What Happened to CJ Just After his Rookie Year? + Top Item Bids So Far

Summary

Payne & Pendergast Podcast Summary

Episode: "What Happened to CJ Just After his Rookie Year? + Top Item Bids So Far"
Date: July 3, 2026
Hosts: Seth Payne & (guesting on Reggie and Ron’s Radio Thon hour)

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Overview of the Episode

This episode is a special segment as part of the Reggie & Ron Radio Thon, with Seth Payne joining to discuss Houston sports and participate in the charitable effort for the Houston Food Bank. The primary sports focus is on the Houston Texans—specifically, an in-depth discussion about the curious end to the C.J. Stroud/Bobby Slowik era after Stroud’s rookie year and the subsequent organizational dynamics. The group also takes a lighter turn, discussing bid items for the Radio Thon auction, including dinners with local on-air personalities and signed sports memorabilia, all to raise money for a good cause.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. C.J. Stroud’s Sophomore Year and Bobby Slowik’s Departure

• What Changed After a Stellar Rookie Season?

  • The hosts dive into the unusual offseason following Stroud’s historic rookie campaign. Despite success, Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik was let go—not to take a head coaching opportunity, but rather due to undisclosed turmoil.
    • Ron: "You don't have the success that CJ had in this offense and with Bobby Slowik, and then that thing just come to an end... unless something had to be so serious." (05:01)
  • There is a strong implication that serious behind-the-scenes conflict or misalignment led to the breakup.

• Multiple Dynamics at Play

  • Seth Payne: Points to several contributing factors:
    • The run game never matched the effectiveness seen in other successful Shahanan-style offenses. (06:33)
    • Issues on the coaching staff, particularly between O-line coach Chris Strausser and OC Bobby Slowik, led to a lack of unity and trickled down to the locker room environment.
    • The challenge of having a rookie coordinator, quarterback, and head coach all at once.
    • Quoting NBA analyst Windhorst: “This move doesn’t happen unless they’re under duress.” (09:55)

• The Importance of Culture and Locker Room Synergy

  • The group discusses how vital it is, especially in the NFL, to have cultural unity. Lack of alignment on offense (as compared to a more stable defensive culture) may have reduced the Texans’ effectiveness and complicated the Stroud-Slowik dynamic.

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2. Texans Locker Room Leadership & Offensive Culture Evolution

• Leadership Vacuum?

  • Reggie wonders aloud about the presence, or absence, of clear leaders in key position groups, particularly on the offensive line and among skill players. He proposes that recent additions—David Montgomery and even Foster Moreau—could fill these leadership voids. (17:14)
  • Seth: "You want to have at least one [veteran leader] in each position group... There never has to be a true alpha, but it's ideal." (17:57)
  • He also admires how the D-line has several “old heads” to mentor younger stars like Will Anderson.

• Comparison to Astros' "Golden Era" Culture

  • Seth draws a parallel to the unselfishness and tightly-knit environment that defined the Astros, noting that the Texans have begun to build something similar, especially as they have focused more on offensive chemistry.
    • Seth: "You'd have guys come into the [Astros] team expecting a bunch of divas... blown away by how welcoming everybody was." (16:00)

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3. Radio Thon: Auction Items and Fundraising Banter

• How to Donate & Where the Money Goes

  • The hosts repeatedly encourage listeners to text RADIOTHON26 to 71777 or donate via social media/website links.
  • Seth: “The amazing thing about the food bank... you can get three meals out of $1.” (02:38)

• Auction Highlights

  • Dinners with on-air hosts (Payne & Pendergast at Carrabba’s, In the Loop at Federal Grill, etc.)
  • Signed memorabilia such as a Mike Tyson glove ($300 starting bid) and a framed autographed Lionel Messi jersey ($3,500 starting bid). (29:43, 30:00)
  • Notable humor as hosts debate whether local audiences will spring for the Messi jersey at that price.

• Friendly Teasing and Banter over Participation

  • The crew engages in friendly ribbing about which hosts are “fun” at dinner (i.e., Ben’s participation) and the “value” of their auction packages. (22:08–26:23)
  • Lighthearted discussion about the efficacy of charity auctioneers bullying people into bidding more, referencing an incident with Emmanuel Sanders. (34:20)

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4. Memorable Quotes & Lighter Moments

Quotes

• Ron (on the Stroud/Slowik split):
  “You just don’t move off of that kind of success—unless something, something very much... made them feel like, we just have to get rid of this.” (09:13)
• Seth (on rookie coaching chaos):
  “It just wasn’t a perfect environment... rookie offensive coordinator with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach at the same time.” (08:10)
• Seth (on Texans' evolving culture):
  “You want to have at least one... true vet that kind of holds everything together and sets a certain standard.” (17:57)
• Seth (on charity auctions):
  “I will never accept that [auctioneer] role again... I’m like a panhandler too meek to ask for money.” (34:29)
• Ron (on resisting Girl Scout cookie pitches):
  “I want to let them give their whole presentation... I think I’ll probably go in a different direction.” (38:12)

Notable Moments

• Trash Bag Fundraiser Detour:
  Spirited debate and confusion over whether a “giant yellow trash bag” fundraiser actually exists, leading to on-the-fly web research. (37:44–39:11)
• Food Bank Efficiency:
  Seth praises the Houston Food Bank’s ability to deliver three meals for every dollar, highlighting their operational expertise. (02:38)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:41] – C.J. Stroud/Bobby Slowik situation: “Something happened... that dynamic, something had to be so serious...”
• [06:33] – Seth articulates the need for a run game and outlines coaching conflicts.
• [09:53] – “You just don’t move off that level of success... unless under duress.”
• [12:07] – Discussion of locker room culture, leadership, and NFL vs. college/HS teams.
• [16:00] – Texans culture compared to Astros’ golden era.
• [17:14–17:57] – David Montgomery and Foster Moreau named as potential leaders.
• [22:08–26:23] – Auction item banter, teasing Ben about joining dinner, fun behind-the-scenes moments.
• [29:43, 30:00] – Highlighting top auction items (Mike Tyson glove, Messi jersey).
• [34:20] – Charity auctioneering stories and “bullying” for bids.
• [37:44–39:33] – Trash bag fundraiser confusion and levity.

