Who is the Texans’ most important newcomer?

Summary

Payne & Pendergast – Episode Summary

Podcast: Payne & Pendergast
Date: July 24, 2026
Episode Theme: Who is the Texans’ Most Important Newcomer?

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Overview

This episode of Houston’s essential sports talk podcast, Payne & Pendergast, sees Sean Pendergast joined by Brandon Scott (filling in for vacationing Seth Payne). As the city gears up for Texans training camp, the duo dives deep into which offseason addition will be most crucial for Houston’s NFL team. Along the way, they share personal stories, banter about sports celebrity, give their takes on Astros and Rockets news, and tease future excitement in Houston sports media.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Friday Vibes, Astros Positivity, and Side Stories

Timestamps: 00:16 – 14:00

• Opening banter: Sean celebrates Friday and being in a good mood thanks to Astros’ recent upswing and an impending staycation at the Post Oak Hotel. Brandon agrees, noting the energy heading into training camp.
• Personal anecdotes: Sean relates being mistaken for Houston’s Mayor John Whitmire at Carrabba’s (“All bald men look alike to some people.” – Sean, [04:37]), spinning his low-key celebrity moment into a humorous segue about local fame.
• Astros recent success:
  • Astros sweep the Marlins and stand at “50 and 54, two games back.” ([13:22])
  • Historical context: Only two MLB teams have overcome a 47–54 record to make the postseason, highlighting the Astros’ uphill battle.
  • “That shocked me,” Sean says about the rarity of such a comeback. ([14:48])
• Long season talk: The hosts discuss at what point a baseball season ceases to be “early,” agreeing it’s about now—after 104 games ([16:22]).

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2. Texans Training Camp: “Who is the Most Important Newcomer?”

Timestamps: 20:00 – 32:10

• Context: 5 days to Texans training camp, with expectations high after a surprise playoff run last year.
• Framing the newcomer question:
  • Brandon sets the stakes: “That’s what training camp is largely about. The newness… what is this team going to look like compared to last year?” ([22:59])
  • Newcomers defined as rookies, free agents, or trade acquisitions who weren’t on the team for their playoff loss.
• Newcomer Candidates Rolled Out:
  • Rookies: Keelan Rutledge, Kaden McDonald (with Marlon Klein as a deep wild card).
  • Free agents: Wyatt Teller (LG), Braden Smith (OL), Reed Blankenship (S), others.
  • Trade: David Montgomery (RB), Martin Mapu (LB).
• Sean's pick: David Montgomery (RB)
  • Reasoning: “If something happens to Montgomery, depth is a real issue… you’re right back to last year’s situation.” ([26:52])
  • Emphasizes his leadership and projected on-field impact.
• Brandon’s pick: Wyatt Teller (LG)
  • Reasoning: Offensive line has no “contingency plan” if Teller falters or gets hurt. “I don’t know who the left guard is if something happens to Wyatt Teller or if he’s not any good. That’s the PTSD I don’t need.” ([28:24])
  • Teller’s “ripple effect”: A strong left guard can stabilize both the center (Rutledge) and left tackle (Ursary).
• Runner-up Discusssion: Center (Rutledge), RB (Montgomery), and LG (Teller) seen as the true vital trio of Texans’ newcomers.
• Honorable mentions:
  • Reed Blankenship’s defensive impact, though “repair of the offensive side of the football is the most important thing.”
  • Tank Dell mentioned by listeners but ruled out (“not a newcomer”). ([27:14])
• Fun segment: Speculation on who could be the next Pro Bowl lineman for Houston – “There have only been four Pro Bowl offensive linemen in the history of the Texans” ([31:37]).

Memorable Quotes – Main Segment

• Brandon: “Training camp is about the newness… What’s this team going to look like?” ([22:59])
• Sean: “David Montgomery is my answer… because I think he’s going to be excellent for this football team in the locker room and on the field.” ([27:05])
• Brandon: “I don’t know who the left guard is if something happens to Wyatt Teller or if he’s not any good. That’s the PTSD I don’t need.” ([28:24])

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3. Astros & White Sox Series + MLB Commentary

Timestamps: 32:10 – 36:40

• Astros:
  • “50 and 54, two games back” in AL West; division and Wild Card standings discussed.
  • “If you’re in Alvin, you got nothing to worry about” in reference to upcoming radio frequency changes. ([42:28])
• Chicago White Sox:
  • “Surprisingly good… this isn’t fool’s gold”—White Sox are 54–47 and leading AL Central.
  • B. Scott’s family ties to Gary, IN and old Comiskey Park flavor the baseball nostalgia. ([35:34])
• Sean: “This is a good litmus test, because these are supposed to be the good teams in the American League. How do you stack up against those?” ([34:16])

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4. Rockets & NBA – Jayshawn Tate Returns, Injury Uncertainty

Timestamps: 36:40 – 41:17

• Rockets re-sign Jayshawn Tate:
  • Hosts joke about his role: “He is a role player’s role player. He is in the NBA on blood, sweat, and tears.” ([37:17])
• Rockets’ 2026 outlook:
  • Depth and age are newfound concerns: “They are still so reliant on the old guys… I question if that is the proper approach.” ([38:34])
  • Stephen Adams’ durability (“really important, but he’s been injured a lot”) and Fred VanVleet (now post-injury) are particular worries.
  • “You will have to load manage this guy [VanVleet]… not because of wussification, just because of biology.” ([40:36])
• Western Conference landscape: Rockets “in a tier below” San Antonio and OKC, but competitive with the rest.
• Speculation: Team win total pegged around 51; previous years were 52 ([41:47]).
• Teased topic for next hour: A bold prediction from a former Rocket about LeBron James and Houston.

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5. Personality, Humor, and Houston Sports Life

Notable throughout — especially 04:34 – 13:00, 37:17 – 38:34

• Sean and B. Scott’s relatable banter and local references (“If I was mayor, there’d be tax breaks for day drinking and cigars!”) make Houston sports culture accessible and entertaining.
• Fun with personal recognition stories: “It’s when people stop recognizing you—that’s the bad time.” ([13:14])
• Callbacks to city institutions, restaurants, and radio history bolster the hometown feel.

