FOSTER MOREAU on CJ STROUD and what impressed him

Summary

Payne & Pendergast Podcast Summary

Episode: FOSTER MOREAU on CJ STROUD and what impressed him
Date: July 28, 2026
Hosts: Sean Pendergast (A), Brandon Scott (B, in for Seth Payne)
Podcast: Payne & Pendergast (Audacy, SportsRadio 610)

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Episode Overview

This episode blends sharp sports analysis with lively, relatable off-field discussions. The main focus: tight end Foster Moreau’s perspective on Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud—his abilities, leadership style, and what’s next as Stroud seeks redemption in the upcoming NFL season. The episode also includes trademark "Pettycast" banter, featuring hot takes on restaurant etiquette, the latest basketball news, and NFL personalities, providing listeners with a true slice of Houston’s sports talk—and life.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Pettycast Segment: Upscale Restaurant Etiquette

Time: 00:44–11:05, 29:32–34:06

• Sean’s Petty Grievance:
  Sean shares a recent pet peeve: witnessing a couple with a baby (in a stroller) at fine-dining steakhouse Mastro’s. The father walked the baby around the table to soothe it, and the mother breastfed at the table (with a blanket).

• Hosts’ Reactions:

  • Sean felt babies don’t belong in upscale, $65-a-steak establishments.
  • Brandon, father of three, empathized but agreed: “We probably would not have taken the baby to the steakhouse.” (08:27)
  • Both stressed it’s about etiquette, not legal rights or shaming parents.

• Listener Reactions:

  • Text line was split but trended toward agreement with Sean.
  • Memorable listener quote: “If you’ve got money for Mastros, then you’ve got money for a babysitter.” (09:15)

• Takeaway Quote:
  “The upscale steakhouse is where the beginning of the birthing process takes place. You don’t come back 9–12 months later with the baby!”
  —Brandon Scott (32:25)

2. NBA News & Petty Banter

Time: 10:35–14:00, 37:51–38:52

• Host Reactions to LeBron James Signing with Philadelphia 76ers:
  • Sean and Brandon skewer Barstool’s Dave Portnoy for his “delicious” anticipation of Philly fans booing LeBron.
  • Sean: “He is going to get booed out of Philly...you get exactly what you deserve.” (11:26)
  • Both agree LeBron can handle “too many cooks in the kitchen,” noting his proven track record fitting into superteams.

3. Media Moves: Ryan Clark's ESPN Departure

Time: 14:00–18:17

• Pivot Podcast Discussion:
  • Shady McCoy questions the sincerity of Ryan Clark’s emotional reaction after being let go by ESPN.
  • Brandon provides context: “I do think the way it happened was shady...it did feel like there was a little extra mustard on adding tears to it.” (16:50)
  • Hosts discuss ESPN’s mishandling of the firing and possible deliberate leak to an anti-Clark outlet.

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Deep Dive: Foster Moreau on C.J. Stroud

Time: 19:20–29:32

First Impressions & Arm Talent

• Moreau quickly bonded with Stroud, praising his arm:
  “His arm talent is exceptional. Some of the best I’ve been able to play with…He’s always chasing greatness, always chasing excellence. He’s underrated with his legs…he can move.”
  —Foster Moreau (20:52)

Leadership & Personality

• Initial expectation was that Stroud was quiet, but:
  “He’s vocal, he’s loud…he has an expectation and he has a vision for what he wants our offense to be, what he wants our team to be. And he doesn’t have a choice. He’s a leader for us regardless of circumstance.”
  —Foster Moreau (22:31)

• Sean’s relief:
  “I thought he was a quiet leader. I’m like, oh God, please don’t be a quiet leader…quarterback is not a ‘lead by example’ position.” (22:54)

Addressing the Narrative: Is C.J. Stroud “Tough Enough”?

• Brandon addresses media narratives post-playoffs (four-interception game):
  “The biggest story with the Texans: has C.J. Stroud recovered from whatever was going on in the playoffs last year? And what does redemption look like for CJ Stroud?” (24:49)
• The hosts discuss Stroud’s resilience, background, and the defense's role in team success.
• Both agree Stroud must avoid being “the reason they lose games”; flashes of past greatness (rookie year vs. Tampa, Cincinnati, and Colts) set the template for his redemption.

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Other Notable Moments

Wemby Playing Soccer in Katy

Time: 19:43–20:21

• Hosts jokingly imagine a Rockets fan mafia putting a “hit” on Victor Wembanyama as he plays soccer in Houston’s suburbs.

NFL News: Aaron Donald & Patrick Mahomes

Time: 35:55–42:01

• Aaron Donald’s Possible Return:

  • Sean and Brandon analyze Sean McVay’s comments—see Donald’s regimented training as a real comeback sign.
  • “This feels very football specific...he’s already a maniac in the gym, he’s going the extra mile of being like an NFL maniac.” (40:32)

• Patrick Mahomes Injury Update:

  • Full-go for Chiefs camp, defying initial extended absence forecasts.
  • “The league may have missed its window to smack the Chiefs around…Mahomes being back for camp is huge.” (40:50–41:32)

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Timeline / Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:44–11:05 | Pettycast: Babies (and breastfeeding) in Upscale Restaurants | | 11:05–14:00 | NBA: Dave Portnoy, LeBron in Philly | | 14:00–18:17 | Media Moves: Shady McCoy vs. Ryan Clark Firing from ESPN | | 19:20–29:32 | Foster Moreau on C.J. Stroud: Leadership & Redemption | | 29:32–34:06 | Continued: Pettycast, Steakhouse Baby Debate, Listener Feedback | | 34:06–42:01 | Rams’ Aaron Donald, Chiefs’ Mahomes, NFL News |

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Memorable Quotes

• On Steakhouse Etiquette:
  “If you’ve got money for Mastros, then you’ve got money for a babysitter.” —Listener (09:15)
  “You don’t come back 9–12 months later…with the baby.” —Brandon Scott (32:25)