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Tone and Style

The conversation is lively, candid, and mixes football analysis with relatable humor and banter. The hosts maintain a local, inside-baseball style tone, peppered with personal anecdotes and plenty of good-natured ribbing, fitting for a community-driven charitable broadcast.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode provides both substance and entertainment: a thoughtful, insider’s look at organizational disruption inside the Texans, lessons on leadership and locker room culture, and a healthy dose of laughter and camaraderie. The auction and Radio Thon aim to foster community involvement for a great cause, and listeners are treated to a unique blend of real sports talk and local radio personality at its best.

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Quick Reference

• Radio Thon Donations: Text RADIOTHON26 to 71777 or visit sportsradio610.com
• Top Auction Items: Dinner with Payne & Pendergast, Mike Tyson autographed glove, Lionel Messi signed jersey, UT legends photo.
• Segment to Hear C.J. Stroud Analysis: 04:41–09:55
• Segment with Locker Room & Leadership Insights: 12:07–19:54
• Auction/Banter Highlights: 22:08–30:39

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Transcript

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[Seth Payne]

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[Ron]

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[Ron]

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[Seth Payne]

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[Reggie]

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[Seth Payne]

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[Ron]

All right. Welcome back. As, as we said baby, one hour down as we enter the seven o' clock hour and let's pick it up folks. Let's get it going man. We appreciate you joining us today as you're getting ready on your holiday weekend. And within that we we welcome you to the Reggie and Ron Radio Thon. Last year we had a ton of fun and a ton of success and we're looking to build and move past that. And the best way that you can help us feed Houston, this is directly going to the Houston Food Bank. The Houston Food Bank. They supply over a million people, 18 different counties in the area and in the Houston area. And man, any kind of donations and help that they can get to help feed these people is huge. And it's kind of been on the heart of myself and Reggie and we got together a couple of years ago and said if we can, we could do something, put something together. And we decided on a radio fine. And it was, as we said, as I said earlier, great success last year. We're looking to build on that. Text radio thon r a d I o t h o n 26 radio thon 26 all one word. Text that to 7177 and you'll have a chance to be able to donate any amount counts. Right.

[Seth Payne]

And the amazing thing about the food bank is that, you know, people, people here, wait a second, you can feed, you can get three meals out of $1. You know, and you always worry about, okay, when I'm, when I'm donating money, how much of is it? Like, what's to do? You go to the Houston Food bank and it's amazing just what an operation it is. And they're able to, they're able to get that kind of return out of your $1 just because they're so efficient and they're dealing with such large quantities and everything that they just, they feed a massive amount of people and for, and do it really efficiently. It's really, really cool.

[Reggie]

Ron, do you remember around this time. Yes. Last year, how far we were? Because I'm not going to lie, I feel like we were further than $282 at this point last year. I'm not gonna lie.

[Ron]

I, I, it feels like we were,

[Seth Payne]

it feels like the, that 6am hour people are slow to get going. Yeah, yeah, I feel I've, yeah, but, but maybe that's my fault because I've told too many stories about offensive lineman and Amelia Earhart. You guys, you gotta do it, do it now. Do it now. Go text Radio THON to 71777.

[Reggie]

Yeah, Radio THON 26, which I'm realizing

[Seth Payne]

as we keep 26.

[Reggie]

Is this, is this too difficult? Like of a, of a barrier? Like, is it too complicated to be like Radio Thon 26? Because I can do, I can make it easy. I can send you the link directly if you text into the Sports Radio 610 text line. 7, 1, 3 5. I want to lower the, the barrier for entry. I want to make it as easy as possible.

[Seth Payne]

Go to any one of our social media accounts or Sports Radio 610's social media accounts and, and, or mostly X. And, and you can find a link right there at the top of any of our feeds too.

[Ron]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Reggie]

Yeah, I feel bad though, Ron Seth, because I feel like we, we got into a little bit of CJ Stroud conversation that last segment. I think we've done more conversation about football and CJ Stroud in the breaks than we have on air right, right now.

[Ron]

Okay. And I'll be, I was, I'm not

[Reggie]

saying we have to. It was just funny that I just realized we got into the weeds in a couple of breaks already.

[Ron]

Listen, my whole thing, I was, I was thinking Of. Of like, obviously it's multiple things, but for me, I don't know what. What happened. As I see people texting in their thoughts, something happened, like, I hate to say it as like the adults in the room, but, I mean, the. The coaches. Something happened around him from year one to the end of year two to where like Seth and. And. And Reggie, you. I mean, you guys have. You. You've obviously played the game. You've been in locker rooms, we've covered it. That you don't have the success that CJ had in this offense and with Bobby Slowik, and then that thing just come to an end and. And we feel like everybody's going every which way and he doesn't leave because he got a head coaching job. He leaves because y' all move on from him. That, like, whatever happened with. Well, with that dynamic of. I don't know if it was push, pull or it. It seemed like it seemed like there was. There was fights. And when I say fights, I'm just, you know, tug of wars within the people working with cj and maybe CJ had something to do with it, but that whatever happened in that dynamic, something had to be so serious because you just don't see a guy have. Arguably, Clint would say this. Arguably the best rookie season we've seen from a quarterback, a guy who was a top 10 MVP finisher with this dude who the team desperately wanted to keep as the OC and gave him a raise and he didn't go and take a head coaching job. And that just come to a complete end immediately. Like, something.