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Notable Quotes & Funny Moments

• Sean on being mistaken for the Mayor:
  “All bald men look alike to some people.” ([04:37])
  “You get tax breaks on day drinking… [and] cigars!” ([10:12])

• Brandon, on left guard depth:
  “That’s the PTSD I don’t need. I don’t want to be rotating left guards.” ([28:24])

• Sean, on Astros’ playoff odds:
  “Only two teams in history have started 47 and 54 and made the postseason. That shocked me.” ([14:48])

• Brandon, on Rockets’ veteran core:
  “You will have to load manage [VanVleet]… It’s because of biology… of an exploding knee.” ([40:43])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Good-mood Friday intro, Astros sweep, personal stories — 00:16–14:00
• Astros historical struggles; “it’s not early anymore” — 14:00–18:00
• Texans training camp excitement; Question of the Day setup — 20:00–22:59
• Most important Texans newcomer: in-depth debate — 22:59–32:10
• Astros/White Sox preview; radio transition — 32:10–36:40
• Jayshawn Tate, Rockets’ roster questions — 36:40–41:17
• Teasing next hour’s C.J. Stroud conversation — 42:37–end

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Summary Table – Texans’ Most Important Newcomer Debate

| Newcomer | Position | Sean’s View | Brandon’s View | Key Reasoning | |--------------------|------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | David Montgomery | RB | Most important | Second to Teller | Depth & leadership at RB; drop-off if injured | | Wyatt Teller | LG | Critical but 2nd choice | Most important | No clear backup/contingency; ripple effect across O-line | | Keelan Rutledge | C (rookie) | Honorable mention | Honorable mention | Center crucial but more replaceable (Jake Andrews as fallback) | | Reed Blankenship | S | Most exciting on defense | Exciting but not “most important” | Strengthens an already-elite defense but O-line more vital | | Tank Dell | WR | Not eligible (“not newcomer”) | Not eligible | Was on roster for last season, so not a true newcomer |

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Tone & Takeaways

This episode flows with sharp analysis, hometown humor, and conversational banter. Both Sean and Brandon bring relatable, knowledgeable energy to breaking down the Texans’ roster question, showing genuine fan passion and clear-sighted skepticism where appropriate. If you missed the show, this summary captures both the laughs and the football wisdom, focusing especially on the roster moves that could define the Texans’ season heading into camp.

Transcript

[A]

Sports Radio 610 presents Seth Payne and Sean Pencast.

[B]

We coming to eighth time. Let's get the work in, man. Let's go.

[A]

Great day. Great day. Oh, give me some juice, baby. Oh, yeah.

[B]

Let's do it.

[A]

Hey, what's happening, everybody? Happy Friday to all of you. Nice to be with you. We made it. I say that every Friday because I love Fridays, man. But I love being here at 6am Ready to talk to you. We're here till 10am as always, I am Sean Pendergast. He is Brandon Scott in for A vacationing Seth C. Pain. What up, B. Scott.

[B]

The only thing that's more fun than a vacation is a radio Friday or a Friday.

[A]

I love it, man.

[B]

On Sports Radio.

[A]

I'm in such a good mood today. I don't know why, like, I'm in a good mood that the Astros are on a big. A bit of an uptick again. They didn't play last night, so there was nothing that could spoil the sweep of the Marlins.

[B]

Yeah, they couldn't ruin your mood. That's right. That's good.

[A]

We've got training camp coming up in five days.

[B]

Very excited about that.

[A]

In about five days. In four. Well, four more radio days. Because we are doing question number four in about 20 minutes or so.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

It's a B. Scott question.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

So we're down to question number four. So we know the training camp is going to be here soon. I've got a staycation coming up this weekend.

[B]

I'm really excited for you and your wife for that. I think you all are going to really enjoy that. It might go without saying, going to a nice place and doing a staycation, it might speak for itself, but it's

[A]

like less than two miles from here. We're going to the Post Oak Hotel.

[B]

I think it's a perfect kind of relaxation right before. It's like the calm before the storm. Because life's about to get really busy for you. I don't have to tell you that. You know it already.

[A]

I showed you my calendar before the show. I write my calendar. I'm from 1962. My calendar is a notebook.

[B]

This is charming.

[A]

In which I write down all the days. I got little lines separating the weeks, and I'm able to kind of glance and see, you know, how busy I am.

[B]

Do you write it down out of habit because you're from 1960, whatever, or is it more? Because I still write things down and I'm. I'm from the 80s, but I do it more so for my memory. There's something about writing something down.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That helps me remember something less so because I don't like the technology.

[A]

It's 100% that it's writing things down. I remember them. I like doing it for whatever reason.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I, I, we. You know, I've been watching Quarterback, the Netflix documentary. Have you watched any of that?

[B]

I started on it. I think I'm on the third episode.

[A]

I'm three in.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So I'm three in. There's seven total.

[B]

Flaco just got benched. I think for Dylan Gabriel, that's year

[A]

round episode number two or three. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. So I saw that Cam Ward, when he was doing his film study, has an old school notebook out, like a big notebook, and he's just jotting down those handwritten notes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I brought that up. Now it may be more common than, than, than I'm making it out to be. Seth said, a lot of guys do that with the notebook and everything. I said, yeah. But I. The only one I know does it is Cam Ward. And it made me really like Cam Ward. He's an old soul, I think.

[B]

Yeah. I would challenge Seth on that. I don't know if they, I don't know if a lot of some guys probably do it. Yeah. But we're talking about Cam Ward's age. I don't have it right up in front of me, but he was born in the 2000s. Been. Right.

[A]

He's an older, first overall pick because he played at all those different schools. Yeah. You know, I mean, like a lot of these, you know, like Trevor Lawrence played three years and he was done.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So he's probably, I guess Kim Ward's 23, 24, something like that.

[B]

Very young man compared to the rest of us, though.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Right. Like he's a part of this generation. And if he's right and stuff, I think it's less so of his age and it's more of his rural background, him coming from West Columbia. I think young and old, they're still writing stuff down out there. No disrespect to West Columbia. That's my vibe.

[A]

No. No disrespect at all.

[B]

Ye.

[A]

I would fit right in.

[B]

Same. Yeah, same fit.

[A]

Right.

[B]

At least in that regard.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So I'm in a good mood because of the staycation, because we bought a. Amy and I bought a night at the Post Oak Hotel at one of the charity auctions that the Texans did. And then we said, well, you know, let's tack on another Night. So we're going tonight. If anybody likes to mill. If anybody staying there, they like to mill around and drink at the various bars there. You may see us there. Say hello.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I'm in a good mood because of that. I'm in a. I'm. I'm in a good mood because training camp is coming up. I'm in a. I'm in a. I'm in a good mood because I was. It was kind of fun last night. Amy and I. I. We were out to eat, and I got mistaken for Mayor Whitmire when I was out last night.

