Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron
ESPN Radio
Hour 1: “Watching Them Lose... Inside!” (November 9, 2025)
Main Theme
This episode dives into the most compelling college football and NFL storylines of the weekend, mixing sharp humor, personal anecdotes, and analysis. With Myron Medcalf on assignment, Matt Jones is joined by guest co-host Aaron Goldhammer. The two riff on the chaos of college football playoff races, the quirks of working in sports media, NFL QB controversies, dome stadium debates, and more, all mixed with their signature banter and quick wit.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Co-Host Banter & Sports Media Life
[00:31–05:24]
- Myron’s absence: Matt Jones explains that Myron is working the sidelines for ESPN, replaced today by Aaron Goldhammer (“the Hammer”).
- Inside baseball on ESPN Radio personalities: Matt lists who he enjoys working with, describing a rare breed of “radio nerds” (himself & Aaron) as the easiest teammates.
- Memorable aside: former NFL players are “nice, but take themselves too seriously. Unless they were a bad football player.” (Matt, 03:34)
- Shared Louisville work history: Matt recounts a “random” moment where he, Harry Douglas, and Katie George all worked at the same law firm in Louisville before any had media careers.
Quote:
“If you’re stuck at work this morning at a law firm or at an accountant’s office or something... You too could be hosting ESPN radio one day.”
— Aaron Goldhammer ([05:09])
2. College Football: Playoff Hopefuls, Shocks, and Catches
[05:24–12:21]
- Louisville’s play-off derailment: Louisville is upset by Cal, echoing last year’s shock by Stanford. Matt jokes that it was “derailed by a bunch of woke mafia from Cal, Berkeley.” ([05:24])
- The odds are now slim for the ACC to send two teams to the playoff.
- Geographical conference absurdity: Aaron marvels at “California is in the Atlantic Coast Conference,” making geography lessons for kids “impossible.” ([05:57])
- The greatest college football catch? Discussion of a spectacular, acrobatic Indiana catch, with talk about NFL vs. college rules (one foot vs. two feet in bounds).
- Matt calls the catch “unbelievable... the ball and body are out of bounds, but it’s like his brain had the wherewithal to levitate one toe in some kind of woo, boo woo that kept it up in the air.” ([08:14])
- Aaron: “Every reflex, natural reflex of the human body went against in order to pull the play off.” ([09:13])
- They debate the Heisman race implications for Mendoza (Indiana QB).
- Other notes: Texas A&M and Texas Tech get signature wins, positioning themselves for playoff consideration. Missouri and BYU are dismissed as “posers.”
3. NFL Headlines & Quarterback Drama
[13:28–22:54]
- Kyler Murray’s Fade in Arizona:
- Matt and Aaron speculate whether Kyler has taken his last snap for the Cardinals, with Jacoby Brissett starting instead.
- Aaron riffs on his baseball talent: “I think he should have just gone and played baseball. They said he was a better baseball player anyway.” ([14:03])
- Matt: “I think that’s revisionist history on the baseball part... there was a year we were talking about Kyler for MVP.” ([15:22])
- Both agree injuries and playing style, rooted in size, have hampered Murray.
- Could Murray or similar QBs resurrect their careers elsewhere?
- Aaron wonders if Murray could do what Daniel Jones or Baker Mayfield have done: “Because there are these QBs... who go somewhere else and done well.” ([16:52])
- Matt doubts it, saying, “I think I’ve seen enough Kyler Murray. Even at his peak... I know what I’m going to see.” ([17:18])
- Washington Commanders & Stadium Naming Rights:
- Talk of President Trump reportedly wanting the new stadium named after him. Aaron: “I would tell him that we’re going to name the stadium after him all day long, whether I actually do it...” ([19:34])
- Matt: “Leave aside the president. I don’t think you start down the path of, let’s name [stadiums] for politicians who are in office while we’re doing it.” ([20:25])
4. NFL Midseason Powder Keg: Interview with Herm Edwards
[22:54–35:29]
- Wide-open playoff races: Matt marvels at unfamiliar teams atop divisions—“This is the most wide open that I’ve ever felt the NFL.” ([23:21])
- Herm agrees: “If you’ve got five wins or more, you’re in it, got a nine-game season... you could win the division in certain divisions.” ([24:04])
- Are ‘unknown’ QBs/teams legit contenders?
- Herm says playoff experience matters: “Some of these teams that are hardened, that have playoff experience, that have quarterbacks that have played in playoffs and big games, that’s where the advantage will be.” ([25:04])
- Bengals-Bears classic & young QB evaluations:
- Matt raves about attending Bengals-Bears, especially Bear’s QB Caleb Williams: “He had some moments... where he got away from people and made throws where it was like, whoa.” ([26:56])
- Herm: “He’s got 14 sacks this year. That’s it. He gets rid of the ball... He looks like a whole different guy.” ([26:30])
- Bengals’ defensive woes: Herm: “It’s tough. He has no defense... the time Joe Flacco scores a Touchdown, goes over, gets a drink, massages his calves... He’s gotta go again, Joe, we gotta get back out there.” ([27:57])
- Trading for a franchise QB vs. drafting:
- Herm warns that draft capital only works if you trust the selectors: “It’s easy to say you got all this draft capital, but then who’s picking the players?” ([29:18])
- On aging/struggling QBs:
- Geno Smith, Kyler Murray, Tua? Herm: “Geno’s a backup... Kyler’s small. He’s 5-10. That’s why he has to leave the pocket... He’s not going to be the guy going forward.”