[Seth Payne]

I mean, the biggest thing going into that, Going into that second season, what I had kept saying was that, all right, we think Bobby Slowik might be the real deal. But for. For me, I needed to see in that offense that they were running that you. You just absolutely have to be able to run the football. And they really hadn't been able to in that first season. And I didn't think I was. Like, I didn't feel comfortable saying that it was a good offense until I saw them actually do it with the run game. I mean, if you look at Kyle Shanahan, you talk to people that work with Kyle Shanahan and they say that's the only thing he cares about, is he just wants to be able to destroy you in the run. And that sets everything else up. And part of it is just because Kyle Shanahan is kind of a mean and nasty dude, more so than people would realize by his boyish. By his boyish appearance and I think that that's the part that multiple things can be true. I think that without that run game, the offense just flat out wasn't going to be as good. You know, like that's. We went through that with Gary Kubiak here. There's times where people want to say, ah, that Kubiak Shanahan system's antiquated now. It's not going to work. I mean it doesn't work when you're not executing it properly. When you're Clint Kubiak executing it in Seattle last year, it looked like it worked pretty damn well. And it's. If you don't. But if you don't get both that really critical part of it, the rushing offense and it's really hard to make it work. And it wasn't like the Seahawks were an incredible rushing offense, but they ran the ball well enough to make everything else work. But then on top of that, I agree with you. I do think that C.J. as a young quarterback, C.J. as I may be liking this or not liking that, that was a dynamic. I think Chris Strausser and Bobby Slowik were never on the same page. And what was the filter down effect from that into the culture on the O line? I think there are multiple things and it's just ultimately, I mean you had a rookie offensive coordinator with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach at the same time. And I think that some of the decisions they made perhaps in how to create an environment around CJ maybe would have been different if they had more time to hire on that first cycle, get an offensive line coach who is familiar with the system, something like that. It's just that was, it just wasn't a perfect environment.

[Ron]

Obviously that environment that, that's. That to me that that is always something that is just. Because if you tell me like all right, what's it going to take for Bobby Slowik to not be here and it not be because he took a head coaching job after, after year one like. And to think, yeah, man, they, they won the same amount of games a year before and they went to the playoffs, one of the playoffs. And somehow that, that didn't work. And I'm with you, it took a step back. But generally even, even with that the two years of success, it is hard to think we got to move off of that unless something, something very much like whatever is happening in Boston, some reason they felt like we just have to get rid of this. Even though there is a high level of success, we have to get rid of this because something because you just don't. You just don't move move off of that.

[Reggie]

Right.

[Ron]

That level of success.

[Seth Payne]

Wind horse say this, this move doesn't happen unless they're under duress. That was a. Duress was the word he used. Yeah. So were they under some sort of duress above and beyond the normal second year quarterback blips? What if your drive was fueled with more like more protection for more time on the road? Shelby Power Nitro plus provides more protection for longer lasting engines, so it helps keep your engine running like new for whatever drive is ahead. Shelby Power Nitro engine performance that lasts compared to minimum detergent gasoline. With continuous use of Shelby Power Nitro plus and gasoline direct injection engines, actual effects and benefits may vary. See Shell us More Dash Protection for more information.

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[Ron]

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[Reggie]

We did get some like, you know, one of the things I love in sports is when a coach moves on or when like you turn the page because everybody becomes more willing and free to give us more of an insight. And we got so much that kind of intimated that yeah, the relationships and the I guess the cohesiveness, the unity, the synergy, whatever, you know, buzzword you want to use. There was not to the degree that you probably need. And I. I mean, being in locker rooms that I think we've all played, at least at some level. Definitely not the same level as Seth, but Seth, you could probably speak to it, man, so much of what you're

[Ron]

talking about, man, that Blue Springs High School locker room was very similar, I'm sure.

[Reggie]

Honestly, Jacksonville, look, I didn't mean to disrespect you. I was just wanting to make clear that, you know, Seth played at a different level than us. Clearly, we, you know.

[Ron]

Hey, hey. I had three pros in that locker room.

[Seth Payne]

You did? Yeah. You had a. Who were they?

[Ron]

Brandon Lloyd was the best athlete I've ever. I've ever. Brandon Lloyd saved my life my first day of 2A days. I had a first day of 2 days. My mom gave me a bike. And if you know this show. I don't know how to ride a bike, but she told me that's how you're going to get to. To. To practice, because I'm not driving you or picking you up. So you're gonna figure out how to learn this bike, ride this bike.

[Reggie]

And so you walk to practice.

[Ron]

And I. I listen. It was my first day. Bob Beatty was a head coach. He actually left to come coach in Texas. But I had never had conditioning like that. I had never in my life. And I had.

[Reggie]

I hadn't even thought about getting home after practice.

[Ron]

I'm afraid I had. And. And Brandon's a senior. I had cramps in my feet, my stomach. I Like, if you've ever, like, I mean. I mean, whatever. Like, I could understand what Darren Peterson was going. I felt like I had a full body joint. And I'm. And I'm. There was no. I can't ride the bike 100%, let alone cramped. And I just remember Brandon said, hey. He saw me struggling, walking beside it. He said, man, you. You all right? I said, no, I'm not. He said, where you live? He said, man, throw that bike in. He had a truck. Throw that bike in the truck. And he. Thank God almighty he dropped me off at the house. I said, man, thank you. Thank God. But that dude, he was our kicker, our best quarterback. He just didn't play it receiver and corner. And then John Garrison, he was a long snapper for the Lions for a long time and went to Nebraska. Jamar Mosey. I mean, yeah, we had.