[B]

How is that possible? Actually, I know how this is possible.

[A]

Well. Cause all bald men look alike to some people.

[B]

I was going to say. I'm sorry, Sean. This is racism. This is racist.

[A]

But it was a white man who came up and said that to me.

[B]

I know. Not coincidental. Sometimes it Be your own people, Sean, you learn this with racism, too, man. This isn't the type of racism that's gonna set your life back or anything or set generations back. It's actually one of the funny ones. Cause it's like somebody thought that. Cause you and Mayor Whitmire. I've seen him in person, too. Y' all are around the same height.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

You're both white. They're both bald. But that's where it starts and stops.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

With the comparisons, are the body type similar at all? Like, he. Like, I think he's more slender than I am.

[B]

Not much more. But, you know, where I would differ or where you guys differ a lot for me, Because Mayor Whitmore, I'm pretty sure, is older than you.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And he kind of has a. Kind of has a little bit of an older man scoop.

[A]

Definitely. He's got an older man face.

[B]

Well, older man face. Yes. So he looks older than you, but he also. So were you sitting down when he saw.

[A]

No. No, no. Okay. Let me set the scene because.

[B]

Because Mayor Whitmire walk and watch. Like, you could walk circles around Mayor Whitmire.

[A]

As far as how I move. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

I pick you in a race.

[A]

It was. It was tight quarters. Okay. So that we. We may have to remove that from the evaluation mix. Yeah. So here. Here's us just to set this. Set the stage. So. And I happen to be in a suit for one of, like, the nine times. I wear a suit all year.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So that had something to do with it. So I had a suit on because. Because Amy and I went to Janice McNair's visitation last night. It was. It was Mrs. McNair's. The late Mrs. McNair's wake last night. So we. So we went to that, had a nice conversation with Cal and Hannah there. Got to see a lot of people. Let me just say it was exactly what you would think. It was a. About as classy an event as you could imagine. You and I were talking about it beforehand. I, you know, I felt like talking to the people there, talking to. To Cal and Hannah as well. There was. It was, you know, it's awake. So there's obviously, you know, there.

[B]

There's sadness.

[A]

There's. There's certainly sadness to it, but it was a. I felt like a celebratory sadness, just, you know, given all the decor and the pictures and, you know, given what she meant to the city and, you know, so hers is a life to be celebrated 1000%, definitely. So I want to. I do want to make that clear about that, about the event last night.

[B]

So.

[A]

So. So we went to that. And then. So afterwards, this is, you know, this is what it's like when Amy and I get dressed up. More me than her is, well, I'm not gonna waste this opportunity here. I'm dressed up. Let's go. Let's go somewhere that I can not waste this night, that I'm in a suit.

[B]

Yeah. Somewhere where I'm not overdressed.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Somewhere where this is appropriate, you know, Another place where this is.

[A]

Right, right, right. So we didn't go, you know, like, we. We didn't go to like a, you know, an $800 steakhouse or anything like that. We went to our favorite Italian place to go to, which is the original Carabas on Kirby. So that's. It's. Which is right across the street from our building. So that was easy. Short drive home, that kind of thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And we love Carrabba's and shout out to the staff there. It was great. So we walk in and we got there probably around, you know, 7:15 or something like that. So we walk in, we chit chat with the staff a little bit because we go there quite a bit, and we're kind of walking. If you've been to Carrabba's, when you first walk in, there's the bar area there, and then you take a, you know, kind of hang bare to the right, and that's where the body of the restaurant is. So I'm kind of in that area where there's like a. Like a high top, long table at the bar. So there's a Lot of people at that table. There's a lot of. There's just. It's crowded in general. Carrabba's is never not crowded right at that time of day. So it's kind of tight quarters. And the guy walks up to me to the side, and he sticks his hand out to shake. He's like, appreciate everything you do, Mayor Whitmire.

[B]

He's got no idea. And I had.

[A]

And I'm. I shake his hand. I hear him say it, and I look at who it is, and I don't know who it is. My first thought was that this is somebody who knew who I was, but was just kind of making a, hey, Sean's in a suit, joke at me. He didn't stick around long enough for me to ask him.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like, if it was a joke or not. Travis, who's the GM there, and Amy had both kind of walked to go get to our table. You know, I was stopping and talking to some of the staff, and Travis is like, no, man. That guy thinks you're Mayor Whitmire.

[B]

That's hilarious.

[A]

And the funny thing was he. The guy wasn't making a beeline for the bathroom or anything. He was walking, like, some other part of the restaurant. So, you know, it's not like he was drunk and he's going to take a whiz or something like that. He was going to. Maybe he's coming back from the restroom. I don't know.

[B]

This is a lucid thought, but he

[A]

didn't smile or anything saying it.

[B]

He's just dead ass.

[A]

He goes, thank you. Like, almost like a thank you for your service kind of thing.

[B]

Yeah, he's a fan.

[A]

Because it ain't easy being a mayor these days.

[B]

Yeah, he's probably not an easy gig. Obviously a constituent, but probably voted for the mayor.

[A]

He may have.

[B]

Yeah, that's probably it. What's funny about this to me is, like, he clearly doesn't know who you actually are. And, like, so as great as you are at what you do and as professional as you are. Yeah, you couldn't be less mayoral, which I actually like about you. I don't know if we'd have as much fun if you were so mayoral.

[A]

No, we wouldn't.

[B]

But you're not mayoral at all. I actually am kind of fascinated by what Sean Pendergast's City of Houston would

[A]

be, what the platform would be that I would run on.

[B]

There would be so much day drinking.

[A]

Oh, dude.

[B]

There would be wrestling in your campaign, your political campaigns.

[A]

You would get Tax breaks on day drinking.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

You get tax breaks on cigars.

[B]

Yes, I would.

[A]

I would go balls to the wall to get gambling incorporated in this town.

[B]

Yes, yes, yes. I think. I think Avalon Diner would have tax breaks.

[A]

Corras would have.

[B]

Would have tax breaks.

[A]

Prime would. 1,000% tax breaks.

[B]

Definitely. If we were stuck with that damn Astrodome, we would definitely figure out a way to make it a casino. I could see you leaning on Tillman Fertitta.

[A]

You're starting to make me think.

[B]

Or whoever are the rest of our billionaires in the city are.

[A]

Do you want to be my chief of staff?