• On C.J. Stroud:
  “Some of the best [arm talent] I’ve been able to play with. He’s always chasing greatness, always chasing excellence…That cat can move.” —Foster Moreau (20:52)
  “He doesn’t have a choice. He’s a leader for us regardless of circumstance.” —Foster Moreau (22:31)

• On LeBron in Philly:
  “He is going to get booed out of Philly. In Philly, you get exactly what you deserve.” —Sean Pendergast (11:26)

• On Aaron Donald’s Training:
  “This feels very football specific…the way [Sean McVay] is talking.” —Sean Pendergast (40:23)

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Tone & Style

• Banter-driven, blending sharp sports insight with playful, often self-deprecating humor
• Hosts balance strong, sometimes “petty” personal opinions with relatable real-life experiences, inviting wide listener engagement
• Candid, conversational, and deeply “H-Town” in flavor

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode offers a memorable blend of Texans football insight (especially on C.J. Stroud), lively debate on sports and real-life etiquette, and a feel for why Payne & Pendergast is appointment listening for Houston sports fans. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and you’ll likely pick a side in the great steakhouse baby debate.

Transcript

[A]

Sports Radio 610 presents Pain and Pendergast at 8 o' clock on a Tuesday. B. Scott, have you. You've done a pedicast before, right?

[B]

I have done a pedicast.

[A]

You're probably the most frequent pinch hitter host of Pain and Pendergast, I would say.

[B]

Well, that and on top of the fact that my regular day job requires me to be tapped in, I don't catch every segment because I can't. But even the ones that I don't catch, I have to go back in and check them out. So I'm. I'm probably for somebody that doesn't host every day, most familiar with everybody's content.

[A]

Yep, no doubt, no doubt. Brandon Scott in for Seth Payne. It's Tuesday, it's 8 o'. Clock. So we do the pedicast. God, we're getting some hilarious squirrel texts right now. We'll get to them in just a little bit.

[B]

I did not know that this is what was going to unlock the audience, which was already active to begin with. Yeah, but this is it. This is. This is the niche topic.

[A]

I've got two things that I am personally petty about. One is sports related. One is not. The first one is I am petty that Jeremiah Love, who might be my favorite Notre Dame player in my history of rooting for the school. Oh, that's saying, keep in mind my brother played for Notre Dame. I might like Jeremiah Love even more than my brother Kevin.

[B]

Your own flesh and blood. Maybe. Maybe that's saying a lot.

[A]

He would listen to the show more. I would like to my brother more. But he's probably number two. But Jeremy, I love Jeremiah Love.

[B]

Tapping hit at number two is my brother.

[A]

My brother. Yep. Jeremiah Love, number one. I am Petty that he got drafted by the trash ass Arizona Cardinal organization. Not just because I watched a video yesterday of them running a play. And Jeremiah Love getting squashed by nine people. Or would have been if you were. If they were full contact.

[B]

Welcome to the game. This is going to be your life.

[A]

I forgot Nathaniel Hackett's their OC dude. Nathaniel Hackett might be the biggest boob I've ever seen of coaches in the NFL.

[B]

Well, and especially considering that, like, he's had a crack at this. And I know he was much more respected as an OC than he was as a, as a head coach.

[A]

It's hard to be less respected as a head coach.

[B]

Fair enough, fair enough. But it was so bad as a head coach. It does make you wonder, how did this guy find work again?

[A]

Well, he's A Nepo baby. I mean, his dad was a pretty prominent coach back in the day.

[B]

That's how I'm.

[A]

Yeah, that's. I'm just that. That's the only good answer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because the guy stinks at his job and he's a clown. And he is the OC for Jeremiah Love. I just hate. And Jeremiah Love is so enthusiastic about being a Cardinal. That's just who he is. He's going to be a great teammate. He's going to be a great guy in the building. He is one of the most exciting players I've ever watched. And he is not going to get unleashed in Arizona. This is a. This is a team that caved to Jacoby Brissette.

[B]

They did.

[A]

Jacoby Brissette signed a two year deal a year ago. He started most of the games for them, and he was set to make almost $5 million this year.

[B]

He's like, that's not good enough.

[A]

He held out of OTAs and minicamp and they just caved and gave him a contract. A new contract worth up to 21 million bucks. Why on earth, if you're the Cardinals, who will win three games, whether you're starting Carson Beck or Jacoby Brissette, why on earth would you overpay for the right to win three or four games this year?

[B]

What is. Idiots. What would Jacoby Brissette's metaphorical war be? Maybe football has a war stat.

[A]

I think they might.

[B]

I think they do. Nobody uses it.

[A]

No, no, no.

[B]

But what would his war even be? Broke half a game? Yeah, maybe.

[A]

If that.

[B]

He's a tough guy. I'll give him that.

[A]

He's a tough guy. He's a good backup.

[B]

Excellent back.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But a backup nonetheless.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And was able to hold out and get him $20 million.

[A]

20 million bucks, man. He played the Cardinals.

[B]

Good for him.

[A]

The other thing I am personally petty about, so my wife and I had a staycation this weekend at the. The very, very nice Post Oak Hotel. We don't do this all the time. We. This is the second time we've done it in the last few years. Really nice place. Of course, Mastro's, which is one of the nicest steakhouses in town. You know, it was a celebratory weekend, so we had our occasional really, really nice dinner and we went to Mastro's, and we love Mastro's. So we sit down and in the middle of our dinner, there's a couple that sits at the table next to us. Very underdressed, which I don't Mind, you know, the husband was wearing jeans, had a button down shirt that was buttoned like the middle of his chest.

[B]

Oh, it's giving you a little bit of that, Lopez. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And the woman was underdressed, but I don't get. I don't get worked up about that. Mostly because in Mastros, it's. It's really dim and dark in there. You can barely see other people at times. But this is the table right next to us. They also had a stroller, like a carriage stroller with a small baby in it at Mastros. Okay. I know there's going to be a portion of the audience that is not going to like what I'm about to say.