[Seth Payne]

We had a. Yeah, you were in one of those communities Kind of like out in Sugar Land where there's like a bunch of NFL players and their kids.

[Ron]

Oh, yeah, yeah. NFL players paying players to move there. Yeah, we had it all. Did you.

[Seth Payne]

So did you walk the bike to practice and back every day?

[Ron]

Well, that was the last of it. I just. I just went ahead and just walked.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, okay.

[Reggie]

He said.

[Seth Payne]

I mean, the bike.

[Ron]

I just walked and became friends with somebody who could drive that. And that, that, that became. That became a thing rather than learning how to. How to ride that bike. But anyway.

[Reggie]

Yeah, but the point is, like, in those locker rooms, if. If you have things off, it's going to knock off even like the cap. Most capable of teams like the synergy, considering that we're talking about, at least at the NFL level, 53 bodies, plus however many coaches you have. Right. And then that's needless to say. You could also talk about nutrition, staff and all the other. There needs to be an alignment in order to get this done. Like, this is quite an operation. It's the reason why there's such an authoritative hierarchy like environment in football, because you need everybody pulling in the same direction to get there.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, it is. And it's. It's crazy. The thing that I like about the Texans is that we've had that culture on defense where it just seems like they've just all got the same types of guys. But in the NFL, it's really, really hard to find cultures or environments that are anything close to what you have college or high school. If you're on a really good team, because guys just aren't, you're not going to be as tight knit. You know, guys have families, guys have this, that. But there are. There are teams that do a really good job of it. And I think that that's where, when you hear free agents come in now in the last couple years, you really hear them talk about how different the culture, the environment is compared to maybe places that they've been. And it reminds me a little bit of like the Astros during the golden era. You'd have these guys come into the team expecting it to be a bunch of divas or whatever. And. And they were kind of blown away by just how welcoming everybody was and how everybody was kind of built the same way. And I think, you know, it's going to be different type of feel in football, but I think. I think you do have that now. And a lot of it's because they've started to really focus on the offensive side of the ball in the last couple years that there's there's got to be, there's got to be a certain selflessness. That's why I love David Montgomery. I. David Montgomery. I don't know. I can't remember a skill position player with a name who talks as much about selflessness and doing right by the team and everything is David Montgomery. Like, that's. That. It feels like it's better on the offensive side of the ball than it was in the last couple of years. Yeah, that was two years ago especially.

[Reggie]

That was the thing that I feel like I noted about the David Montgomery edition. Obviously there's the, you know, dude who is a mauling back, especially in the red zone. There's those capabilities in goal line situations. I feel like this offense needed a. Their equivalent of Aziz or even Will, like somebody that rallies them. I, I remember back, like missing Joe Mixon, obviously a dude who could just put the cape on and run the football was huge. Wasn't Joe Mixon the dude like the offensive side of guys when they were doing the, the, the players only meetings or whatever? He was the guy that was speaking. I do wonder what the, what the last year the leadership was like on the offensive side of the football because I don't know who that lightning rod is, who everybody kind of galvanizes around. I feel like David Montgomery could absolutely be that.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, you know, that's a, that's a good. I'm glad you brought that up. I hadn't really thought about that. Somebody the other day asked, okay, who's the leader in the offensive line meeting room? And it's always one of those things. There never has to be like, you know, a true alpha guy in any one position group. But you want to, you want to be sure. There needs to be. There needs to. Ideally, there is at least one of those guys in each position meeting room. A guy that's just a true vet that kind of holds everything together and sets a certain standard. You want to have at least one and hopefully more than that. You know, on the D line, they've been, they've had old heads in there. Like in the D line meeting room, they've, at any given time they've got at least three guys who are 30 years old or older. And I think that's, that's been awesome for giving Will Anderson as many resources as possible to see exactly how to do things the right way and how to do it in the NFL. Yeah. On the offensive side of the ball, I just, I don't know. I don't know if they, if they've really had that guy in the offensive line room. Weird. D' Ameco talking about how he's telling Ariante Ursary, you know, that he can be more of a vocal leader, which is cool. But I also wonder. Yeah, like, all right, is that. Is that. Is that, like, which of those guys, you know, whether it's Wyatt Teller or Braden Smith or. I think. I think Trent Brown is that guy. I think, like, just by virtue of, you know, and Trent Brown's been, you know, I heard him with you guys in the afternoon. Ron, you know, basically talking about how they. They needed to be better, that the standard is higher than where they are right now and that they want to match what the defense is doing. I don't know if we got that kind of like, it felt like for years the guys. The offensive line was more interested in convincing people that there really were no problems on the offensive line. So, like last year, to hear Trent Brown in a couple of different interviews say, yeah, we got to be better than where we are. We've made some progress. We've got to be better than where we are. I think that's just a. That was a shift in how that. How it felt like the O line was operating.

[Ron]

Yeah. And I feel like they believe they've got some of that with Wyatt Teller. They feel like they've got some of that with Braden Smith. At least they're hoping they have. They have some of that.

[Reggie]

And that's just the offensive line, like, it seems like they've got. Not just because I think David Montgomery could be that. Foster Moreau, oddly enough, seemed to come up as a dude who guys were galvanizing around.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I was excited to see. I didn't realize he was so sassy on the field.

[Ron]

I thought, he's a coach at the way every time he talks, he sounds like he's a. He's a coach.

[Seth Payne]

You see him in interviews and you think he's. I thought he was a gm. Uh, we did that. When he did that first interview with Mark and John, he was talking about, like, he met. He met Kaylee and he's got a good, firm handshake and all this. He sounded like, yeah, he sounds like a coach or a front office guy. And then out on the field, he's actually kind of a smack talker.

[Ron]

Yeah. All right. A shout out to. As we're starting to roll here. Shout out to Larry and Lee and Jeff the Beckman, as they're the latest here to donate as we are trying to raise money for the Houston Food Bank. That's why we're here and that's why we have started at 6am to 6pm Reggie and I, with the help from many of our friends, as you hear, Seth Payne, we really, we really want to knock what we did out of the water last year. Nearly 30,000. We want to top that this year. Please help us out. Text radio THON26R A D I O T H O N 26 to 71777 for your ability to donate. And you can also, as I see some, some things are picking up there on our auction site. There's an auction site. If you go to sportsradio610.com and you check it out, you see the Reggie and Ron radio thon marker there you can get, catch the link to go right to the auction page and there are 17 items including dinners with all four of our great shows. You can go to Carrabba's with Seth Payne and, and, and Sean and I, I mean, I hope. I just, I'd like Ben to show up, but just me personally,

[Seth Payne]

I can't even throw that out there.

[Ron]

Ben would, I'm looking at that.

[Seth Payne]

Ben would literally murder me.

[Ron]

I want Ben to be there, damn it. I want him to be at Carabas. I want him.

[Reggie]

Honestly, I'm surprised we've gotten this far and without you haranguing Ben at all.

[Ron]

I just, I think Ben is a guy who likes a good Bolognese and I think he would enjoy one.

[Seth Payne]

I've got. Unless I get any word from Ben at all that he wants to be a part of this. I would guess that there's no amount of money they would entice him into this.

[Ron]

And you know what? And the worst part is Ben is selfish.

[Seth Payne]

Selfish.

[Ron]

Oh, he's selfish.

[Reggie]

Oh, we got Ben on the mic.

[Ron]

Yes, yes, you. Yes, you're selfish. Yes. Because that's the part is, see, I've now I've been out with Ben. Ben was, Ben was at the holiday party.

[Reggie]

He was at the holiday.

[Ron]

Ben is, Ben is a lot of fun. He is. He's a lot of fun out and he would be fun at Carrabba's, but he's going to be selfish.

[Seth Payne]

I mean, so whatever when it comes

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Commercial Narrator]

Life can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to go through it alone. On my podcast from the Heart with Rachel Braethon, I share openly and vulnerably about everything life brings us and what we can learn by living with our hearts a little bit more open Every Friday, a new episode brings you a new story with topics on self care, motherhood, healing and more. You are enough just the way you are. This podcast is a reminder of that. Follow and listen to from the Heart with Rachel Braythen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Reggie]

It's a cold day here in Alaska, but there's one animal seemingly unaffected. Bright eyed and determined enters the husky. Observe as they go up the mountain, guided by pure instinct. They are truly amazing masters of this wilderness. But even these amazing pets can't sign up for Lemonade Pet Insurance. You can sign up [e-mail] Amazing hey,

[Seth Payne]

this is Richard Deitch, the host of the Sports Media Podcast. If you're interested in what's happening with all the places where you consume sports, the Sports Media Podcast has you covered. I've been turning down interviews all week.

[Ron]

Hoda copy reached out Oprah George Stephanopoulos.

[Seth Payne]

So I said no. I was booked on the Deitch podcast

[Reggie]

before the Taylor Swift phenomenon.

[Seth Payne]

I must live up to my responsibility. Listen wherever you get your podcasts,

[Ron]

but you can make bids. There are three bids up right now for dinner with Payne and Pendergast. And I believe somebody right now I swear would bid with right now they will take this thing up. If Ben said I'll go Ben.

[Reggie]

What what's the number that the bid that the the auction and the the item for dinner with, you know, a winner and their guest to eat with pain and pen or gas at Krabba's. It's currently at $620. What's the number that it reaches where you go I'll tag along.

[Ron]

I mean I feel obligated to throw out a huge crazy number now, but honestly I was just never asked.

[Reggie]

I'm fine.

[Seth Payne]

Oh. Oh, Ben. Ben, you're so. Honestly, now we're getting to the bottom of it, man. All right, now do you want Ben, do you want. Do you want to come on the dinner. I'd love to have you. Yeah, you're always. I always feel bad even making you say anything into the microphone that I. I felt. I just. I didn't even want to approach you with a question. Ron's putting the turning the screws on you. Here we. Listen. We won it last year without Ben. If Ben wants to come. If Ben wants to come in, I think it would. I think it would help us, but I don't want to put any pressure on him at all.

[Ron]

Yeah, that was unnecessary for you to really just. Just boast about how you guys want it.

[Seth Payne]

Sean and I do it. Ed. Sean and I are a blast to hang out with and have dinner with Ben. Ben, I'll let you text me me somewhere along the way, but I don't. I'm not. I'm putting zero pressure on Ben to be invol involved with this. Don't let Ron guilt trip you into it.

[Ron]

I'm not trying to guilt trip him. I'm just saying.

[Reggie]

I'm trying to guilt trip him. I just want that to be clear.

[Ron]

I. Ben is a fun time. I mean, he was a fun hang. He had his nice Christmas sweater on, and he did make that effort.

[Seth Payne]

He really did.