- On Tua: “You know, I don’t know what he is. In the right offense, obviously... but he doesn’t have a strong arm. He plays in Miami, where half his games are always going to be in the sunshine.” ([30:48])
- Quarterback hand size and dome stadium debates:
- Herm makes a passionate, old-school case: “When they look at quarterbacks, they measure their hand size... If [he] can’t throw the ball in the wind, you’re in trouble.” ([32:00])
- Herm & Matt lament that northern teams (Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland) are playing inside domes. “That’s why I don’t understand why Minnesota and Detroit are such wimps and play inside. Why don’t they use the advantage?” (Matt, [32:13])
Memorable moments:
- Herm’s story about freezing at Vikings games: “It was just. Man, it was cold. And Ahmad Rashad was the receiver... he’d come out, hands in his pockets, which was basically telling me, OK, we gotta go to work, it’s gonna be a pass.” ([33:16])
- Humorous riff on Cleveland’s Super Bowl prospects and dome justification:
- “Y’ all don’t really think—Aaron, you don’t think you’re getting a super... People do, right?” — Matt ([34:52])
- Herm: “That’s what they think. If I build a dome, we get one.” ([34:55])
5. Stadiums, Bougie-domes, and Local Controversy
[37:32–39:31]
- Aaron details Cleveland’s new dome stadium, funded by public dollars. Discusses massively complicating traffic, how fans are “sick of sitting outside and watching a terrible football team... So now they want to sit inside and watch a terrible football team.” ([38:46])
- Matt prods Aaron about Cleveland “becoming bougie.”
6. Big NFL Game of the Day & Patriots Skepticism
[39:31–44:13]
- Patriots and Bucs face off; Patriots benefit from “the luckiest schedule you could get.”
- Is New England actually good? Both agree they’re improved, will make the playoffs, but are not true Super Bowl contenders yet.
- “You could go from three wins to the playoffs but you can’t go from three wins to the Super Bowl.” — Aaron ([42:16])
- AFC rookie QBs re-ranked: Drake May’s stock rising.
- Discussion of other rookie QBs (Bo Nix, Jaden Daniels, Caleb Williams) and the importance of good coaching/system adjustments.
7. NFL in Germany & Food Tangents
[44:13–45:04]
- Matt and Aaron riff on their previous international trips, German food (“all there is everywhere is Wienerschnitzel, it’s like if you could only eat at Wendy’s, that’s the whole country”) ([44:29]), and how it compares (unfavorably) to British fare.
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Time | |------------------------------------------------|---------------| | ESPN Radio hosting banter & nerds vs. jocks | 00:31–05:24 | | Louisville’s loss, ACC playoff implications | 05:24–06:42 | | “Greatest college football catch” discussion | 07:40–10:27 | | Texas A&M/Texas Tech & “posers” | 11:15–12:21 | | Kyler Murray’s Arizona future | 13:28–17:18 | | Naming rights for Commanders’ new stadium | 19:34–20:25 | | Herm Edwards joins: playoff chaos & QB evals | 22:54–35:29 | | Dome stadium debates (hand size, climate) | 32:00–34:41 | | Cleveland’s dome stadium plans | 37:32–39:31 | | Patriots skepticism & rookie QB rankings | 39:31–44:13 | | Germany game & international banter | 44:13–45:04 |
Notable Quotes
-
“You are like me, a nerd. And it makes it easier to do.”
— Matt Jones ([03:18]) -
“Louisville... derailed by a bunch of woke mafia from Cal, from California, Cal, Berkeley.”
— Matt Jones ([05:24]) -
“Everything is context. It’s not, I’m sure, like… probably the greatest catch is in some D3 game that I’ve never seen.”
— Matt Jones ([08:14]) -
“Every reflex, natural reflex of the human body went against in order to be able to pull the play off.”
— Aaron Goldhammer ([09:13]) -
“I think he should have just gone and played baseball. They said he was a better baseball player anyway.”
— Aaron, on Kyler Murray ([14:03]) -
“If you want him to have experience, you gotta play. That’s the only way you can do it.”
— Herm Edwards on young QBs ([25:04]) -
“When they look at quarterbacks, when they come… work them out, they measure their hand size.”
— Herm Edwards ([32:00]) -
“That’s why I don’t understand why Minnesota and Detroit are such wimps and play inside. Why don’t they use the advantage?”
— Matt Jones ([32:13])
Tone & Style
- Conversational, quick-witted, with deep sports insight.
- Frequent use of self-deprecation, humor, and light roasting (especially regarding sports pain, regional quirks, or football nerdom).
- Herm Edwards’ old-school coach stories deliver both wisdom and nostalgia.
This episode is a quintessential Matt & Myron hour: sports sharp talk, banter that fans feel part of, and genuine perspective from insider guests—all filtered through the chaos and comedy inherent to the current football landscape.
