his opportunity. Somebody either gets injured or is just not available to play for whatever reason, not productive, whatever it might be. There's DeAndre Hopkins to kind of just take advantage of the opportunity.

[Seth Payne]

Do you think he ends up in coaching?

[Brandon Scott]

This is the part that did surprise me because of what we were saying earlier.

[Seth Payne]

Like, I just say.

[Brandon Scott]

No, I don't strike me as. As like coaching Bob.

[Seth Payne]

No, no. And I'm not.

[Brandon Scott]

I did not see it.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. So you're. You're with me.

[Brandon Scott]

Not at least maybe later on in his retirement life, but like straight off the field to the sideline. No. Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And to his credit, I think it's really smart for him to do due diligence on things like this. I think he's operating in a. In a very intelligent manner, if in a diligent and purposeful. If that's what he's doing, if he's examining it, I just don't know if he's going to examine the hours and go, you know what? That's for me. I mean, DeAndre Hopkins made a ton of money. Yeah, he's made a ton of Money. Um, now I don't know, like, what the options are for DeAndre. I always thought he was a really thoughtful interview. Um, I don't know how great he would be at broadcasting or that's something he's got thoughts about, or if the new wave of what players can do on their own platforms, if he would be good.

[Brandon Scott]

That's what I was going to suggest.

[Seth Payne]

He's had interesting things to say on social media before, like video, like IG Live and things like that. Like, you know, he's, he's, he's an interesting guy. So I think he, to me, if, if I'm picking which side of the, the scale he skews in terms of potential media.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I think he skews towards a yes for me or at least a like, do it and see how it goes. Yeah, he's not a slam dunk or anything like that, but he's also not somebody. I'm like, don't bother. He should try it if he wants to.

[Brandon Scott]

I think that obviously he's DeAndre Hopkins. He's a kind of an alpha in his own regard.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

But I think he fits best as an interesting cast member on a show like, like think. Think of what Pat McAfee has done, what Ryan Clark's doing with the Pivot. Some of you basketball fans out there who, who follow Jeff Teague's podcast and it has a bunch of like, basketball voices on it. I view him as one of those sort of supplemental voices with like a, maybe a more refined host hosting the show, but DeAndre still being one of the stars of the show, but like, whatever. The next generation's version of the Pivot. Yeah. Or you know what? Pat McAfee hit their version of it. I could see him being one of those.

[Seth Payne]

DeAndre would be good. You know, DeAndre and I have a history on social media with each other.

[Brandon Scott]

Oh, yeah, There was a back and forth.

[Seth Payne]

There was a back and forth. Well, it was. And it goes back to his practice habits. Yeah, they reported practice habits here. They didn't like practicing.

[Brandon Scott]

I do remember this.

[Seth Payne]

They didn't. This is when he was on the Titans. And this is. Wow. We're coming up with the anniversary of. This was yesterday.

[Brandon Scott]

Oh, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Yesterday was the three year anniversary of DeAndre Hopkins coming at me on Twitter.

[Brandon Scott]

That's right.

[Seth Payne]

Because I comment tweeted out footage from a titans practice where DeAndre was practicing. And I retweeted it and said, rare footage of DeAndre Hopkins practicing. I didn't tag him. I'm not. I'M not one of those people. Like, you should have tagged him on this. As if there's some level of accountability. I'm like, I think most athletes would rather not be tagged.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Because then they're not subject to all the replies and everything else.

[Brandon Scott]

I think it's actually tacky to tag the. I know people who do it and actually do it by policy. I think it's, it's actually pretty tacky.

[Seth Payne]

Yes.

[Brandon Scott]

Unless you're talking directly to the athlete.

[Seth Payne]

Right, right. So. So, so I'm looking at the headline of an article that says from back in on July 27, 2023. Yeah, that would be. That would be three years ago today. DeAndre Hopkins eviscerates Houston radio host, then deletes it because it was probably a bit much. So I tweeted that DeAndre DeAndre tweet retweets my rare footage tweet and says, just buy my jersey for your wife. At this point, I'm sure she's tired of hearing my name and in your sleep. Pretty good. It's a pretty good D. Then someone else retweeted and said, DeAndre Hopkins just out smacked the five time smack off champion.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah, man.

[Seth Payne]

But then DeAndre deleted it and then he DM'd me and was like, hey, I'm just joking around. It's all good. And I was like, yeah, man, I wasn't mad about it.

[Brandon Scott]

All in good.

[Seth Payne]

Hilarious.

[Brandon Scott]

All in good.

[Seth Payne]

The notoriety is good, man. I actually thank you for punching down.

[Brandon Scott]

I like the fact that he was able to find this without you tagging him, which lets me know that either he or somebody close to him has a search window or a, a, a specific window for his name. Yep.

[Seth Payne]

Mike Vrabel, who we just heard was, we heard that cut quite a bit over the weekend about Hopkins. The other thing Mike Vrabel did that got a lot of run over the weekend was he showed up at the first post practice press conference for Patriots training camp with a puppy dog tucked underneath his arm. Something that we did last year, obviously.