[Ron]

It did. And that's a Christmas party. It was a Christmas party.

[Commercial Narrator]

Yeah, but you.

[Reggie]

You were there. Not everybody was wearing their Christmas best.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Ron]

I mean, yeah, I didn't. I sure still didn't. He had his drinking toll. He was. I mean, he was a good time. And I'm telling you, man. But. But no. But there are three bids up right now. And these are. And these are bids without being. There are three bids up right now for the dinner with Payne and Pendergast. You can also have a dinner with the fellas on in the Loop.

[Reggie]

Not in there. We need an opening bid. Federal Grill is awesome.

[Commercial Announcer]

Federal Grill.

[Reggie]

Lopez has already said that. He'll get you some OG Sauce. Uh, look, I can sweeten the pot in a lot of different ways. Just let me know. We've just get a bid on the board. $500 to start. Let's go.

[Ron]

There it is. There it is. 500 to start. Uh, and you. You can go with the drive as well as. We've got a couple of bids there with us as well. You can go. You can go to Oak and Iron. A great spot. I can't wait to see what their dinner menu is. I about cleaned out all of their appetizers when we. We came.

[Reggie]

Are you typically an appetizer guy?

[Ron]

I mean, you know. Yeah. I'm not a dessert person, so I generally. I'll go apps first.

[Reggie]

Honestly, desserts at restaurants often feel like afterthoughts, don't they? Like, at least when it comes to the menu, not necessarily with the ordering, but when they. I mean the menu, it feels like there's a lot more thought obviously, into the entree, the appetizers. Sometimes it feels like they were just like, I think we have to have a dessert option. And very rarely do you go to a restaurant where they have a dessert that feels like.

[Ron]

I don't know if Seth's had this problem. I just have the inability to. To. To save room.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, no, no. Yeah. No, I've always. I'd see. I'm the opposite. Reginald. I think every. Every. I think it's a masterpiece of. Of pastry chefs and everybody and whoever working. If you have a molten chocolate lava cake, I will every single time act like this is the. The greatest scientific innovation I've ever seen. I gotta how they do it. All right, so it's hot, it's liquid, it's. It's incredible. And they. And they all hit it out of the park.

[Ron]

Yeah, I'm more of a. I'm a. I'm a Carmel. You get me something in the range of Carmel, I might. I might slip. I might slip my way into it, but generally I've just. I have. I have gone to town so much on the appetizer and. And the entree that I just don't even have room. I don't even have room. I've got to. I've got to move past it. So, yeah, I'm not. I'm not have to do that. But. But it's plenty of items on there, man. I see the opening bid out on the. This, this autograph Mike Tyson Everlast glove. That, that. That's that. There's a. There's a bid on that. Already out enrolling that $300 to get

[Reggie]

you in the game. In the game on a Mike Tyson autograph boxing glove right now.

[Ron]

Yeah. And the. In the messy joint. The messy autograph jersey.

[Reggie]

That is why you brought this up? Because I have to ask this as a question, genuinely.

[Ron]

I was 18 or I was 8 or 6. 18 in a Ford Escape.

[Reggie]

That was not the question, but thank you for sharing at 7:28 in the morning on a. On a Friday. Thank you for that. Gentlemen. The starting bid that has been set for the Lonel Messi autographed framed FC Barcelona jersey. So it's a jersey. It's framed, it's autographed. Greatest soccer player maybe to have ever played lonel Messi in the midst of the World Cup. The starting bid is like $3,500. Are we sure this. Are we sure this moves today?

[Ron]

I. Listen, you have to tell me. Is. Does that. Because does that sound like.

[Reggie]

It sounds. It sounds like. I mean, it.

[Ron]

Is that a big.

[Reggie]

It's a big deal.

[Ron]

It's a big.

[Commercial Narrator]

All right.

[Ron]

I just. I don't. I don't.

[Reggie]

I mean, similarly, right. If we're talking about the greatest of all time, imagine that we've got a Michael Jordan signed.

[Ron]

You mean a LeBron James signed for the exercise here.

[Reggie]

A LeBron James autographed. Now, which jersey are we talking about? Right? Like what? Cleveland 16 championship. Maybe that one Cleveland jersey autograph signed. You know, in one of those. I forget what the framing is called, but in the frame with some pictures on it like, that should sell. It's. That's a big money item. I just wonder, like, is this going to move? Because, I mean, the number is pretty damn big.

[Ron]

Yeah. Just to get your foot in the door. Seems aggressive, but I.

[Seth Payne]

It is a beautiful presentation.

[Ron]

It really is.

[Seth Payne]

Frame and the jersey.

[Ron]

But I. But I'm assuming these people who set these bid numbers. Numbers. Know what they're doing.

[Reggie]

They know. They do indeed know. In fact, I gotta shout them out because I think it's Diamonds in the rough. They. They helped us with the auto. The website also. But they. They helped us with these items. They know what it's worth. I'm just wondering, is this. Is. Is there someone in our audience that's gonna be like, I either have caught the World cup fever. I'm just such a soccer fan. I got it for.

[Ron]

Well, I mean, you. We've got soccer fans.

[Reggie]

We do.

[Ron]

Yeah, we've got soccer fans. We got.

[Reggie]

We got 3,500 soccer fans.

[Ron]

That sucker move, boy.

[Seth Payne]

The. You know, the. The University of Texas 1 right now has got a pretty good bit on it where it's a signed photo with Colt McCoy, Vince Young, Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell all pictured and autographed.

[Ron]

Yeah, I just think. I just think Jordan Shipley got jobbed on this. Get.

[Reggie]

Get out of it.

[Ron]

Don't do that.