[B]

Dude, we could totally pull this off.

[A]

Take over this town, man.

[B]

It would be hilarious. Hilarious.

[A]

I am not mayoral at all.

[B]

Unserious, but hilarious.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, we would be at the top of the list of most unserious cities in the United States. Yeah.

[B]

I love the city too much, actually. Do it.

[A]

We would shoot past Chicago in the growth pattern, too, because people would love to come here.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Oh, my God. I thought that was pretty funny that somebody thought I was Mayor Whitman.

[B]

That's great. That's great.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This is where. When racism can be funny. One of the few times.

[A]

That's right. That's right.

[B]

Like, they're confusing for what. What other white man.

[A]

Because I experience this all the time, and it's not funny.

[B]

Sean. This is how it feels. Now you know. Now I know the good side anyway.

[A]

That's right. That's right. But that is the place, man. Like, karab.

[B]

There's a.

[A]

Like, every time we go there, there's always. If there's a restaurant where you see at least somebody every time. It's the original karab.

[B]

I was gonna say that. That now makes it. Now that you paint the picture, it makes much more sense because you're at a nice, elegant restaurant and you're in a suit in an area where you high celebrities. Exactly. It's a who's who type of place.

[A]

High celebrity zone.

[B]

And what's funny is he doesn't know. But he doesn't know that you are actually somebody that could be recognized.

[A]

I'm like a D lister, you know, compared to the mayor, but. Yeah, like, I could. But I know it's happened to Carrabba's before. I've had people come up to the table and say, hey, listen to the show. That's always fun. It's funny, too, because Amy asked me one time when that happened. She's like, does it. Someone came up to the table and said, hey, you know, we're the middle of eating, and I don't care. They said, hey, I love the show. Blah, blah, blah. Probably took a picture or whatever. And Amy asked me. She's like. She's like, does that bother you? Like, when people do that? I'm like, no, it's. It's when they stop doing it. That's the bad. That's the bad time.

[B]

I don't want to sit here and tell all the stories when I've been recognized. But I got recognized at Chevron yesterday. You did the gas station. Hey, are you B. Scott? Some guy?

[A]

Hell, yeah.

[B]

His name was maybe Patrick. Dang it. I forget that. I forgot the guy's name already. I got to be better about that.

[A]

You just were on TV this weekend, too.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So you're fresh in the people's minds.

[B]

That could be it. Yeah. But. But he had. Well, this is what was really cool about it, and you'll appreciate. He had the Odyssey app up on his phone. So he was Bluetoothing us, but he had just gotten gas. Was gas. Was cranking up his truck, and was about to leave the station. The gas station. As I'm walking out of the gas station to my car to gas it up.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

And he sees me, goes, are you B. Scott?

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

And then he showed. Hey, I'm listening to you guys right now.

[A]

Beautiful.

[B]

At that point, I think the drive was on.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But he listens to the. To all.

[A]

And you're on all the shows, you know, too.

[B]

So that was pretty cool.

[A]

That's all, dude. It's when that stops happening. That's the bad time, man. Yeah, that's the bad time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So here we sit, 50 and 54, two games back. I think they would have said back in the day, like, if you're the Astros, like, yeah. When we dip to sub.500, 104 games into the season, that's the bad time, man. And it is not great, but it's better than it could be. Two games back in the AL west, three and a half games back in the wild card, which. I don't know. The optics of that always look weird to me that you're further back in the wild card than you are in your division. But it probably speaks to just how janky the division is. Yeah. Right now, that's usually what it says there. The Astros are trying to defy history. I've had this fun little fact on my radar here since they dipped to seven games below.500 a few days ago. Really? Pre the Miami series. Cause they were 47 and 54. They're 50 and 54 now. Cause they. They swept that series. Only two teams in the history of baseball have started 47 and 54 and gone on to make the postseason.

[B]

47 and 54.

[A]

47 and 54. Which is what the Astros were at the beginning of the week. The 2006 Dodgers, which I remember nothing about that team.

[B]

Me neither.

[A]

In the 1973 Mets, which I know you remember nothing about that team, wasn't around. I was here to maybe remember something. I would have been four years old. I remember nothing about that team. So we're talking about two teams in the past. Two teams in the history of baseball have started. That shocked me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because.

[B]

So those are two blips on the radar, literally.

[A]

Because 61 games left is. I mean, the sand is running out of the hourglass. Without question. That's still a lot of games. And they'd. Only two teams made the postseason. Now, the thing the Astros have going for him compared to those two teams is it's a much more expansive postseason these days.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know, there's. There's two wild cards, three wild card spots in the three division winners. But this is a city that's done the improbable a couple times in football over the last few years. Yeah. You know, not many Owen. Three teams make the playoffs. Texans have done it twice in the last decade. Yeah, we've got it in the water here.

[B]

Is it easier to do that, though, when you've got fewer games? Like, the more games you have, the more truer of a sample size you have. Right. That's just factual.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So. So I feel like the football is just better positioned to make history or break history, however you want to look at it, maybe. But. But to me, what you have just illustrated is like, the line of demarcation for how long or short of a season is it really? You know, like when you're losing and we're like, well, it's still early. Hey, we've still got plenty of time. Hey, it's a long season. Hey, it's one of 162. Yeah. Well, once you start adding them up, you eventually get to 162.

[A]

That is true. I love that.

[B]

And so now we're at that. That point. That's kind of that line of demarcation for how long? Can you say it's early or there's. Like you just said, there's plenty of time left in the season. Is there, though?

[A]

That's a good question. What's the stage of the season where you can no longer say, hey, it's a long season.

[B]

Feels like it's kind of right now,

[A]

I think like the hundred game mark. I mean, we're at 104 right now. Yeah, it does. It feels. It feels like right now, literally, right now, literally, we're in that time. We're sitting in that age. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I was. I was feeling that way right before I was gonna say. So who was the blanking out before the Marlin Series? They got swept by the Orioles.

[A]

Was it the Orioles?

[B]

Yeah, it was. So it was that series where I felt that was like, okay, we're smack dab in the. What you just mentioned. Hourglass is running out. Time is running out. The. The excuse making of long season is running out. This is sort of where the rubber starts to meet the road.

[A]

Yes, yes. By the way, mayor John Whitmire, 76 years old. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

You don't.

[A]

That's 19. I know. I'm no spring chicken anymore.

[B]

You don't look 76.

[A]

I don't look 76. I don'T have the vibe of a 70. So now granted, vibe didn't really matter because this person just was doing it purely from appearance.

[B]

Yeah. And you had on a suit.

[A]

And on a suit, that was a

[B]

big thing that kind of diminishes.

[A]

If I had on. If he only knew if I was wearing what I'm wearing right now, I probably wouldn't have been confused for the

[B]

mayor last night, which, to be fair, is a more. Is a truer. You. It's much A suit is truer to the mayor and what you have on. Now if you can, check us out

[A]

on YouTube and Twitch, check us out on the stream. I've got on dark blue sweatpants and a Danhausen T shirt. And not just a Danhausen T shirt, a ridiculous Danhausen T shirt with a gigantic face of Danhausen in the middle of the shirt. Byron likes it. Hey, Byron, are you a Dan housing guy?

[C]

Yeah. Actually a funny story. When I went to RAW back in April.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, you know the. The shirt cannons? The one like, you know, you rotate.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[C]

So when he shot the first shirt, I watched it go. The second one came right at me, so I ducked and hit me right in the head.

[A]

You got hit in the head with one of the T shirts?

[C]

Yeah, it grazed me wrong inside.

[A]

And the person behind me called from the housing cannon.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That was the first time he used it. I think was was here and it was with a Monday night raw, right? Yeah, yeah. It hit you in the Head.

[C]

Yeah. So I watched the first one, and then when I looked back, I saw it coming straight. I mean, I was like, oh, crap.

[B]

What was wrong with your hands?

[A]

Why didn't you catch it?

[C]

Honestly, I was such in the moment. Like, I just learned I'm not a third baseman.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm not

[A]

shooting it in the crowd. It's a center field situation.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But it was a line drive, though. It kind of.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

If I didn't look to my right to follow the first shirt, I would have caught it. Okay. You know, because you're rapid fire.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So it was like, oh, crap.

[A]

Your attention you get you. You lack. It was you. You were paying attention to the first T shirt.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You got hit in the face with the second. Oh, man.

[B]

He knew then what he knows now he would have the T shirt.

[A]

Well, now, you know, next time you go to WWE and they pull out the housing can and keep your head on a swivel.

[C]

Yeah. I'm hoping he pulls it out for a Survivor Series.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Oh, it at Daikin, huh?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You gonna go?

[C]

Yeah, I think tickets go on sale. I think August 7th.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

9:00am or something.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. You know, when they go on maybe

[B]

9am August 2, maybe 9. 17.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I'll be there. I'm already on the waiting list.

[A]

Exactly right. Byron Matthews producing today for us. Yeah. 76 years old. That guy had to be hammered last night when he came up to me. At least I hope that's the case. All right, Baseball talk On Sports Radio 610, presented by Xfinity. Score. The most reliable Wi Fi, one price, five years guaranteed. Xfinity. Imagine that. All right, coming up next, this is a B. Scott question. We are counting down 10 days till camp. We are counting down to day four radio days. So we got today and Monday, Tuesday. And we'll culminate this series of questions on the first day of camp next week. B. Scott in for Seth today. Monday and Tuesday next week. We're having a good time here this morning on Sports Radio 610, which is only going to be Sports Radio 610 for like a few more weeks.

[B]

Right.

[A]

If you missed that news 95. 7 the Fan. We're transforming on August 13th. We'll still be on 610 as well, simulcasting a 610 the Fan. But we'll talk more about that. If you haven't heard about that yet, you got questions. Text in. We'll answer your questions about that. But this is one of the most exciting times in the history of the station. 10 days still camp. Question number four. Who is the Texans most important newcomer?

[B]

That's right.

[A]

We will answer that question definitively and authoritatively. Of Sugar Lane Studios, here's Payne and Pendergast. Hi, Pain and Pendergast. B. Scott in for Seth today. Monday and Tuesday as well. We're counting down to training camp for the Texans. First practice is next Wednesday. Cannot wait. Here we are, man. Year four of the demo. Ryan's era already less than a week away. You're for the C.J. stroud era, the Will Anderson Jr. Era. Man, that. That flew by.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It feels like just yesterday we were talking about, is C.J. stroud going to be named the starter of this football team?

[B]

Yeah. And what's taking them so long?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, remember, it was kind of a. It was a little bit of a controversy.

[A]

Why are they. Why are they making him earn this

[B]

even though we all knew. I can remember feeling this way at the time, like, what are. What are we all doing here? Like, are we not. Are we grown ups? Have we been here before? Like, have we. Do we. Do we football, bro? We had.

[A]

We had just done it. I mean, not. Not to the magnitude of a second overall pick and the anointing of the new king. We kind of done it the year before with Davis Mills. Yeah, you know, that's true.

[B]

But.

[A]

But they. They actually anointed Davis earlier in 2022, much earlier than they did C.J. in his rookie year, if you remember back to that.

[B]

Yeah. But it just shows you to me how much we get caught up in our own little offseason narratives. Because if you just. If you Bird's eye view, the thing. And, and just through the 30, 30,000 foot view, you're like, of course the number two overall pick is going to start over the guy that was there the year before that they're essentially replacing.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Especially when he was showing no signs of being overmatched or anything like that in training camp. Like, oh, no, he. He looks like he knows what he's doing.

[B]

And I hate to do this because I like Davis a lot, but he. His play is really what necessitated drafting a court 100%. Right. Because we were talking about that the year before. Yeah. The ideal scenario would have been that he would have gone out there and outplayed his draft stock or his draft

[A]

Status and win 8 games, play. Win enough games to where they're not in position to draft your replacement.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know what I mean?

[B]

Or even if they are, maybe they can just draft Will Anderson. And not have to trade up to get him.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so you just pick the two and wherever they were. 10, 12, 12. Yeah. They could have just done that instead, you know, but no, they needed a quarterback, so. And we all knew that.

[A]

Yep. It all worked out.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So. So I'm going to let you lay this question out, B. Scott, because this is a B. Scott question. We're doing a question each day for the 10 days leading up to camp. We're counting down and we are down to question number four.

[B]

Yeah. And so this was my stab at it. And I already enjoyed and appreciated the questions that y' all had asked in the 10 days or the 10 days leading up to. So the five days leading up to this one. Yep. And so the one I came up with, who is the Texans most important newcomer? And the reason why is because that's what training camp largely is about. The newness of the. What is this team going to look like in comparison to the team that we saw the last time or the last time they were out there? And so to me, it's even more important when a team is not in the developmental phase, which is where the Texans were in 2023, but when they're just adding along the margins, they're just adding pieces and their needs were very. Not overwhelming, very clear and succinct, and they address those needs. And so I felt like this could be an easier exercise because we don't have to go through the whole team. There are very few newcomers that I think are candidates for the answer to this question.

[A]

So before we give our answers to this, yes, two things. One, just to be clear, newcomer can

[B]

be a newcomer can be a rookie, a free agent or someone who was traded for. So a rookie. Think Keelan Rutledger, Kaden McDonald a free agent. Think, of course, Wyatt Teller or Braden Smith for the guys. Reed Blankenship. For somebody who was traded, you could think David Montgomery. But basically anybody who is on the team at the start of training camp, when we go out there next Wednesday, who wasn't on the team when they lost in Fox.

[A]

It's funny because I think we just threw the names out there. Like if we were. We're going, okay, here's the pool of players to pick from. We were being specific.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think in just laying out what exactly qualifies as a newcomer, I think literally the names that we, you and I collectively just put out there are. Is probably the pool we're picking from here. The top two rookies. Keelan Rutledge and. And. And Kaden McDonald. You know, maybe. I don't know if Marlon Klein fits in there for people, but he could

[B]

be like an X factor wild card. But yeah, there would be a stretch to call him the most important.

[A]

I'll just throw him in there because he's a second round pick.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

And then the free agency signings, the. Certainly the offensive lineman, Braden Smith, Wyatt Teller, and then on defense, Reed Blankenship trades. The only trade I can think of is David Montgomery. Unless you're counting someone like Martin Mapu who they traded for. It was a low level trade.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But he's more important than you think right now because the injury to E.J. speed.

[B]

I know. Seth loves him.

[A]

Seth loves him.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Seth. I don't know. I don't know if he loves him yet. He loves the idea of.

[B]

That's a better way to put it.

[A]

Yeah. He loves the idea of him right now. He loves the potential. Yeah.

[B]

Misrepresent you.

[A]

MapU Jersey at BUC EE's. I don't know if you knew that.

[B]

My bad, Seth.

[A]

Yeah. So I would say of all those, the one that has me most excited. I know you're talking about most important, but we've done some newcomer lists on the show since free agency in the draft. The one that has me most excited is Reed Blankenship. Just because the idea of strengthening an already elite defense always intrigues me. Yeah. So the Kaden McDonald and Reed Blankenship dynamic in this question is intriguing to me. But Reed Blankenship and Seth's made this point. It's not just Reed Blankenship, but it's the version of Kalyn Bullock that might get unlocked with having somebody who locks things down back there.

[B]

Underrated point.

[A]

It doesn't make him the most important because the, the, the repair of the offensive side of the football is the most important thing for this football team. So I'm going to go David Montgomery in all this.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And in part is almost a sequel to the question of the day yesterday, which was how. How concerned are we about the overall depth of the running back room if something happens to David Montgomery? I love Woody Marks and everything, but if something happens to David Montgomery, we're right back at the square. Square one is maybe being a little bit dismissive of Woody Marks, but we're right back to the situation we were in last year where Woody Marks is maybe playing a little out of position or a little out of role.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To say. And then the backups are Jawar Jordan and British Brooks at this point. So for depth Purposes. And because I think he's going to be excellent for this football team in the locker room and on the field. David Montgomery is my answer to that question.

[B]

I like it. I like it. So I. And I'm seeing on the text line, someone has this tank Dell count. He's an interesting candidate, but he doesn't. Because he was technically on the team.

[A]

Not a newcomer.

[B]

He's not a newcomer. Yeah. But he. But that is a. Something that could change the dynamic of the. Of the offense and the team. I understand where they're coming from.

[A]

Yeah. I like the spirit of the answer. Yes, yes, yes. What's your.

[B]

And it's creative. So my answer. I liked what you said about the defense, too, because I'm just as excited about them. But I'm with your logic of that not being the most important, which is the question. Most important for me is Wyatt Teller.

[A]

Ooh, okay. That's a good one.

[B]

And here's why. Wyatt Teller.

[A]

I.

[B]

For everybody else, I can think of either who the backup is or at the very least, what is the contingency plan or the workaround if this doesn't work out.

[A]

Right.

[B]

The defensive guys, you can pretty much lay that out that it was already a great defense, one of the best, if not the best in the league without the newcomers. So they're going to be fine. If those guys, for whatever reason, don't work out.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

Even David Montgomery, as you just kind of laid it out there, the depth a little bit concerning. Well, I do know that Woody Marks can at the very least play that outsized role, even if it's not ideal, even if we won't like it. I've seen him do that before. I don't know who the left guard is. If something happens to Wyatt Teller or if he's not any good, that's the

[A]

PTSD I don't need. I don't want to be rotating left guards.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't know who the City sue is of 2026, and I don't really want to. I hate to even go here because I'm not trying to bring the vibes down to the show.

[A]

No, no, no.

[B]

But we just got to be real about this.

[A]

Well, when something's important like this, it's usually for a reason. That's a little painful.

[B]

I feel like even with Keelan Rutledge, I'd rank these like, I think somewhere and you can decide how you want to rank the three, but it's some combination of the Keelan Rutledge, David Montgomery and Wyatt Teller combination. The center, guard and running back combination of newcomers. I really believe that. But even with Rutledge, you still got Jake Andrews, which again, not ideal. Similar to the Woody Marks thing. Not exactly what you want, but at least you know you've seen them win double digit games in a playoff game and have a successful season with both Woody Marks in that role that we all agree is outsized and Jake Andrews, who's in a role that. That is probably outsized. They can survive that. I don't know how they survive the Wyatt Teller thing.

[A]

Well, I. If I had to guess, if I had to guess, if something were to happen to Wyatt Teller like in week two, I would think Keelan Rutledge, even if Keelan Rutledge were playing center, based on how the team's constructed right now, I would think it would be something along the lines of moving Keelan Rutledge over to left guard.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And putting Jake Andrew, you know, Jake Andrews is your. Assuming Jake Andrews makes the team and he's one of the backups, that he would then be your center. That, that gets a little dicey. Now they're obviously not afraid to make big moves on the offensive line to address left guard. They continually move Titus Howard, your right tackle to left guard. They did it over and over again through multiple head coaches and regimes. The tough part about that center is a little different. You know what I mean? Like there's a chemistry thing with the center and the quarterback.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Well. And there's a domino effect thing happening there. Whereas if you think that Keelan Rutledge should be and would be the starting center and would win that job, if he's got to be the one to replace Wyatt Teller, that means that Jake Andrews has to be the one to replace him center. And. And so the domino effect there is that you've created two spot.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You got to fix two spots, which I think is again less than ideal. And also with Wyatt Teller, I feel like Wyatt Teller, if he's good, not even necessarily all pro Wyatt Teller, but if he's some version of that, he could make Ariante Ursary on one side. And whoever the center is, whether it's Jake Andrews or Keelan Rutledge, better football players, if he is up to that.

[A]

Oh, I like that. The ripple effect of the bet there. Yeah.

[B]

I think you're a better center with a better left guard next to you and your better left tackle with a better left guard.

[A]

Last time we had good left guard play on this.

[B]

Another part of it.

[A]

Yeah. It's funny, I was Listening to. I think it was. I think it was. I can't remember if it was in the Loop or the Drive talking about this, but one of them, one of the shows was talking about the offensive line. And there have only been if they, if their numbers were right. There's only been four Pro bowl offensive linemen in the history of the Houston Texans. Laramie Tunsil did it like five times. Dwayne Brown did it multiple times. Wade Smith and Chris Myers, I think each did it maybe once or twice.

[B]

Yeah, I know it was once.

[A]

That's it. Yeah, that. That's it. Which is according to them. And I, and I'm racking my brain. I can't think of any from prior to that.

[B]

That's the list.

[A]

That's the list. That's crazy. So, yeah, I don't know that maybe that's another question down the road. If the Texans are going to have a Pro bowl offensive lineman out of this group, who could it be?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Who do you want it to be?

[B]

And it feels like.

[A]

Save that.

[B]

It feels like Ursary and like that left side has the best shot at it.

[A]

My answer would be Ursary, because if you get a Pro bowl guy in the second year, left tackle, you've got your next Laramie Tunsil and Dwayne Brown. Yeah, that's the answer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, headlines. Not that many, you know, dead day yesterday, no Astros, but we found a few Rockets. Welcome back in an old face. Astros are in a big series coming up tonight. So we'll get to all that in headlines coming. And Pendergast with today's headlines. All right, let's get to headlines. No Astro headline from last night. They didn't play and nothing happened in the standings to affect them. At least as I checked. Going to bed last night, two games out. It would probably be a good solid radio thing to do to actually check and see if anything happened late in the evening to, to affect their standing. Just know that the Astros are in Chicago to take on the resurgent Chicago White Sox. Yeah, they, the Chicago White Sox for the last few years have basically been what the Astros were from, like 2010 through 2013.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So this was kind of maybe supposed to be their 2014 year. Like when the Astros went from being a, like a 51 win team.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To like, hey, they won 70 games. I think the Astros went 70 and 92 in 2014. So you could start to see, you know, you could start to see the vision, the features of the, you know, like, oh, yeah, that, that could Be good someday. This Springer guy, I like him. They brought him up. They drafted this Korea guy. Hear good things about him down in the minors. That was kind of supposed to be this year for the White Sox. Lo and behold, The White Sox are 54 and 47. Yeah, they're leading the way right now. If you go look at wild card standings, the White Sox are not in there. Why? Because they lead their division by a game and a half right now.

[B]

Yeah, man. They are surprisingly good. And this is not fool's goal, because we were talking about this earlier in the show. We're at a point in the season where you got enough data, sample size, whatever you want to call it, to say just what it is, right? And unfortunately, the Astros are, you know, middling to below.500 baseball team. And the White Sox, meanwhile, are legitimately good, leading their division. Really good run differential, one of the best in the American League. So, yeah, they're. They're legit. It's a legit opponent. This kind of reminds me of a couple of weeks back, or whatever it was when they played the Rays. It's like, this is a good litmus test, because these are supposed to be the good teams in the American League. How do you stack up against those? Makes the series all the more interesting for me.

[A]

And they took two out of three from the Rays.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Series.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Yeah. And now they go on the road against the White Sox. You have family up in that part of the country, roots up there?

[B]

Yeah, my dad's from Gary. Gary, Indiana, Chicago sports fan.

[A]

Yeah. Which is basically like, Gary is almost attached, like, at least psychologically, to the south side of Chicago.

[B]

It is. It is.

[A]

So do you have White Sox fans in your family?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He's a White Sox.

[B]

So Comiskey park is the only other ballpark that I'd ever been to before I started doing this professional Comiskey, the old Comiskey Park. And you know who pitched that day? This is funny now. Doug Drabeck, former Astro at the time, who I'd actually met as a little kid. Cause his son, it was either Kyle or whichever one is my age, was at a birthday party for my cousin.

[A]

No way.

[B]

In the Woodlands. Dude. So I met Doug Drabek by accident at a birthday party in the Woodlands. And then two years later, he's pitching for the White Sox. Watching him pitch, and I'm watching him in Comiskey Park.

[A]

That's crazy.

[B]

All of this before I'm, like, 9 or 10 years old.

[A]

This is your life, B. Scott brought to you by. Yeah, yeah. There's space available.

[B]

Yeah. But all that to say the White Sox are good. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Well, I just got thinking when I was putting headlines together. I'm like, I like, in my. In my gut, I feel like B. Scott's got ties to that part of the country.

[B]

I'll be up.

[A]

I remember Gary, Indiana. Oh, okay, cool. Visiting family up there.

[B]

Just doing a trip. I actually have not been to Chicago or Gary since I was a teenager.

[A]

So you're going to Chicago.

[B]

Going to Chicago. But I'm going to drive my girlfriend to Gary to show her your roots. I'm one of those memory lane people.

[A]

Show her your roots.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Do people. Is Michael Jackson's house a big landmark up there?

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Okay, so you'll drive her by that, too?

[B]

Absolutely. On Jackson Street.

[A]

That'll be fun. Safe travels, my man.

[B]

Yeah, man.

[A]

All right, headlines. We continue. Guess who's back, B. Scott. Jayshawn Tate is back with the Houston Rockets.

[B]

You don't say.

[A]

Trying to think of who the equivalent of Jayshawn Tate is across the other teams.

[B]

Daria Goomba Walleye.

[A]

He's the Daria Goomba Wall. Yes, that's exactly what it is, Daria.

[B]

But I mean, I like Jason, like, personally and everything. Dari is actually, I think, probably more value. At least Dory can, like, kick. He can kick for you. He can run the ball. Special teams.

[A]

Darre, this is no disrespect to J. Shawn Tate, who anytime you. Anytime you hang around in the. Any professional league for seven years. Yeah, you're clearly doing something right.

[B]

And he is.

[A]

And he is. He. He's. When. If he gets brought into big games at big times against good teams, there is. There is a noticeable difference in Jayson versus a lot of the other guys out on the floor. It's just what it is. Like, he's a. He is a role players, role player. You know, he is. He is in the NBA on Blood, Sweat and Tears.

[B]

It's. It's almost like. And I. I know a lot of people didn't watch a whole bunch of summer league, but you can watch the summer league sometimes and tell who are the NBA players, like, even potential NBA players, and who are the guys that don't belong in the NBA at all. Like, maybe they'll make money overseas, but they're not an NBA player. It's kind of like that. When Jayshon Tate is in the game, it's like, okay, this is an NBA player. This guy looks like. You can really tell he did everything he could to get here. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

These are NBA players. This is a guy who has a check with an NBA logo on it.

[B]

Bingo.

[A]

And so. But. But I honestly, like, seven years in the NBA for Jayshawn Tate. Props, dude. Yeah, yeah. Like, props. Now he may not even make the team ultimately. Who knows? Michael Shapiro of the Chronicle laid out kind of what the Rockets roster looks like right now. It is nice having the roster have Fred Van Vliet's name on it and Stephen Adams name on and go, okay, well, at least for a while, we can count on these guys. You know, like, okay, these get. We. We can. We can talk about a Rockets team that includes these names.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And we don't have to talk about them like, well, when they come back next year, it's going to be much, much, much better. So how do you feel about the depth of this team right now?

[B]

So I actually am nervous because they are still so reliant on the old guys.

[A]

They're an old team.

[B]

I didn't mind.

[A]

Their old tier is old.

[B]

Well, and here's the thing. I liked the idea of what they were trying to do last year. The team that they were trying to put together last year. I didn't think there was any shame in that. In Fred Van Vliet, Stephen Adams, this kind of, like, bully ball. We're going to get offensive rebounds. We're going to be kind of a rugged team. I didn't hate what they were trying to do last year. I question if that is the proper approach to try to just replicate that this year and just say, we're going to insert these guys that weren't healthy for us last year. They're a year older and a year more injured, and everything's just going to work out like it did two years ago.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I'm. I am nervous about it. I like. I actually like what they've brought in. I just don't know if it's enough.

[A]

I'm nervous. I'm nervous about both Fred Van Vliet and Steven Adams for different reasons. Well, actually, same category. Reasons injury related. I'm nervous about Stephen Adams because he's. He's been injured a lot.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Over the last few years in a, you know, in an ankle sprain. Knocks him out for the entire season last year after, you know, 20 games

[B]

in, and you got to see how clearly important he was to what they were trying to do.

[A]

Really important.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The Van Vliet thing, you know, Van Van Vliet, if I'm not mistaken, before tearing his knee up last Year had been really durable. Like Van Vliet answered the bell. But a guy north of, you know, 30, 31, 32, whatever Fred is, I think he's 32. And then when he. I don't know, what were your thoughts when he revealed that the. The injury was actually maybe more damaging than we thought it was? That there's some meniscus involved as well.

[B]

I felt gas lit because they were talking about him coming back after the All Star break or trying to make a run for the playoffs.

[A]

Still talking about him like in February and March, like giving updates on him.

[B]

And I'm like, well, surely they already knew that his knee had blown up at this point, so why would they ever even say that? You know, like there was clearly no chance that the guy was ever coming back last year. And even to the point now where I think we can confidently say that the dude's not going to even be able to play back to backs this year coming off of an ACL and meniscus.

[A]

Yeah. Like age 33 or 32, whatever he

[B]

is, you will have to. And not because of the wussification of sports. Because we're soft. You're going to have to load. Manage this guy.

[A]

Because of biology.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because of anatomy.

[B]

Because of an exploding knee.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Trying to recover. So, yeah, no, I still think that they're. They are clearly in a tier behind San Antonio and Oklahoma City, but I still like them against the rest of the West. I think they measure up fine against everybody else. That's just that those other teams are also.

[A]

What do you think their Vegas. See, they may have Vegas season win totals out right now. I think everything's on hold till LeBron makes a decision.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And by the way, we've got some audio that we'll get to in the 7 o' clock hour. There is one prediction out there about LeBron and the Rockets from a former Rocket. Yeah, I just want to kick it around, you know.

[B]

Yeah. I was glad to see this guy. Thought he'd fallen off the face.

[A]

Yeah, I was too. I was too. So we'll get to that in the, in the, in the seven o' clock hour. But if you had to put a season win total out there for the Rockets, it's the B. Scott sports book. And you got to put a number out there that you think is going to get fair amount of action on both sides. So you get to collect your vig. What do you think it is?

[B]

I'm go 51.

[A]

51.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

They've won 52 each of the last two years.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I think they take a slight step back, but they're relatively the same team and right there in the thick of it. Now, 52 got them the 2 seed one year and it got them the 5th seat the next year.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

So what does that mean for them? I have no idea.

[A]

Yeah, the context will come in the rest of the West. For what it's worth, 52 and a half was their number last year.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I think the vibes on the team were better last year than they are right now.

[B]

You think?

[A]

Correct. This time a year ago they were.

[B]

Yes, they absolutely were.

[A]

Yep. Text message. So going from AM to 100,000 watt FM, how much more of a radius will the signal be in terms of broadcasting? Miles. That's from Choppa and Alvin. I'm telling you, if you're in Alvin, you got nothing to worry about.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Zero to worry about. With the changeover to 95. 7 the fan.

[B]

Yeah, the short answer is a lot, but you're good.

[A]

Short answer, you good?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Short answer, you good?

[B]

All right.

[A]

Sean Pendergast with you, B. Scott, in for Seth Payne. Into the 7 o' clock hour we go. We will hit some rockets and some NBA at about 7, 27, 25 today. Coming up next, C.J. stroud. You and I have not talked much about C.J. over the last couple of days, B. Scott. But C.J. is getting it from every corner of the NFL universe in the off season. Not in a good way. We know that. Front office and personnel, we know what that vote looked like. I'm starting to get the feeling. I'm not starting to. I've got the feeling of what the top 100 is looking like right now. There's another corner of the universe, too, that I feel like kind of little dismissive of. C.J. we'll tell you who that was coming up.