[B]

Yeah, you got to be able to take your baby everywhere, apparently, I guess.

[A]

Okay, so. So. So this is. So let me set the scene for you. This is what happened, and this is how I know what I'm about to describe to you. Happened should not be happening because multiple managers came over to us to check. Like, are you guys having a. They didn't mention the table next to us, but they were like, is everything okay? Is everything. Like, that doesn't. I mean, they have great service there, but you never get multiple managers coming over within a 10 minute span to check when the following happened. So for about 15 minutes, the husband pulls the baby out of the carriage, puts it on his shoulder, and just circles his table, walking the baby the same way you'd walk a baby in, say, the baby's bedroom to try to get him to go to sleep.

[B]

Yep. You see the logic in what the dad's trying to do, but he's doing

[A]

this in the middle of Mastros.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Walking the baby around the table. Well, turns out the baby was hungry. So at the table, the wife or the mother, I don't know if they're married or not. Breastfeeds the baby at the table. Now, she took a blanket and put it over her torso.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

I still say, I think it's out of bounds that the baby is even in the restaurant in the first place. This is an upscale steakhouse. It has $5 signs next to it. The cheapest cut of meat is 65 bucks. This is somewhere people go to get away from babies.

[B]

Right.

[A]

We. There should be, in nice restaurants like this, a no stroller rule or the rest. You got to bring in a kid that's in a stroller. You should not be at this restaurant.

[B]

Or it's the restaurant that you take a woman to to perhaps make the baby to impress her.

[C]

Right.

[B]

This is the front end of the baby making restaurant. Well, not the back end. Once you make the baby and have the baby, now you got to go to, I don't know, Olive Garden or wait till the baby's big enough to eat a steak on her.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Or get a nanny.

[A]

It's one of those things like, should. What should the rule be about bringing small children to a restaurant? And I would just say it's a little like that politician described pornography back in the day.

[B]

You know it when you see.

[A]

You know it when you see it. And I would say that Mastros is above the line where you should allow a baby in a stroller to be in there.

[B]

Yeah. So a couple of things.

[A]

So I'm not blaming Mastros. Yeah, blaming. I'm just saying this is what society's rules should.

[B]

Should be.

[A]

Now I'm blaming the couple for going to a dinner that probably cost them hundreds of dollars.

[B]

So I'm gonna seem like I'm riding the fence, but I want to be clear on this. So I have. I have three children. And when we had these kids, my wife would breastfeed in public. She would do that. She would do the thing where she. And she was proud of it, too. And we had our discussions about it, about me being uncomfortable about it and her saying. Trying to break down the barrier, the wall, and say, no, this is normal. This is natural. This is what people should be able to do. But the thing that we wouldn't do is go to upscale places or anywhere where we thought it was supposed to be like a quieter vibe, like McDonald's, chick fil a places that have knock yourself out, that have, like the playground sort of thing going on. Those are places where you can take kids. It's perfectly fine. Yes, we probably would not have taken the baby to the steakhouse. Now, once we got there, she wouldn't have shown any shame in breastfeeding the baby right there in front of you and your wife and everybody else who wanted to see.

[A]

She'd have done it proudly.

[B]

But we wouldn't have gotten that far.

[A]

Right.

[B]

We would have just stayed home or gone somewhere else.

[A]

That was gonna be my follow up question to you when you were laying it out. B. Scott, it's like, yeah, did she ever do it in Mastros?

[B]

Nah.

[A]

You know, or any nice place like that. So I'm petty about that. I've been petty about that since. Since Saturday when it happened. And shout out to the managers who came over to our table. I didn't even realize until Amy pointed it out. She's like, they probably came over because they're wondering, like, are we okay with what's going on over here?

[B]

Oh, that's clearly it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's implied.

[A]

I thought they were just being nice.

[B]

Oh. They didn't want to say it because they didn't want to accidentally have the table next to you overhear it and then offend them. But it's implied when they come. Come over there and check on you excessively like this.

[A]

Yes. Yes.

[B]

Are we getting crushed for being anti baby?

[A]

No, no, no.

[B]

It's anti family.

[A]

It's pretty split. If you've got money for mastros, then you've got money for a babysitter.

[B]

I think that's a fair take.

[A]

100% accurate. Sean preach. I love y', all, but you're wrong.

[B]

Fair enough.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, that's. Yeah. Love this segment. Somebody say, yeah, I think these are things we need to hash out. You know, we.

[B]

But I think it's clear from the text line we don't have consensus on what proper etiquette is. Once you have an infant, a breastfeeding level baby.

[A]

Right. Like out in public. Yeah. Like etiquette out in public.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

I just think. I just think. I can't even imagine. I can't even imagine spending the amount of money it takes to eat dinner there and have the distraction of having my baby sitting there. Yeah, that's just. I just. I can't imagine.

[B]

This is different, too, because another thing that I'm petty about, but I never say anything, and I always. I'm very nice to whoever it is around me, but I don't love it when the baby's on the airplane. But I get that.

[A]

Well, that's.

[B]

You've got to travel with the baby. It's a baby. You got to understand it. It can be annoying, especially if the baby's annoying.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But you get that this is not an airplane. It's a steakhouse.

[A]

This is a willing. You are willingly getting in the car and going to an expensive restaurant. Keep weighing in. Someone says y' all are goofy. Okay. But do you agree or disagree? I mean, you could have said that about the black squirrel segment. We did three segments.

[B]

I wear goofiness with pride.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Maybe that was a compliment. Thank you. Either way, thank you.

[A]

I think it's accurate.

[B]

Appreciate that.

[A]

Hey, let's skip down to Dave Portnoy here for the Petty cast, Byron, because nobody does petty better than the founder of Barstool, Dave Portnoy, noted Boston fan, which means he's a Celtics Fan. Which means he's going to have feelings about LeBron James. Yeah. Signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. I love it. I actually love it. He's trying to go do a super team. This team is not going to win. This team is not going to win. It's going to be delicious. It's going to be delicious.