[Reggie]

I think of all the names you

[Ron]

could have picked, I just think Jordan. Jordan and coat are a package deal. I think Jordan. There should have been a. At least maybe like a Jordan Shipley on the shoulder of Colt McCoy. Like, I just.

[Reggie]

How do you visually represent that? They were roommates. That was the thing. Every time on a Broadcast. If you watch the Texas Longhorns game in that era, you were going to hear that they were roommates. Like that. That was the thing. So I'm like, if we could visually represent that, like, hey, there's Colt. Great quarterback. Right next to him is his roommate. Like, I don't know how you do this, but that would be the only way that I need this knee. Jack. Jordan Shipley on here. That's the only way.

[Ron]

All right. Text in Radio THON 26 to 71777. As. As we continue to roll through as we're trying to hit. Hit that mark, baby. And it's early, but let's. Let's. Let's get it going, man. Any amount you can give $1. $1 helps feed three different meals.

[Reggie]

If you're gonna give one, might as well at least get five.

[Ron]

Yeah, I'm just. I'm just telling you, like, I'm. Listen, I. I would like 15 meals. Yeah.

[Reggie]

Thank you for that right there.

[Ron]

Yeah, knocked it out the park right there. We'd love for you to. To get. But whatever it is, whatever amount helps.

[Reggie]

We've almost hit a thousand.

[Ron]

We're getting there.

[Reggie]

I'll be happy if we. If we're. If we're clear. A thousand.

[Seth Payne]

That's a good. No, you're. You're. You're getting the ball rolling in the very early morning hours. We're probably. People don't have their donating thumbs right up to speed. Just get your coffee. This is a good. It's a good start.

[Ron]

Yeah, we're starting. Yeah, we're starting to roll.

[Reggie]

Get a stretch in brush.

[Seth Payne]

But you guys. You guys really like you. You. You did way, way more than that last year. And. And I know you're. I know you're gonna do more this.

[Reggie]

Don't say us. I hope you're talking to listeners. Me and Ron. We're just pointing the sign. It is. It is our listeners who.

[Ron]

This is.

[Commercial Announcer]

This is.

[Reggie]

I want. I hope that people take ownership of this. This is Sports Radio 610 and listenership doing this. And that's why I want us to. I want us to represent. Well, like, I would really hate if the food bank was like, man, that was awesome. And then we come back, we're like, yep, couldn't quite do it again next. The second year. You know, I feel like.

[Ron]

Well, I'm not speaking at its. To existence. Damn it. All right, we're good.

[Reggie]

See, I'm playing good cat, good cop, bad cop. You can be good cop. I'm just like hey, guys, this is real disappointing right now.

[Seth Payne]

It's a good. Well, you know. You know, you ever been to a charity auction where some of these auctioneers are really good at kind of bullying people 100 into bidding more? I was at an auction once, and I was supposed to be one of the auctioneers, and I was, like, doing it, and I don't. I'm not good in that. I will never accept that role again because I just. I'm almost kind of like. I'm like a panhandler who's too meek to ask for any money. So they. They brought in. They. They had somebody else come in and be the co auctioneer. And this. This. This woman, like, bullied Emmanuel Sanders. It was. I honestly. I apologize to Emmanuel Sanders afterwards because I'm also in the mode of, like, I don't. Man. Here's a current player at the time, and I'm like, Like, guys don't get bullied into giving more than your. You got to be sure you got all your stuff taken care of. But she bullied the hell out of Emanuel Sanders, and I think bidding way more than he wanted on something that wasn't as cool as any of the things you guys are giving away today.

[Ron]

He said, I ain't. Yay. I'm never coming back to this again. See, I listen. I want to give for a good cause. I've made a donation myself. It's a good cause. Nobody's bullying me out of money.

[Reggie]

Yeah.

[Ron]

I'm a professional. I will stand. I will stand. I will stand. And look at those make a wish kids. And I will keep going if I don't want. If I don't want to give that money.

[Reggie]

Now is the make a wish kid. Is that the gold star? I always think it's. I always think it's the Girl Scouts. The girl Scouts seem to have their game down just cold.

[Ron]

Hey, man, I walk past them without any problem.

[Reggie]

I don't believe it. And out of sweat, especially when they come out. And usually it used to be that you could walk by, Ah, sorry, don't have cash. Now they're like, nah, we take cards.

[Ron]

I lied to. I lied to them.

[Seth Payne]

You lied to them?

[Ron]

Oh, already. Already bought some.

[Seth Payne]

Already bought some. Yeah.

[Ron]

Yep.

[Commercial Narrator]

You.

[Ron]

Hey, you got. Look them right dead in their eyes, see if they'll challenge it. You already got.

[Reggie]

Have you seen the industrious ones? The industrious ones were like, we got some new ones. We got some more for you.

[Seth Payne]

Part of the education, though, that they're getting, too, is that, you know, like, yeah, that's part of just sales in general. Like, okay, you're gonna get a bunch of no's. So don't, you know, don't take it personal or anything. Ron's giving those girls a lesson, a life lesson. You know, more so than hey, cash can. Cash can only do so much. Ron's giving them a life lesson on handling rejection. I told one and then men will lie to them.

[Ron]

I think once I told him, like, oh, I'm sorry, I just, I just get the trash can. Trash bags. You're in a big yellow trash bags that people used to, they used to sell. You don't remember?

[Reggie]

That's hawking mouth of girl scout cookies.

[Ron]

I don't know. Not girl scout. I will tell them. Oh, I, my, my foundation I give to is the trash bags. That's, that's what I, that's what I buy.

[Reggie]

I'm not even familiar with this.

[Ron]

Oh, the big, the big trash bags. Oh, anytime they go to sell them big.

[Seth Payne]

No, what are you talking about?

[Ron]

Instead of, instead of the cookies, I will, I'll tell them, oh, I only do the trash bag.

[Reggie]

Now I have to go because I

[Seth Payne]

have no idea what you're talking about. What trash bag?

[Reggie]

713572. Is anybody in there? Listen, audience.

[Seth Payne]

Know where some trash bags.

[Ron]

I did not. Every time. Hey, they do like girl scout cookies except they got those big ass yellow trash bags and they will get me. And I, I'll tell the girl scout. Girl Scout girls like, hey, I don't buy cookies. I just buy the trash bag you had.

[Seth Payne]

This is what happened last year. Two 10 year olds showed up at Ron's door and said we were displaced by hurricane Katrina and we're selling, we're selling trash bags. And yeah, before you could even ask, like, wait a second, you guys weren't alive during Katrina. You bought, you bought like 20 trash bags for $200.

[Ron]

I'm telling you, man, they see, that's why, that's why those big yellow trash bags, they last forever. They. Oh man, that's why it works because

[Reggie]

people think you're insane. They're like, what is he talking about with trash bag? Just let him, just let him go. He doesn't.

[Ron]

Just let him walk. Just let him walk. Oh, man, I turned up, I'm itchy. The girl scout cookies, those girls are easy. I even, I even answer the door to people who want to sell stuff. And I'll stand out there because I want, I want to let them give their whole presentation. I had some guys stop by about trying to. I've had guys who go ahead and take care of my bug problems for years. Had the same people. This guy, man, I let him give his presentation for every bit of 5, 10 minutes. Just gay. Just judging how good he did. I just said, yeah, man. I think I'll probably go in a different direction.

[Seth Payne]

I'm on The Trash Bag fundraising.com website,

[Reggie]

Yellow Trash bag fundraiser.

[Seth Payne]

They sell like big, durable trash bags.

[Ron]

Yes.

[Seth Payne]

For that, I guess it's just a higher quality trash bag. And they've got ones that are like Halloween themed or Happy Holidays themed.

[Reggie]

And this is. This is a. This is a nonprofit or this is just people.

[Seth Payne]

Sometimes it feels like one of those things they do. Like, you remember when you're a kid, you.

[Ron]

You.

[Seth Payne]

When you're raising money for something, it's a company that specializes.

[Ron]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

Raisers.

[Reggie]

Got you.

[Seth Payne]

Whether it's candy or whatever else it might be, I feel like that's what this. They just choose to make trash bags their thing. It's probably a good strategy because it's. Everybody has kind of like, oh, yeah, you got to buy trash bags at some point. Might as well buy them. Buy them right now.

[Reggie]

I wonder if like, big, big trash bag has been, you know, trying to cut into this. Like, obviously it's for a good cause, but you're making. Ruining our bottom line. Like, Hefty has got to hate that.

[Ron]

Well, the trash bags, people. If you could text radio find 26

[Seth Payne]

instead of spending money on a trash bag, buy yourself a meal with Sean and Sean Pendergast and Seth Payne and potentially Ben. Yeah. Why would you spend money on a trash bag to raise money for charity when you can. When you can actually get a delectable dinner and a whole and an enjoyable evening out of it while helping the Houston Food bank.

[Ron]

Yep. Radio THON 26 to 71777. As. As. Hey, we're having fun. We're having fun. I got. Listen, as we continue to roll through. I got a. I got a bone to pick. I had just spoke to Reggie about this yesterday, about my biggest issue with this World Cup.

[Reggie]

Oh, okay.

[Ron]

And it came up again. And I think it is. I think it is. I think it's ruining the sport potentially.

[Reggie]

All right.

[Ron]

I know that is all right. Let me try that again. I think it is ruining the sport for me.

[Reggie]

Okay.

[Ron]

Not, not, not. Not for everybody else. I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I just. I hate this development. And yesterday was the worst we've ever seen of it. As we continue donate there it is Radio THON 26 to 71777. Let's get over a thousand during the break as we continue right here on the Reggie and Ron Radio Thon. Hey, it's Jen Hatmaker.

[Seth Payne]

Here's what I've learned in midlife. Joy isn't the reward you earn after all the work is done. Joy is the work. That's what this new series on for the Love is all about.

[Commercial Narrator]

The sacred yes.

[Seth Payne]

It's choosing delight, rest and pleasure on purpose.

[Commercial Narrator]

Because saying yes to yourself, that's the

[Seth Payne]

thing that finally lets you fill your table with everybody else.

[Commercial Narrator]

Come find your sacred yes with me. Follow and listen to for the Love

[Seth Payne]

Wherever you get your podcasts when it

[Commercial Announcer]

comes to your yard reliability matters, Shop with confidence at the Home depot and get 4th of July savings on Ryobi, the number one cordless outdoor power brand. It's time to choose your power. Both the Ryobi 18 volt and 40 volt self propelled mower kits are on special buy for an even lower price of $429. Each was $479. Ryobi's battery platform delivers the power, runtime and dependability you need to tackle yard work with ease. Shop 4th of July Savings on Ryobi Outdoor Power only at the Home Depot while supplies last. Pricing valid June 25 through July 8 US only. See store online for details.

[Seth Payne]

Why does it feel like nobody really gives us the inside scoop? Join us on the Powers that Be, the podcast where insiders from Puck break down who has influence, how they use it and what it actually means for you. New episodes every weekday. Listen to the Powers that Be wherever you get your podcasts. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With usaa, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply.