Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron

Episode: Hour 1: Collecting Things
Date: March 1, 2026
Hosts: Myron Medcalf & Matt Jones (ESPN Radio)

Overview

The main theme of this lively episode centers around the chaotic and entertaining side of sports culture, especially as it manifests in college basketball. Matt and Myron explore recent on-court coach conflicts and wild coaching moments, dig into the cultures of college towns, debate NBA promotions (including Atlanta's "Magic City" night), discuss collecting hobbies (from action figures to coins), and interact with listeners. The tone is energetic, humorous, and irreverent, blending sports analysis with stories and banter.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Wild College Basketball Weekend & Coach Confrontations

[02:00–11:11]

• Coach Calipari vs. Todd Golden "Fight"

  • Recap of Florida routing Arkansas, highlighted by a heated face-off between John Calipari (Arkansas) and Todd Golden (Florida).
  • Matt paints a "choose your warrior" scenario: Todd Golden as young, wiry, big-mouthed; Calipari as older, surrounded by a crew that would arguably back him up in a brawl.
  • Both hosts view these flare-ups as good for the sport, revealing true personalities and extending college basketball's "respite" from sanitized professionalism.
  • Memorable Quote:
    • Matt: "It's very rare to see a mouth like that on a body that skinny." ([04:31])
    • Myron: “There’s some dudes with gaps in their resume from '05 to 2015 around Cal… you don’t need to talk about it, but just know that they’re in the stands.” ([06:13])

• Analysis of College Towns with "This and That People"

  • Discussion evolves into which college towns have factions that don’t attend games (e.g., Gainesville, Columbus, Columbia).
  • Myron: “There's a section of Gainesville that don't go to the games. ... Everyone thinks everything’s sweet in some of these places. It's not.” ([08:31])

• Miami of Ohio Coach Meltdown

  • Coach loses temper, destroys a speaker at Western Michigan.
  • Matt jokes about the speaker's "middle school theater" quality, GoFundMe for replacement.
  • Myron: “They got that at Radio Shack; you probably don’t even have a warranty on that thing anymore.” ([10:50])

2. Towns Where People Don’t Go to the Game

[13:27–16:05]

• Listeners call/text in with suggestions (Durham, NC; Baton Rouge, LA).
• Myron and Matt have fun comparing the "campus bubble" versus the real character of the town.
• Myron: "If you're expecting Duke, just know that's not Durham." ([14:03])
• Matt ranks Durham #1 for this phenomenon; Myron judges places based on barbershops and wings.
• Caller Segment: Dwight from Durham defends his city’s cultural credentials (foodie, arts, Durham Bulls) and food recommendations.

3. Duke Basketball and NCAA Favorites

[16:05–19:21]

• Discussion of Duke’s dominance, emergence as national title favorites.
• Analysis of stars Cooper Flagg (versatile "point forward") and Cameron Boozer (compared to his dad, but more skilled, even dubbed "Mini Jokic" by an NBA exec).
• Matt: “I know Cameron Boozer is not going to fail. … He’s too skilled.” ([18:00])
• Myron hedges on full tournament predictions, teasing his upcoming bracket content.

4. NBA Promotions: Atlanta Hawks’ Magic City Night

[24:17–33:15]

• Promotion Details: Hawks to wear "Magic City" jerseys for a "Magic City Monday" game; T.I. to perform; Magic City’s famous lemon pepper wings served at arena.
• Matt prods Myron to explain how this works in Atlanta, why it wouldn’t fly elsewhere (e.g., Kentucky's "Deja Vu’s Day").
• Myron: “In Atlanta, because it’s literally like a part of the culture.”
• Discusses the legend of Magic City’s food, Lou Williams' infamous wing run during the NBA bubble with Jack Harlow.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Myron: “There are a whole lot of people who are there for the magic, but there is certainly a culture attached to it...” ([29:05])
  • “Atlanta is its own thing. … Why on else would we be talking about the Hawks on national radio if they hadn’t done this? It’s genius.” ([29:39])
• Broader talk on teams using local businesses/products for promotions; minor league baseball as marketing trendsetter.
• Matt: “What is your motivation today to go to a Washington Wizards game? There’s absolutely no reason to go.”

5. The Mid-Season NBA Malaise

[33:15–35:42]

• Matt rants about the NBA calendar: “I really am… this is the time of the year I kind of get exhausted with the NBA… We still have a month and a half of regular season—that’s ridiculous.”
• Myron defends the on-court product (mentions "Wimby" and OKC).
• Matt: “This is the moment [the NBA] should be good. And I think this is the moment when it’s the worst.” ([35:05])

6. Collecting: Action Figures, Coins, and More

[37:31–44:54]

• Pivot to "collecting" in the workplace (inspired by producer James & Pat Costello’s Danhausen wrestling figure ritual).
• Matt teases the ESPN staff: “When did this become the office of dorks? … I collected wrestling figures when I was 13.” ([40:08])
• Discussion expands to cards, coins (Myron wants to join the coin collecting "community"), and listener calls about Hot Wheels collections.
• Myron: “I'm interested in the coin community. It's a very strong community.” ([41:59])
• Matt: “If your wife brings home a thousand Hot Wheels, she is missing Hot Wheels in her life.” ([45:12])
• Rachel suggests collecting can start from working with kids or seeing others' enthusiasm.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Coach Confrontations:

  • Matt: "Normally you have to be bigger than that to have a mouth like that." ([04:31])
  • Myron: “There's some dudes with gaps in their resume from '05 to 2015 around Cal.” ([06:13])

• On College Towns:

  • Myron: “There’s a section of Gainesville that don’t go to the games…” ([08:31])
  • Matt: “If you’re expecting Duke, just know that’s not Durham.” ([14:03])

• On Magic City Promotion:

  • Myron: “Atlanta is its own thing. … Why else would we be talking about the Hawks on national radio if they hadn’t done this?” ([29:39])

• On Collecting:

  • Myron: “I’m interested in the coin community. It’s a very strong community.” ([41:59])
  • Listener Brian: “…my wife started collecting Hot Wheels… now she has thousands of them, and she wears a Hot Wheels lanyard with a Hot Wheels keychain at work.” ([43:38])
  • Matt: “If your wife brings home a thousand Hot Wheels, she is missing Hot Wheels in her life.” ([45:12])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Coach Calipari vs. Todd Golden Near-Fight: [03:18–08:15]
• College Towns & “Sections That Don’t Go to the Game”: [08:31–16:05]
• College Basketball Contenders (Duke, Boozer, Flagg): [16:05–18:20]
• Hawks “Magic City Monday” Promotion Discussion: [25:16–33:15]
• NBA Regular Season Malaise: [33:15–35:38]
• Workplace Collecting & Hobby Chat: [37:31–44:54]

Tone & Style

Throughout the episode, the hosts keep the conversation informal and witty, poking fun at each other, listeners, and sports culture at large. Their style blends sports insight with jokes, local references, and playful jabs, making even niche topics (like coin collecting or Hot Wheels fandom) engaging for a general audience.