[C]

You know that.

[B]

What is that?

[A]

Like, gif of like Cartman, like, licking tears when this team implodes and there's only one basketball and Embiid has one tendinitis left. And LeBron is huffing and puffing and reading books and being passive aggressive. He is going to get booed out of Philly.

[B]

He is.

[A]

This guy is going to get booed out of Philly. In Philly, you know, you hate this guy. You get exactly what you deserve.

[B]

This.

[A]

This impending implosion is going to be delicious. Okay. Portnoy is acting like this is going to be the Celtics of old here. Like the Celtics. I think most Celtic fans are completely distraught and were before the LeBron signing, completely distraught about their team in the Jaylen Brown trade.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And getting. Getting possibly cooked Paul George in return.

[B]

And let's be real, Portnoy does Petty as well as anybody. And he's an entertaining figure, but he's just talking through it. That's therapeutic. That is cathartic for him. He's just talking through it because here's the reality.

[A]

Trusting his own process, man.

[B]

Inject truth serum into Dave Portnoy and ask him right now, would you trade the Sixers roster for the Celtics roster and just put Celtics jerseys on the Sixers and make that your team? He would do it?

[A]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[B]

In a heartbeat.

[A]

In a heartbeat. Yeah. It's the. In the party kind of dropped in there. You and I talked about this a little bit, but the whole, like, they've only got one ball. Like, I. If that was your take before LeBron. Okay. Like. But I like dropping LeBron in here. If anything, to me helps facilitate distributing the basketball. Put it then. Then, then. Denigrated in any way that I could

[B]

not have said that better.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That is exactly how I feel about it. Like LeBron James, of all people. And by the way, aside from him being one of the more brilliant basketball players that we've seen, we've also seen him do this exact thing that we're talking about. Like, how do you handle the one ball too many cooks in the kitchen dynamic? And he's literally done it no less than twice before. Maybe three times if you count. I know they didn't win a championship with Luca, but like they were kind of dealing with that same dilemma. Three on ball guys between him, Luka and Austin Reeves and they, you know, for the most part when they were healthy, figured it out.

[A]

He willingly, outwardly made himself the third wheel on the Lakers last year.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Behind Reeves and Luka. Like he's, he's, he, he. I don't think LeBron, I think LeBron's got a huge ego like most players do. I don't think the ego is something that is going to factor in with the Philadelphia 76.

[B]

And the best basketball players do know how to, how to handle this thing like that. That's the thing about getting high end talent is that they're much more likely to figure it out than say the low end. Yes.

[A]

All right. The, the speakeasy. Emmanuel Acho's platform that he's created since leaving Fox. Shady McCoy is one of the other, one of the other co hosts on there who he was also with Fox for a while. They both got let go, started their own thing. They're getting a lot of traction with it. Ryan Clark recently let go by espn. Of course, Ryan Clark has his own platform, the Pivot. So they got talking about Ryan Clark getting let go by ESPN on there and they talked about Ryan Clark on the Pivot podcast tearing up when talking about his departure from ESPN. Shady McCoy very suspicious and petty about Ryan Clark's. I don't know, I guess maybe crocodile tears, I guess is what Shady McCoy might think. Shady McCoy's pettiness towards Ryan Clark.

[B]

Imagine we got fired from Fox. They did all this though. You just start crying and all that and I can't I start crying with you. We got all type of press, you know what I mean?

[A]

Like, come on, it's part of the game.

[B]

But, but when you pay somebody money like they've been paying us for the big on TV to run her mouth,

[A]

it's part of it.

[B]

That's assuming the crying was because he got cut. I'm saying I don't think he cried because he got fired. I think he cried.

[A]

I knew it was going to be something.

[B]

I knew he was going to monetize this whole thing. You know what? I'm about to make this something. Yes, we did better getting fired like everybody else. You know what?

[A]

I'm. I'mma.

[B]

We going to make some other things. We going to get some Clinton.

[A]

Shady McCoy is having none of the Ryan Clark Pivot podcast. Tears streaming down his face about his departure from espn. Yeah, he ain't buying it.

[B]

B. Scott yeah, and so one of the things I'm actually a fan of Ryan Clark for the most part. But this is and I wouldn't have gone as strong as Shady did. This is why it's a good podcast, a good show. But I do understand what Shady is saying on like putting just a little because I don't doubt that Ryan Clark was hurt and offended by the way he was let go. And personally I do think that the way it happened, not the fact that he was let go, because that happens. Like what what Shady is saying. Yeah, this is the business. But the way it went down was shady and would have bothered me personally if I were to put myself in Ryan Clark's shoes. But that being said, it did feel like there was a little extra mustard on adding tears to it. And one of the things that is a pet peeve of mine with Ryan Clark. And again, I like and respect Ryan Clark, but it does feel like he just uses a little bit too many, like almost too many words too much. There's just a little bit more extra sauce on things every now and then with Ryan Clark. And I felt like this was an opportunity for him to do that and he seized said opportunity, even though I agree with the point of the way he was let go was pretty shady.

[A]

Yeah, no, it was shady.

[B]

No pun intended.

[A]

Well, and at one point in it but ESPN painted themselves into that corner because supposedly his firing pending firing had leaked to some outlets. There was already speculation over the weekend. And so espn, because they have leaks in the boat had they were either going to have Ryan Clark find out on social media or they had to go tell him in the middle of a show. That to me, is the part with ESPN.

[B]

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[A]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

It's like, man, get your house order. Oh, get your house in order. Like, you were put in. You put yourself in a position where you had no good choice on how to tell him personally that he was getting fired because you got somebody talking, somebody starting their own podcast. Somebody's doing an underground podcast to. To Andrew Marshawn and people like that, the media reporters.

[B]

And see, this is the issue, though, like, the reason why I wouldn't even give him that much grace or say, get your house in order because this feels like a deliberate attempt. Had they leaked it to front office sports or to the athletic or somebody like that, a more down the middle media coverage outlet, that would have been one thing. But the way this story goes is they leaked it to outkick, which is notably anti Ryan Clark. So it felt personal and like there was an ax to grind from the very beginning with this.

[A]

Yep. All right, C.J. stroud, let's circle back to C.J. that was the petty cast. We'll read some of your. Your text, too. Father of two and two grandkids. A thousand percent unacceptable by those people at the table next to us.

[B]

Yeah, man, you got to do better.

[A]

You got to do better.

[B]

Got to do better than that.

[A]

Foster Moreau was on a podcast talking about his new quarterback, C.J. stroud, what he likes about C.J. stroud, and maybe what surprised him a little bit about. And West Point Lincoln of Sugarland Studios. Here's Pain and Pender. Somebody just said on the text page, not sure if y' all brought it up yesterday, but did you see Wemby playing soccer in Katy over the weekend with a bunch of people? Yeah.

[B]

We didn't bring it up.

[A]

No.

[B]

And I see it.

[A]

I meant to acknowledge him. Can I acknowledge Victor Wimbanyama? I. I thought it was cool. Now, I don't know how cool spurs fans or the spurs front office thought it was. You got big, gangly Wemby out there with a bunch of people half his size right next to his knees. Yeah. Playing soccer with him in a rival

[B]

city, by the way, in Katie. Yeah.

[A]

Where it would be very easy to put a hit out on him. Yeah.

[B]

Like, if they were depending on how solid. How solid of a rocket fan are you and how gritty and grimy are you out there in those mean streets of Katy.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

Are you really about that life, though?

[A]

Everybody knows that's where the biggest mob hits take place in the Houston area.

[B]

Just Trying to tell you out in Katy, if anybody, if you. It's one of those. If, you know, you know.

[A]

That's right. That's right. So Foster Moreau did an interview recently where he talked about his quarterback, C.J. stroud, and he. Here's kind of Foster Moreau, who to me is early on here is one of the more thoughtful interviews on the Houston Texans. Yeah, he feels like a broadcaster, actually, the way he talks. This is his kind of scouting report on what he's seen out of C.J. stroud so far.

[C]

Very early on, I wanted to go hang out with, with CJ Just, you know, get a vibe, just see how he's feeling, catch a few balls. And I mean, his arm talent is exceptional. Some of the best I, I've been able to play with. He missed three games last year. I mean, his, his statistical numbers for, you know, where he wants to be in terms of a. As, as a successful quarterback. He's. He's always chasing greatness, always chasing excellence. He's an underrated. He's underrated with his legs. I mean, that cat can move, right? You know, I'm excited. I'm excited especially for what I've seen throughout OTAs, throughout the, the phase one, phase two. He's got the guys, he's getting. He's getting everyone together out in, out in sunny California for a nice throwing session, as most quarterbacks, as most quarterbacks do nowadays.

[A]

Okay, so we got a little more from Foster Moreau. Foster Moreau's vibe just cracks me up. He's the one that, when they asked him, I forget he did an interview or they asked him about. It might have been like his first presser or like the zoom that he did after he signed with the media. And the first thing he brought up was, yeah, d'. Ameco. Ryan's really like him. Good firm handshake. Yeah, good firm handshake. Okay. Yeah, it's cool. He's got a good firm handshake.

[B]

And he does, he does have a good firm handshake. But of all things to point out,

[A]

like in the first five seconds of your, Your press conference, it was just, it was really funny, this guy. Yeah, it was really funny. So good scouting report on CJ I like this follow up, though, that he maybe based on what he had seen early from CJ was kind of surprised at how vocal CJ Is.

[C]

And I thought he was a quiet leader for us when I first showed up. And then we got into the workouts and we got into the actual. The bulk, majority of what we actually do as a football team. And he's vocal, he's loud. Like, he, he has an expectation and he has a vision for what he wants our offense to be, what he wants our team to be. And he doesn't have a choice. He's a leader for us regardless of circumstance.

[A]

You have to be. Yeah, you have to be in that position. I liked hearing that at the very beginning when he's like, I thought he was a quiet leader. I'm like, oh, God, please don't be a quiet leader. I think in that position you've got to be a vocal leader. There's no quarterback is not a lead. Lead by example position.

[B]

Yeah. And I think this is a part of the CJ Stroud narrative that has gone left because of some of the things that we've seen outwardly. And Foster Moreau is kind of hitting on this a little bit without saying it quite as demonstrative, but like he was, I think, observing CJ from afar and then his initial impression, before they get out into the nitty gritty of what they're doing as a football team, as he lays out there, oh, this guy must be kind of quiet, soft spoken. And a lot of the things that we've seen from CJ Stroud publicly are like, unfortunately, this narrative has changed a little bit because he cries when Tank Dell gets injured. And we've seen some pouting on the sidelines a time or two to where I think people could easily just assume either he's not a vocal enough leader or he just does not necessarily command the room, which I think has just been a misnomer since the beginning of the start of that narrative. Like, that's just not necessarily the case. Even if that's a, an easy assumption to make based off of what you see outwardly.

[A]

I think the other thing it does to the things you talked about, the, you know, the Tank. You know, the scene around Tank that day. Yeah, the, the, the sideline demeanor at times. And then, and then just in, in the case of the playoffs, the actual results and what we saw in the field is that it gets people questioning his mental toughness.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I don't mean his intelligence, I don't mean his intellect. I'm talking about toughness.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Being able. And I know we hear from people around him all the time, and I know there's evidence in his actual off field life too. Of overcoming things.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Overcoming, you know, his father's in prison. Overcoming. He was, you know, a no star, you know, like a two star recruit. Until he went to the elite 11. Like, CJ's got a story.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So there is that. But the fact of the matter is, here we sit in the last time we saw him, he was throwing four interceptions in the first half of a playoff game. And was the main reason they lost that game. The game prior to that, I think most people would say they won in large part because of the defense. When he's fumbling the ball five times on snaps that are. Snaps that are right to him, things like that. So that's. That is the biggest story with the Texans, bigger than anything else, is has C.J. stroud recovered from whatever was going on in the playoffs last year? And what does redemption look like for CJ Stroud? Does it have to be something where they get to a Super bowl for people? Does it have to be something where they have to get to the AFC title game? Does it have to be something where they get knocked out in the same round of the playoffs? It's not. Cause C.J. stroud, through four interceptions, he did his job. I don't know what that is for. I like, for me, for me, I just need him to play a whole lot more like he did at the beginning of his career. That's redemption for me. Like him individually now. He's going to be the main reason that they go as far or not as far as they end up going this season. Like, the defense gives them a floor, but eventually, eventually, like Sam Darnold, eventually had to make some plays for Seattle.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I know we like to point to their defense and their defense is the biggest reason they won. Whatever you. Eventually your quarterback's going to have to do some things, and certainly he's going to have to keep from doing things that make you lose these games.

[B]

Yeah, the. The weird part about CJ's season this year is like, the timing of his. Because he's gonna have a bad game, he's gonna have bad moments. Literally everybody does. I don't care how good you are. But what is the timing of those moments? When's it gonna happen? Is it gonna be in the middle of the season if it's in the playoffs? Is it gonna be. Is it gonna be something that the Texans can overcome? How often, if at all, are they gonna have to overcome their quarterback versus him being the reason why they win? Like, can he win him a game in the wild card round, but still be the reason why they lose the divisional round? And how does it. Cause, like, when we look back, they won that first game, but he wasn't good against Pittsburgh either, right?

[A]

No.

[B]

So, like, what. What is the. What's the math on that is the question.

[A]

Well, even in the regular season, you know, and maybe the defense is so good now that you're really not in a position where he's got to put a cape on like he did a couple times his rookie year. And the defense wasn't as good in 2023, certainly as it was last year and probably in 2024 also. It's been an elite defense for two years now.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, they got Daniel Hunter in 2024, and they've taken off ever since then. Diseases willing.

[A]

I mean, I think. I think CJ had more games his rookie year than he did the next two years combined, where he went and won the game for you. The Tampa Bay game was the biggest turning point of his. The early part of his career.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

There for nearly 500 yards. Brought him back in 46 seconds. I mean, you go back and watch the highlights of that game, it's like, man, I would love for that guy to walk through this door again. That CJ in that game that day, he was incredible. And then the next week, they go

[B]

on the road and Be Joe Burrow.

[A]

Beat Joe Burrow. Be Joe Burrow. And that was a game where CJ actually made a mistake towards the end of the game. He threw a horrible interception. When they're up 10, you're just trying to protect the football and bleed the clock and. And it opened the door for Cincinnati to tie that game. But then CJ goes down and gets in position for. I think. I think that was the Matt Amendola game where there was the backup kicker.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Field goal in that game. So. So he, you know, and then the. The game, the do or Die game against the colts in week 18. Oh, he was. It's neat. He was great in that game. And then the following season, they opened against the Colts, and he was great in that game, too. But it's been a while since CJ's had games like that. Where you go, boy, he just put the team on his back. And again, maybe some of that is with this defense. It hasn't been necessary for him to do that. But they have lost some games. You know, they.

[B]

They.

[A]

Even with this defense, they've lost some games over the last few years. So we just haven't. We just. I feel like we haven't seen that version of cj, you know?

[B]

Well, it's. And it's fine for it to not be like, we love it that the Defense is so good that it's not necessary for CJ Stroud to put the team on his back and all that sort of thing. Right. Like that. That part of it is good. The bad part is even within that context, when he's giving the game away.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Right. Like, it's one thing to say we don't need you to put us on your back and go win the game, but the non negotiable, the thing that you can't do is be the reason why we lose it. Especially at the quarterback position.

[A]

Especially in the divisional round in New England when you would have faced the Broncos backup quarterback the next week in the AFC title game. Especially then. I text messages. This goes back to the Petty cast in the previous segment. I described a story of a couple next to the table at a nice steakhouse here in town that, that Amy and I were eating at over the weekend. And this couple brought a baby in in a stroller, like a carriage stroller. And the husband was circling the table with the baby on his shoulder, like, trying to get it to sleep. Turned out the baby was hungry, so the mom breastfed the baby right at the table. Put a blanket over the whole scene. But still, you know, you got people spending hundreds of dollars on a nice dinner, you know, not to sit in a nursery.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So most of the techs that have come in have supported the notion that, hey, just skip dinner that night, guys. Stay home. It's not appropriate for an upscale restaurant like that. There are a few people saying that, that we're wrong in this. Um, but this one is not one of those people. I wouldn't mind someone bringing a baby to a nice restaurant as long as one of the parents takes the kids out. If they start crying or being loud. I don't think it's appropriate to pop a boob. I'll say boob out. To breastfeed at the table. Pump before and bring a bottle.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, that's a reasonable take.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And there are. There is like a whole. I don't want to call it a political movement, but there is a whole, like, you know, women should have the right to breastfeed, and it's natural. And like, they're like, that's a whole kind of ethos or thought process, if you will. Like, people believe in that. And I like, I'll give you that. My wife was one of those.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

So, like, I'm cool with that. But the initial point of, like, what's the proper thing to do when the, when the baby starts making noise it's not to get up and walk around the table like you're at the baby's nursery or in your living room or in the privacy of your own home. You take the kid, even if the kid's a toddler or if it's a preschool age kid, an elementary school age kid. Once the kid starts acting up, you leave the scene entirely. You go to the bathroom, you go outside, you find a quiet space to tend to the child.

[A]

My point is that an upscale steakhouse, the baby never should have been in there in the first place. If you're bringing a stroller to a place where the cheapest piece of meat is $65 on the menu, then you shouldn't be going into that place.

[B]

Yeah. I feel like people just want you to have the right to do everything. But look, you know, I had three kids and one of the things I had to accept was that we were going to have to make sacrifices.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Once we had three kids.

[A]

And I'm not saying arrest these people. I'm saying etiquette. Yeah. Proper etiquette.

[B]

Tell them to take that stuff outside.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Come back in when you're.

[A]

As you so eloquently pointed out, the upscale steakhouse is where the beginning of the birthing process takes place.

[B]

Exactly. You don't come. You don't come back 912 months later.

[A]

Right.

[B]

With the baby.

[A]

Oh, remember that night we came here and we did it afterwards.

[B]

Yeah. Let's commemorate this night. Baby annoying the hell out of everybody else that's here.

[A]

Right. Guy says, I've canceled nights out before. And the babysitter cancels when our plans are to go to a nice restaurant. Other couples might be having their own night out that night. Only it, only. And it only happens a few times a year. That's my point. It didn't spoil it for us because as you know, Brandon, I immediately said, well, I can talk about this on the show on Tuesday.

[B]

Here's.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, here's. Content didn't bother me. Yeah. I mean, it did in that it was in the Petty cast, but, you know, aside from that. All right, coming up next, two big names, two of the biggest names in the NFL, arguably the two best players in the last 10 years in the NFL. Are they going to be in the NFL on week one? Are they going to be playing in week one? We've got updates coming up. Network Sports Radio 610 presents live from the West Point Lincoln and West Point Lincoln of Sugarland Studios. Here's Pain and Pendergast, Payne and Pendergast B. Scott. In for. B. Scott. In for. In for Seth Payne. All right, we got a lot of takes on my restaurant experience that we'll read in just a little bit. Um, appreciate everybody tuning in. It is funny to me that the football talk generates its fair share of texts, but when we talk about a black squirrel getting loose on a baseball diamond, in my experience, at an expensive steakhouse, sitting next to a couple that brought a baby in, that that's what generates most of the back and forth.

[B]

Well, because they're just slightly more relatable. Like somebody pointed out on the YouTube chat, you know, we might have solved racism earlier in the show.

[A]

You know, the squirrel talk.

[B]

The squirrel talk. And then in this case with the high end restaurant, what to do with the baby thing. At some point, everybody is going to run into a situation like this, whether you're the parent or in your case, you're just the couple that's going out for a nice, quiet evening.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I'm just a diner there, man. But I will say that the conversation about the upscale steakhouse etiquette has only made this even more important. An episode.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Of Pain and Pendergast.

[B]

Because I do feel like we need to come to a resolution.

[A]

It's a very special episode.

[B]

We. We do need to solve this issue. We got to solve this problem. What. What is the right way to handle this? Because I think the easiest play is just step outside.

[A]

You know who? I'm very anxious to get their take on this?

[B]

Who's that?

[A]

John Lopez.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I am anxious to see. I think Lopez's take on this could be all over the map.

[B]

Yeah. The. The. The delta between what the possibility could be. Yeah. Seems to probably be massive.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because you could see Lopez being the. The heartwarming type saying, oh, no, just let the. He's a grandfather. He's a grandfather, so just let the baby in.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But also, Lopez, well traveled, probably been to his fair. Not. Probably has been to his fair share of fine dining experience. High end.

[A]

Like a normal person, if you're going to spend 400 or $500 on a dinner, wants to make sure that he and Jan are having the perfect experience.

[B]

A parent himself, obviously. A grandparent and a parent himself.

[A]

Like, I have no idea. He's. It's. It's a total wild card to me.

[B]

But I do feel like he's going to have a solid answer. Whether you agree with it or not, it's going to be a solid lived experience. Answer from Lopez.

[A]

Do you think Aaron Donald is Coming back to play football this year for the Los Angeles Rams.

[B]

I do. Based off of how Sean McVeigh talked about it and talked around, sounds like he's going to at least like. Whether he does or not. It does sound like he's going to at least give it a shot, give it a go.

[A]

This is the quote you're talking about. This is from Sean McVay just a couple days ago. For those of you guys that do know Aaron. Aaron Donald, he's very diligent. Anything he does, he does all in. And so he's going through a very strict, regimented process that was similar to what he did when he played end quote. That says to me, he's coming back.

[B]

He's trying.

[A]

He's trying. Now, I think this, if I had to predict, because we've seen other players do this, most notably in Dominican. Sue did this with, I think, the Eagles back in the day and got to a Super bowl with them doing this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Is he came back in, like, week 10. I could see Aaron Donald doing something like that. I don't think if he's coming back, he's coming back for the money, so it's not like he needs. Well, I got to get, you know, 17 game checks. You know, got a max out here. No, I think Aaron Donald coming back with fresh legs in the middle of the season.

[B]

Scary proposition.

[A]

Scary proposition. And I think the smart proposition, if you're Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams, they're already going to be a good team without him.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Can you imagine adding. It's like adding Aaron Donald at the trade deadline for nothing.

[B]

Yeah. It.

[A]

It's depending on how much Rusty has to knock off.

[B]

You know, this is a fair. It is fair to call this an embarrassment of riches if they're able to get this guy back. Cause they don't need Aaron Donald. They did, by the way, just trade for, I don't know, Miles Garrett.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Didn't they do that?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So. So, like, what do you need Aaron Donald for? Just the idea that those two guys could line up next to each other. Some version of Aaron Donald. I don't even know what it's going to look like, but you got to figure he's going to still be a bad a. That's scary, man.

[A]

You know what it's like. Because I don't think we'd be having this conversation if the Miles Garrett trade hadn't gotten made. I think there's something to playing alongside Miles Garrett. Yeah. And certainly something that. I mean, they were a Super Bowl Contender, even with Jared Verse. They were a game away from getting to the super bowl last year, the Rams. So they were already a good team. This is a little bit like the dynamic you and I talked about, I Think yesterday with LeBron James and the Jalen Brown trade. LeBron chose the Sixers, and Jalen Brown being there was a. Reportedly a big part of that. Like, if Jaylen Brown weren't on the Sixers, there's a good chance LeBron James is not on the Sixers as well.

[B]

Clear domino effect.

[A]

So the trade. And he signs for a minimum contract.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So the trade that the Sixers made for Jalen Brown functionally included LeBron James in a way.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's almost like they. They got LeBron James in the Jaylen Brown trade in addition to Jalen Brown.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's like this for Paul freaking George.

[B]

It's like The Celtics traded LeBron James to the Sixers despite him being a Laker.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. But functionally, that is.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, that's it.

[A]

This is kind of similar in that if. If Miles Garrett is the Jalen Brown in this analogy, if he's the big reason Aaron Donald wants to come back and play, it's almost like the Cleveland Browns traded Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald to the Los Angeles Rams.

[B]

Dude. What. Just. What a wild.

[A]

If one is tied to the other inextricably, and I think these are pretty close to that, then. Then it's. It's an over the top, genius move by Les Snead.

[B]

Yeah. I don't think you're reaching at all here. Like, this is. This is two plus two equal and four to me.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Or two plus one plus one equal and four if you want to do it that way. But nonetheless, you still get to four. Yeah. And I'll point out to me, this is different because your original question is like. Like, do we think he's coming back? The way that Sean McVeigh is talking about Aaron Donald is even different from. Remember a couple of years ago, we kind of did this from a Texan standpoint with J.J. watt. Like, is he going to come back and play for his old teammate in d'? Amico? He's still only just a year or two removed from playing. He talked about himself. Hey, I'm only going to be working out like this for a certain amount of time. I'm not going to do this forever. What? That seemed to be like they were kind of playing coy a little bit. Tongue in cheek, like they were just playing into the joke. This doesn't seem like Sean McVeigh is playing into any joke that sound like an actual breakdown.

[A]

The part where he's talking about there being a regimented process.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Michael. He's doing something then.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and I know Aaron Donald's been keeping in shape in retirement. I know that he looks amazing. All that stuff. This feels very football specific the way he's talking. Right.

[B]

He's already a maniac in the gym. He's going the extra mile of being like an NFL maniac.

[A]

Patrick Mahomes is going to be full go for camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah. So he is going to. Looks like. Did the. Did the league miss its window here to smack the Chiefs around a little bit?

[B]

I mean, they might have.

[A]

They got smacked around last year. People forget the Chiefs were already kind of an average team even before Mahomes got hurt.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Mahomes getting hurt just cratered the season and allowed them to pick in the top 10 in the draft.

[B]

Yeah. Their odds were pretty slim that like they were at a point where they were going to have to run the. After showing that they were a 500 football team.

[A]

They were 6 and 6 when the Texans played them.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

In week 14.

[B]

And they got to a point where as well, we got to run the table if we want to have a shot. And then the quarterback gets tears his knee.

[A]

So Mahomes is going to be back for week one, which is. And he's going to be full go for camp, which is very different than what the forecasts were when he first hurt the knee.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, there was talk. I remember we, you know, when they signed Justin Fields, I remember doing a segment with Seth. We're like, all right, well, what's that going to look like for the first few weeks with Justin Fields in an Andy Reid offense? Because it was going to be necessary because we thought Mahomes is going to miss some time.

[B]

Yeah. And this now goes back to our conversation about how the injuries are. Want to say easier but much more likely to recover from or recovering much sooner than you did in the past when we were growing up with sports.

[A]

Yep. Septankdale year and a half.

[B]

Yeah. Which you can see why.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Physiologically, why that. Why that checks out.

[A]

Yep. Text message. My name is Ryan. It's my first time texting in. All right, welcome to the show, Ryan. But you said something that's very polarizing in my home. My wife will say, quote, it's a baby thing. It's what babies do. Talking about either, you know, Crying or breastfeeding at the table, whatever.

[B]

We're familiar with that.

[A]

I'm the complete opposite. When our son was an infant, I avoided doing anything. If we did go out and he lost it, I'm paying the tab and I'm leaving immediately.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now I. And there's people wondering, like, well, what would you do, Sean? Like, you have three kids back in the. You know, I have three kids now, but they're all in their 20s. We rarely went out. You got to understand. I had twins, and then Sammy was born 17 months later.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So we had three little kids. The fanciest thing we would go to would be to go to, like, a Buffalo Wild Wings or a Willy's Ice House. Not Willie G's, the fancy seafood place, like a Willy's Ice House, where you go and it's very casual. And my kids were always really good about not crying at the table. We never brought them when they were infants. Now it would look like a food bomb went off around our table. They'd all be sitting in high chairs and they'd be eating, and it was a mess for the staff to clean up. But those places are built for that sort of thing.

[B]

Yeah. And that. That is normal. That's normal is what babies do.

[A]

Yes. There was never breastfeeding going on at the table, I can tell you that. No, but I know it's everybody's right to do that. I looked. I asked Chatgpt. It's perfectly legal.

[B]

I do feel like. And of course, our audience is fairly male dominated. I do feel like the stances. The stances on this fall along gender lines, and the men who cross over to the woman's side have been convinced and conditioned by the woman's position on

[A]

this thing and probably lead happier, more cordial marriages. Yeah, I get it. You're caving. You know they'll cave at some point.

[B]

Happy wife, happy life.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

But a man got to draw the line somewhere.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And the baby crying at the steakhouse or at the high end restaurant is the line for me, dog.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

We got to go outside.

[A]

Got you. Got to. All right, 9 o' clock hour coming up. Let's circle back to the Astros. Maybe the most improbable win of the season, certainly the most improbable win of this little run that the Astros are on here. They've won six out of seven now, so they're working their way back in it. We'll get you updated on the standings, and if you missed it last night, holy smokes, what a wild ninth inning. For the Houston Astros. That is coming up next.