[Brandon Scott]

The first day of training camp was the Partridge program that Dana Kraft implemented last year and was really successful. Did a lot of really good work not only for these dogs, but for the families that adopted them. So I think We've almost got 60 dogs this year. And so if anybody's looking to add to their roster at home, we would love for, for you to be able to adopt these dogs tomorrow.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, so this is apparently part of something called Potriots Sure. Paw treats, which as variable outline this Second year they've done it. There were 60 dogs there. Some of them have been adopted already. The dog he had under his arm could not have been cuter. It was some sort of German shepherd mix, and he had it tucked under his arm.

[Brandon Scott]

A good boy. I'm sure. He's a good boy, I imagine.

[Seth Payne]

And the optics of Rabel with a puppy dog underneath his arm certainly was very wholesome. Just something you feel like a family guy, solid dude, loves his family, loves his wife. Would do. Would have a puppy dog underneath his arm.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. Someone who would never embarrass their kids.

[Seth Payne]

No, no, no. And you know who noticed that? The Internet. The Internet noticed that. So I understand that there is an actual charitable initiative behind this and that Rabel may have done this last year at this time with a puppy dog under his arm. And I had one Patriot fan because I tweeted about this as well. Something the effect of, hey, five star deflection tactic. Dogs are loyal beasts. Also, Vrabel might be able to learn a thing or two from the dog, right?

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So I had some guy come at me. He's like, they did this last year, too. It's called pottery. It's. Might want to delete that tweet, buddy. And I'm like, it was a joke. A, B, I'm not going to delete the tweet. Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

And also, there's a noticeable difference between last year and this year. Might I point that out?

[Seth Payne]

Read the room.

[Brandon Scott]

There we go. There's the sentence.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

Read the room.

[Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Brandon Scott]

So come on, guys.

[Seth Payne]

So, B, Scott, I want to run this past you.

[Brandon Scott]

All right?

[Seth Payne]

So I just feel like. I know there's a lot of Patriot fans, like, hey, man, we're just trying to find homes for all these dogs out here, which I'm an advocate of. I think dogs are awesome. I love dogs. Dogs should live way longer than we live as human beings. They certainly should live way longer than they currently do. Dogs are great. But I do feel like this is part of the infidelity washing that's going on with Mike Rabel. Going on right now.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. So a few weeks back. A few weeks back, there was some pushback on. I'm trying to remember which athlete it was, but there was an athlete that brought his son or brought there. Maybe. Maybe it was Embiid. Joel Embiid or some. It was somebody who.

[Seth Payne]

Joel Embiid brought his son to a press conference after they got knocked out of the playoffs.

[Brandon Scott]

And it was like a controversy. I know you were on the side of hey, this is weak. Don't do that. Because it makes people a little bit less likely to be harsh on you when you're sitting up there with your kid. Yep, I know. Nick Wright was one of the national pundits who was on that. I've got far less of an issue with bringing your actual child, your flesh and blood child, to the podium as I do a dog. Like, I think you can make excuses for, hey, my kid. My kid really wanted to be with me at this. Really. And also, don't let my kid keep you from holding my feet to the fire like that. Like, to me, none of that should have anything to do with the other. Just because my kid is sitting up there.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, so you think what Vrabel did, a dog is worse than what? But a dog, that's what. Don't make me argue like a Patriot fan arguing with me yesterday. I mean, it was. There was a component that was tied. He didn't just randomly bring a dog up there.

[Brandon Scott]

What I'm saying is that's worse. That's even more of a deflection.

[Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Brandon Scott]

Because, I mean, because what is the dog up there for? You can get up there and talk about this charity or this. This. This charitable cause, this thing that you're doing for the community, but you come up there with a. With just some random mutt, some random dog, and you've been going through everything you've been going through throughout the off season. Come on. That's a clear deflection.

[Seth Payne]

Let's rapid fire these real quick. Okay. I've got six things that Vrabel has done to cheat, wash his reputation. Okay.

[Brandon Scott]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

Rate these on a scale of 1 to 5 in effectiveness, skipping the third day of the draft to, go to, quote, rehab.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. That's going to be two.

[Seth Payne]

That's a two for you.

[Brandon Scott]

That's a two. That's a two.

[Seth Payne]

Five meaning this. It's a sincere boy. It makes me feel different about Vrabel. 1. You're rolling your eyes.

[Brandon Scott]

Rolling my eyes because what day of the draft? The third day of the draft. All right.

[Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Brandon Scott]

So that's a solid two.

[Seth Payne]

Number two, when he got to Utah to do that rehab, which I guess seemingly took place that they have a place in Utah, I think, and it involved his family. There was that video of him buying his wife, like some sort of hoodie or something at the. At the gift shop at the airport there. One to five.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. Now that's going to be closer to a four.

[Seth Payne]

Four. So that's.

[Brandon Scott]

Well, because he embarrassed that woman in public. She needs a hoodie. She needs a costume, a kind of disguise.

[Seth Payne]

And that didn't feel staged either. No, it was like somebody seeing Vrabel in the airport. And we don't even know. He might have been buying the hoodie for himself, but people, the color of it looked very girly.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Okay. The photo afterwards of him entering the patriots headquarters the day he got back from rehab. You know, pep in his step, but a little bit of gravitas kind of walking in one to five.

[Brandon Scott]

We're back down to the two.

[Seth Payne]

Back down to the two. Okay. A little phony. Yeah. Fugazi.

[Brandon Scott]

All right.

[Seth Payne]

The family photos at his son's engagement party. Whole family together. New daughter in law, soon to be daughter in law. Everybody. All kumbaya.

[Brandon Scott]

I'm going to get closer to the four on them, and it's to leak

[Seth Payne]

them out on social media.

[Brandon Scott]

Let me go 3.5 on this. Okay, 3.5 on this. Because I think that is a legitimate effort to kind of rectify things or reconcile with his family to whatever degree he needs to do that. Yeah, I think that that's legitimate.

[Seth Payne]

The video of him getting into the limo with his wife before the Taylor Swift Travis Kelce wedding, Man, he was

[Brandon Scott]

leaving that woman in his dust. Like, I don't know how to judge that video.

[Seth Payne]

I. That video, to me, what's going on there, that's almost more damaging. He. He quickly got into the limo before she did.

[Brandon Scott]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

Didn't even help her in or anything.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. And somebody made the excuse. Well, you know, if you've been in a limo, you want to scoot to the other side so she doesn't have to climb over you. I could see that. But at least you want to hold her hand or dress or you would think there's some kind of. Feels like there's some chivalry that should be happening there.

[Seth Payne]

That was not okay the last one. I think I know you're great on this one. Puppy dog at press conference.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah, that's at a one.

[Seth Payne]

That's a one.

[Brandon Scott]

That's at a one for me.

[Seth Payne]

Dog boy. That's an interesting take. You're. You're you.

[Brandon Scott]

That's where you.

[Seth Payne]

You are better with people bringing their little children to a losing press conference after the playoffs.

[Brandon Scott]

I might not even notice the child. Maybe because I'm a dad, too.

[Seth Payne]

So.

[Brandon Scott]

So I'm just gonna be like, whatever with the kid. I'm gonna look strai.

[Seth Payne]

Journalists, too. You know, sometimes you get the air quote journals that are there, that are more there, kind of like. Like the ones that would bury the Kyle Shanahan crashing their car.

[Brandon Scott]

Right, right.

[Seth Payne]

The ones that are there to kind of play the game a little bit.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. I would have rather have not known about the Kyle Shanahan thing at all than to have been asked to bury it.

[Seth Payne]

Exactly.

[Brandon Scott]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

Exactly.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. All right.

[Seth Payne]

Pain and pender gas. Brandon Scott in for Seth Payne. All right. Speaking of which, vehicular issues in the NFL over the weekend, if you have not found this mug shot yet, you need to find it for purposes of this segment. You need this in front of you. I don't often do this. This segment requires visual aid. Pull up Google. Tony Romo latte for Keenan.

[Brandon Scott]

That's me.

[Seth Payne]

Hey, you're.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Buying a car online on autotrader.

[Brandon Scott]

Really? But unlike other sites, you can start online, test drive with a local dealer, then finish online or at the dealership.

[Seth Payne]

Really? Wait, are you.

[Brandon Scott]

Yep. Able to finish in person without starting the process over. Really? Your info stays with you every step of the way. Cool. Enjoy. It's Keenan Thompson. Buy your car online on autotrader. Really?

[Seth Payne]

As the U.S. men's National Team takes center stage at a home World cup, make sure you're listening to call it what you want, part of the CBS Sports podcast network where you can join me. I'm Jim Jimmy Conrad alongside Charlie Davies, Tony Miola, Marcelo Balboa, and Benny Fieldhaber throughout this tournament for previews, instant reactions

[Brandon Scott]

and analysis of every US Match.

[Seth Payne]

Then all summer, we're back every Tuesday

[Brandon Scott]

and Thursday covering all things U.S. men's National Team.

[Seth Payne]

Download and follow. Call it what you want on Apple

[Brandon Scott]

podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your

[Seth Payne]

podcasts, a mug shot for this next segment. Sports Radio 610 presents live from the West Point Lincoln and West West Point Lincoln of Sugar Land Studios. Here's pain and Pendergast. Scott and I during the break, just came to the conclusion that there's no choice. We have to pender poll this. This Tate Ted that you and I got into in the previous segment. B. Scott thinks that Rabel bringing a puppy dog to a press conference is worse than Joel Embiid bringing his kid to a press conference.

[Brandon Scott]

Much worse.

[Seth Payne]

Much worse.

[Brandon Scott]

Much worse to me. Cause to me, it's more deliberate. I think that the child thing, it could be on purpose. It could also just be how Joel Embiid gets down. Some people get down. I've seen children at press conferences before. Now, I want to be clear. I think it's inappropriate either way. It ain't really for me. To decide it's not my kid, but I just. I don't think it's appropriate either way. Whether it's a positive, a win, a loss, you're going to get scrutinized or not. I just don't think it's great. But it's up to that parent to do whatever they want. I don't think it's that big of a deal. What is the dog thing to me is a clear and obvious deliberate attempt to pr.

[Seth Payne]

Mike Frable has been through a lot. What if it's a support dog? What if it's an emotional support dog and he has to carry that out over the course of the rest of his life?

[Brandon Scott]

I'd like to be the journalist that goes, hey, Mike, what's the. What ptsd. What are you suffering from?

[Seth Payne]

If you looked at the. Was it the tabloids the last five months?

[Brandon Scott]

What's the trauma?

[Seth Payne]

Look at the. If you looked at the tabloids, dude, Rabel having to carry a support dog around under his arm at training camp would be hilarious because there's no more hands on. There's no more hands on head coach than Mike Vrabel.

[Brandon Scott]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

He puts on that linebacker vest.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And he gets in there and does the drills with guys.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. He'll go out there and bleed with you.

[Seth Payne]

Can you imagine it?

[Brandon Scott]

It comes down to it, having to

[Seth Payne]

do that with, you know, with. With the dog underneath his arm or

[Brandon Scott]

Rabel going over to DeAndre Hopkins, like, hey, DeAndre, can you hold my dog?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

Can you hold my dog while I battle with the offensive lineman?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, that's. That'll be the job DeAndre has. You know, I don't really want to coach, but if you need someone to hold your dog when you do linebacker drills, I'm your guy.

[Brandon Scott]

Just the visual. The video of Vrabel handing over the little pup to DeAndre Hopkins.

[Seth Payne]

Chat GPT project.

[Brandon Scott]

Two guys with these massive hands just palming. Palming the little pup. Palming the little pup.

[Seth Payne]

You're dismissing the possibility that it's an emotional support dog for a guy who's been through a lot?

[Brandon Scott]

No, it's inflicted.

[Seth Payne]

That's the part.

[Brandon Scott]

It's like, why, though? Why is it that you are a former linebacker? Slash. Like just badass defensive player who used to do car crashes, Human car crashes. And the most trauma you've had in this game is the summer where you get revealed as a philanderer.

[Seth Payne]

Right, right, right. Okay, so I've got the Tony Romo mug shot in front of me right now. Headline, Tony Romo busted for OWI in Milwaukee. Operating while intoxicated. Yes. Not operating on a person. I think Tony Romo will be the last person I'd like to see as the. Is the ether kicks in.

[Brandon Scott]

Here we go, Jim.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. You're getting ready for an important surgery.

[Brandon Scott]

It's a triple bypass.

[Seth Payne]

The last face you see is the. This one right here. Yeah. So no opera. He was operating a motor vehicle. He failed a bunch of sobriety tests. Apparently Tony Romo did with that face.

[Brandon Scott]

No way.

[Seth Payne]

We. I asked you this question earlier. I cannot remember. I. I'll be honest with you. When I see these celebrities get DWIs and things like that, I'm not somebody whose mind goes to oh, like rubbing my hands. I can't wait to see the body now when the body cam comes out. I do enjoy watching it from time to time. You know, some are more entertaining than others. This is the first one I can think of in my life where I am going to be hitting refresh on TMZ to see when this thing drops. Tony Romo is. He's. He's so off kilter on these broadcasts. I can only imagine what failed sobriety tests look like for him.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. So just assuming that Tony Romo is on the air when he's doing these CBS broadcast, that he's sober when we're listening to him on the regular. What does. To your question, what does he sound like when he's unable to properly operate a vehicle?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

When it's bad enough for him to be failing sobriety tests, taking mug shots where he's looking like that.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

Getting charged and arrested and all of that. Like what? What does that version of Tony Romo look and sound like? And then what does that version of Tony Romo look and sound like when confronted with the possibility of going to jail? That.

[Seth Payne]

Do you think that as he was doing the test that he was looking around for Gene Steritor trying to find out what the rules are?

[Brandon Scott]

Gene? I don't know. Gene. Gene, what do you think? Gene?

[Seth Payne]

Gene, Are they allowed to ask me to stand on one leg and recite the Alphabet backwards?

[Brandon Scott]

Gene, there's only one. All right, Jim. There's only one way to find out. How many times did Tony Romos voice crack in this encounter with the police in Wisconsin?

[Seth Payne]

Tony Romo seems like a super nice guy. He's. His performance as a broadcaster has not been to the level it was that earned him 18 million a year. And he earned that. He was really good his first couple of years.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And it feels like his performance has dropped off. I thought this. You know, I don't. They've got several years still left of Tony Romo on that contract. Multiple years still left, and he is making big money. He's the best thing to ever happen to guys like Troy Aikman and Chris Collinsworth and other A list guys.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Who are on A teams for their various NFL media contracts.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Tony Romo reset the market, so that was really cool for them. But I wonder if there's any sort of clause in his contract, like, CBS has got to be looking for an opening here with Romo to, like, not have to pay him $18 million. I feel. I just feel like his performance has gone backwards. And. And I would also say J.J. watt would never.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

J.J. watt would never.

[Brandon Scott]

Just gonna say that not only would J.J. watt never. Which I think is the most important

[Seth Payne]

part here, especially in Wisconsin.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. Of all places.

[Seth Payne]

J.J. find a way to get out of that.

[Brandon Scott]

Wisconsin's native son. Like, one of their best. Yeah. To. To. They're one of their best products. Like, you figure if there are guys that.

[Seth Payne]

Tony Romo's from Wisconsin, we should point that out.

[Brandon Scott]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

But.

[Brandon Scott]

But you figured he'd be on this list, too, like J.J. watt, Tony Romo, a current athlete. Tyrese Halliburton. Like, there are certain guys that are.

[Seth Payne]

How many did Brett Favre get away with back in the day? Probably.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. Like, Wisconsin heroes should be able. Like, how bad must it have been? Did you hit a stop sign?

[Seth Payne]

Right.

[Brandon Scott]

Were there pedestrians that barely escaped your wrath?

[Seth Payne]

Can you imagine? Can you imagine if they. They're like, okay, we have body cam, so we've got to do something to test you. So this is what we're going to do. We know, Tony, that you're the lead analyst on cbs. We're just going to give you some really easy NFL questions, and all you got to do is answer them and. And we'll let you go. And they ask him things like, who's the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills?

[Brandon Scott]

Oh, come on. And he's asking for Gene.

[Seth Payne]

Can I call him Gene?

[Brandon Scott]

Can I call Jim?

[Seth Payne]

Jim. Joe Ferguson, the.

[Brandon Scott]

Nathan Peterman.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Nathan. Peter. Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

Is Ryan Fitzpatrick still there?

[Seth Payne]

Dude. Yeah. Tony Romo, man.

[Brandon Scott]

Nah, that's. That's not great. Well, I would point out, too, though, since you mentioned jj, not only would he not do this, but Tony Romo started getting all that money and became their top guy before JJ retired. Right. Before JJ became what he is now as a broadcaster. And I think very quickly, very promptly, J.J. watt became very good at this. And I would say, like, objectively, not just because I'm a Texans fan or because we know JJ a little bit and all that and covered him and all of that. I think JJ is just better at it than Tony Romo.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

So could this be a reason with that on top of this?

[Seth Payne]

That's my point.

[Brandon Scott]

Be a justification for. You know what, Tony, we've appreciated you. I guess you're still going to get your money or whatever it is, however the contract lays out. But we're going to make JJ our top guy.

[Seth Payne]

This is the tricky thing about this though. If you're talking about moving a guy from the B team to the A team. And B team is not an insult by any means when it comes to this. We're talking about CBS and they've got like seven announce crews. You're number two. And J.J. watts been doing this for like, you know, two years.

[Brandon Scott]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

Really a year plus a game. Studio first. He's in studio first year.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah. Right.

[Seth Payne]

And even on that was on a part time basis.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

JJ's gotten really good at this really fast. And so the thing I would hate, though would be for them to break up J.J. watt and Ian Eagle. You know, like if. Cause if you, if you did a move to the A team and we're totally speculating here, like, we're probably way out over our skis.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

But I think we both like JJ better as an announcer than Tony Romo. So it's fun to kind of kick around a little bit and stop driving drunk. That's what I would say. And then we won't talk about it. Yeah, but. But Jim Nance probably isn't going anywhere as the A team guy. And I just, I don't know. I like ian Eagle and J.J. watt have such good chemistry together. And I think Ian Eagle is in the. I think he's the best that CBS has. Him and Kevin Harland, I think are the best that CBS has. And so I would love to see them as a team collectively bumped up.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I think Jim Nance is still really good.

[Brandon Scott]

I do too.

[Seth Payne]

I enjoy Ian Eagle and Kevin Harland a little bit more.

[Brandon Scott]

You are, you are preaching to the choir. Yeah, I, I think that a. An Iron Eagle, J.J. watt, Wally Pipping of the Gym Nance, Tony Romo combination.

[Seth Payne]

Can you imagine?

[Brandon Scott]

I would be absolutely fine with. Nobody's asking me and I'm not the TV executive expert or anything, but that's just my personal preference. I would prefer both of them over the A team that they have Now

[Seth Payne]

Nance already feels like he's a little annoyed by Tony Romo during broadcast.

[Brandon Scott]

Oh, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Can you imagine if Romo became the reason that they as a pairing got bumped down to the B team and they bumped up Iron Eagle and J.J.

[Brandon Scott]

watt and he stuck with like Texans Jags games.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Brandon Scott]

You know, AFC south games as opposed to whatever the, you know, the 3

[Seth Payne]

o' clock JJ is. Is JJ undefeated on Texan games as a commentator?

[Brandon Scott]

I believe he is.

[Seth Payne]

The one time I saw JJ at a game this past year was at the. We were coming out of the two different elevators in the lobby after that comeback against the Jags.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And it was funny because JJ was saying to me, like, because they do. He does interviews like on CBS hq. I think he does like different post game interviews on different CBS platforms to talk about the games.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah, they were motor, man, he was

[Seth Payne]

like, man, he's like, I had all my, I had all my material ready to go and then the Texans pull this fourth quarter comeback.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I'm like, yeah, that's called tearing up the rundown in our business. Yeah, it was a tear up the rundown moment.

[Brandon Scott]

Tearing up the rundown for writers having to hit control, alt delete on your whole story that you've had pre written ready to publish when the clock hits zero. He's. That's the business.

[Seth Payne]

He's really good. He's really good at what he does. All right. Pain and pender gas. B. Scott in for Seth Payne coming up next. Let's circle back to the Rockets. All right, so the. The NBA off season now is finally settling in a little bit here. We'll probably get a schedule pretty soon. What exactly are the Rockets right now on the board and of the. Of the future, LeBron James matchups, which are the ones we as just NBA fans in general are most excited to see. That's coming up next. I'll tell you who I'm excited to see every time I get to go see him. Sports Radio 610 presents live from the

[Brandon Scott]

West Point Lincoln and West Point Lincoln

[Seth Payne]

of Sugar Land Studios. Here's Pain and Pendergast. All right, so Byron, Byron Matthews, our producer today did the thing that good producers do. He heard one of the hosts saying, I'm not sure what JJ's record is as an analyst in games involving the Texans. He went and looked it up. Byron, would you care to share that information with us?

[Brandon Scott]

Yes. JJ is four. No.

[Seth Payne]

Okay. For the Tech when he calls Texans

[Brandon Scott]

games, the games that he called was the win against the Ravens 44 to 10.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, okay. Okay. Lucky. He's lucky. He caught that one with no Lamar Jackson, probably. Latte for Keenan.

[Brandon Scott]

That's me.

[Seth Payne]

Hey, you're.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Buying a car online on autotrader.

[Brandon Scott]

Really? But unlike other sites, you can start online, test drive with a local dealer, then finish online or at the dealership.

[Seth Payne]

Cool. Enjoy.

[Brandon Scott]

Buy your car online on autotrader. Really?

[Seth Payne]

Have you ever felt like you were

[Brandon Scott]

living just a B or B plus life?

[Seth Payne]

It's so dangerous to live that. More dangerous than a B or a C life?

[Brandon Scott]

Because when you're living a B or

[Seth Payne]

B life, you don't change it.

[Brandon Scott]

You think it's good enough?

[Seth Payne]

Is it? I'm Susie Welch.

[Brandon Scott]

I host a podcast called Becoming you.

[Seth Payne]

People think okay, an A life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to becoming you wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brandon Scott]

Come back against Jacksonville.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, that's a game I saw him at. Okay. Yep. And then I think both Colts games. Oh yeah, definitely one of the Colts games and probably both. Okay.

[Brandon Scott]

Really good.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, gotcha. And there's a lot of. There's a big potential to get JJ on games early in the season because they play a lot of noon Sunday games. Yeah. Early in the season.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Now the schedule goes haywire in the back end of the season with all those cold weather games. You got a couple Thursday games in there. You got a Monday game with the GR with Green Bay. But if I'm not mistaken, other than the London game, the other five, the other six games before the bi week are all noon Sunday games.

[Brandon Scott]

So it's cool. Cause JJ, obviously the. The Texans have good fortune when JJ's out there. So like Byron mentions that Ravens game, of course they were fortunate that Lamar Jackson wasn't playing. It wasn't just Lamar Jackson. They had a bunch of guys missing in that game. That's also before the Texans had really hit their stride for real. For real. Last season. So that's pretty cool. But I'll shout out JJ one more time on this broadcasting point. It's not that. It's not just that he's really good. It's not just that the Texans have been successful when he's been out there. But I've noticed this online how the fan bases of the opposing teams, specifically the Colts fans, who expect there to be some back and forth or a little bit of animosity for Texans. Great calling the game and the, you know, against the Colts of all teams. And they to a man, seem like to really respect how JJ Goes out there, calls it like it is, tells it like it is, and is objectively really good at it.

[Seth Payne]

If anything, Texan fans are mad that he's not more biased. Yeah, there's more Texan fans upset with JJ Playing it down the middle.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Then there are Colts fans or the opposing team's fans upset that he isn't playing it down the middle. So that probably says a lot about how he's doing as a broadcaster, which is very, very good. All right, so the dust is settling a little bit now in the NBA off season. Now that LeBron, who's certainly not the LeBron that he was the last time he was making decisions like this one, where is he going to play?

[Brandon Scott]

But.

[Seth Payne]

But he is still a domino that needs to fall before the schedule gets put together. He still, obviously, as the Rockets learned the hard way, an effective basketball player. Yes, they learned that in the postseason. But as far as the Rockets go, okay, now we're Campbell be here before we know it. We're less than two months away from the Rockets being at their training camp. We're less than two days away. The from the Texans are two days and 14 minutes away. I guess. Excited, excited. Excitement level, though. B. Scott for the Rockets and of all the things that they've got going for them, because this article in the Ringer by Michael Pena that dropped last week, basically asking the question, why are people not talking about the Rockets as a title contender when a year ago at this time they were being discussed that way? And the one thing that seemed to really damage their season, losing Fred Van Vliet and losing Steven Adams as well. I'd add to that, they lost him in season. Those things are both rectified. Both guys are healthy, and now they're old, but they're healthy and coming back. What is within the context of competing for an NBA championship, what is the best thing the Rockets have going for them in your mind?

[Brandon Scott]

Oh, the best thing that they have going for him is definitely Kevin Durant. And the idea that Kevin Durant could still play in an all NBA level. Now, is it a lot to ask of somebody to do it at age 37 and then do it again at age 38, which is what you would be asking Kevin Durant to do this upcoming season? Yeah, that's a. That is a tough ask and I think a risky proposition. But to be clear, it's the best thing that they got going for him, unless you believe a little bit more in Alpern Shingoon as the All Star. That's going to become the superstar or if you believe that Amin Thompson is going to develop a 15 to 20 foot jump shot or God forbid, a three point shot or just any kind of offensive profile to speak of, aside from being physically superior than the next guy who's guarding them. Yeah, I don't, I don't know how you can hang your hat on that, on anything beyond or more than the greatness of Kevin Durant.

[Seth Payne]

The, the article that I'm referencing really goes over the top on Fred Van Vliet as some sort of force multiplier. In what? In. In so much as, hey, you're getting Fred Van Vliet back. We don't know what the knee looks like. We don't know what he looks like. He's older. We do know what he means to the team in terms of leadership. And I think one of the things we learned last year because Van Vliet was around the team all the time.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah, he was.

[Seth Payne]

Is that it's different providing leadership sitting in street clothes than it is being the floor general out there. Yeah. It's just two different things. And one really cannot impact as much as you had hoped it would.

[Brandon Scott]

You know, dude, if, if Fred Van Vliet is playing and healthy, the game for collapse doesn't happen.

[Seth Payne]

Right.

[Brandon Scott]

Where Jabari Smith Jr. Just gives the ball to Marcus Smart and, and LeBron just taps the ball back. Taps the ball out of Reed Shepherd's head.

[Seth Payne]

Marcus Smart.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Our new friend. Yeah. Oh, man.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah, man. Ah, that doesn't happen with Fred Van Vliet.

[Seth Payne]

No, it doesn't. Well, and the point that Pina is kind of making in here is like, look, you're getting Fred Van Vliet back and we'll see what that is. But you've got at least two or three guys are, that are being asked to play normal roles again. It's a little, it's a little bit like what the Texans, I think are getting in David Montgomery. 100% is they're getting David Montgomery, but they're getting a better version of Woody Marks. Woody Marks is going to play in character with this team. With the Rockets, I think you can cite at least two, maybe more guys, but at the very least, Amen Thompson and Alper and Shen should be asked to do things that they're much more comfortable with. There was a, a number for Shengun that I had seen. Yeah, here it is. Two years ago, 70% of Sengun's mid range game was. 70% of his made field goals were assisted. You know, in other words, came within the flow of an offense. This year it was half that. It was 36%. Which when you start to visualize a Rocket, games look like if someone's asking me to translate that for them. What that means is Alperin Shengun is taking the ball, facing up and going into business for himself. Backing guys down, ball faking seven times in the lane and, and against bigger guys, sometimes getting a shot sent back at him. And if you're a Rocket fan, hearing me say that, you're like, oh, that's right. Yeah, he did do that a lot this past year. Yeah, that go that, that. I would assume we're back to something much closer to 70%.

[Brandon Scott]

So one of the biggest issues of last year, right. And we talked about it going in once we knew that Fred Van Vliet was going to miss the season. The Shin hub. This has been a buzz topic amongst like the Rockets community. Well, I guess it's just gonna be more shinhub and by proxy, Shingoon is gonna sort of play some of the point guard duties. Yeah, but that ain't great like that. That is not ideal. Like one of the more infuriating parts of the season. And I would talk about this whenever I would get the opportunity on any platform I could. If I see another Shingoon isolation from five feet past the three point line, where he's just dribbling and dribbling and backing it down and backing it down and it's like, why is this happening? Why are two things happening? Why is Kevin Durant bringing the ball up the floor? Oh, I get it. They don't have a point guard. Why is Shingoon isolating from the three point line? Oh, I get it. Because they don't have a point guard. To your point, having Fred Van Vliet out there should mitigate some of these things. I think what the playoffs did expose though was just that they were overly reliant on that. Like even these guys that you're going to slide into more like role player type of vibes. Role player type of stuff. Like Reed shepherd for example, well, he can't shoot 29, 30% from three or whatever the hell it was in the playoffs. Right. Like that. That part of it still has to be better. Jabari Smith Jr. Has to still be consistent hitting the wide open shots that he gets. Same thing with Tari Eason. These guys have to still star in those roles with or without Fred Van Vliet, who is supposed to fix a lot of things for them. But I think the issue for a lot of people and not viewing the Rockets in that way is that not having Fred exposed the Rockets to not be as good in some areas as maybe we thought they were.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, shifting gears real quick. LeBron James. I'm excited to see LeBron, you know, come here in a six year uniform. It'll be something different as a Rocket fan.

[Brandon Scott]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

I think there's matchups, and this is why Adam Silver was waiting to put the schedule together. There are some pretty sexy fresh matchups for LeBron. LeBron hasn't been in the Eastern Conference since 2018.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So there's some fresh. And I know everybody plays everybody throughout the year, but in terms of playing them frequently and playing them in games that mean something in marquee matchups. Marquee matchups. We get some good ones. You tell me of these five of these five, then they're not all east versus, you know, they're not all Eastern Conference foes. But of these five, which one you as a basketball fan are most excited to see involving LeBron.

[Brandon Scott]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

Sixers, Knicks, Sixers, Celtics, Sixers, Lakers, Sixers, Cavs, Sixers, Heat. Yeah, I got mine.

[Brandon Scott]

So I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go Lakers and Celtics because those are the former teams of the.

[Seth Payne]

You gotta pick one of the guy.

[Brandon Scott]

Oh, I thought I was ranking. So I'll just.

[Seth Payne]

I'll just go pick the one that gets you.

[Brandon Scott]

Lakers, Lakers, Lakers.

[Seth Payne]

Why?

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah, for. For some admittedly cultural reasons.

[Seth Payne]

Okay.

[Brandon Scott]

Somebody. One of my favorite. We were doing this earlier favorite tweets. Somebody called it like Sixers versus Lakers. Somebody called it Brown versus Board of Education. Yeah. And I'm like, I can't unsee it.

[Seth Payne]

I can't.

[Brandon Scott]

I'm sorry.

[Seth Payne]

I know it is an interesting coincidence

[Brandon Scott]

to the Lakers strategy. And on top of that, it's going to be good basketball. So I want to see it.

[Seth Payne]

I'm sorry, mine is. Mine is the Cavs. Because I think there's a distinct possibility that, that we see some booing of a guy who's not only from there, but won a championship for them a decade ago.

[Brandon Scott]

You think the.

[Seth Payne]

You think the Cleveland fans are gonna think there's some. There's some that are upset about this thing. There's some that feel like they got dragged around by the nose in this process.

[Brandon Scott]

Hot take. If. If more than 50 people boo LeBron James from the. From Cleveland, the Cav should be relegated. I mean, after that, three. One thing from 10 years ago, like, they can't say anything to LeBron James ever. Again, not, not, not him.

[Seth Payne]

There's. There's a lot of people put out by the way he handled his business on this one up there. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just telling you that seems to be how it is.

[Brandon Scott]

You want to talk about being ungrateful?

[Seth Payne]

Right.

[Brandon Scott]

The best thing that happened to Cleveland sports. Unless you got something else, right? I know Miles Garrett's amazing, but he didn't win him no championship.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, no.

[Brandon Scott]

The best thing to happen to Cleveland sports by a mile for most of our lifetime. Yeah. What are we doing?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, that's. That's just. That's me kind of reading things a little bit. And again, I'm saying it would be a very small portion of the audience, but I. But they would be very vocal, too. Yeah. I could see they burn a jersey outside of the stadium.

[Brandon Scott]

These are all really good options. But I like where you're going here. Like the idea that Cleveland would be so beside itself. Yeah. That he didn't come back for a third time.

[Seth Payne]

Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The possibility of it. The possibility of it.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And that James Harden is somehow in the storyline as well.

[Brandon Scott]

Shouldn't they be more mad at him? Yeah. Or the team for bringing him in. That was the thing that kept him from getting.

[Seth Payne]

Probably so.

[Brandon Scott]

From getting LeBron or not trading for Jalen Brown.

[Seth Payne]

All right, speaking of being. Being mad, which of the names that have been revealed so far in The NFL top 100 at quarterback has C.J. stroud seen and gone? Oh, come on. Come on, man. Cause I don't think CJ's getting in there. We're down to 50. We'll go through the names. I've also got the names I think still are going to make it if this many quarterbacks are thought of as better than CJ Stroud. Wow.

[Brandon Scott]

All right, Latte for Keenan. That's me.

[Seth Payne]

Hey, you're.

[Brandon Scott]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Buying a car online on Auto Trader.

[Brandon Scott]

Really? But unlike other sites, you can start online, test drive with a local dealer, then finish online or at the dealership.

[Seth Payne]

Really? Wait, are you.

[Brandon Scott]

Yep, it's Keenan. Able to finish in person without starting the process over. Really? Your info stays with you every step of the way. Cool.

[Seth Payne]

Enjoy.

[Brandon Scott]

It's Keenan Thompson. Buy your car online on Autotrader. Really? Hi, my name is Lloyd Lockridge and I'm the host of a new podcast from Odyssey called Family Lore. In this podcast, I'm going to have people on to tell unusual and sometimes far fetched stories about their families.

[Seth Payne]

I've heard my whole life that she invented the margarita.

[Brandon Scott]

And then we're going to investigate those stories and find out how much of it is true.

[Seth Payne]

He gets a patent one month before the Wright Brothers. Oh, my God.

[Brandon Scott]

Please follow and listen to family Lore An Odyssey podcast, available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows.