Hour 2: Exhausting Experience

Summary

Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron: Hour 2 - Exhausting Experience
Released on August 3, 2025

Hosts: Matt Jones, Myron Medcalf
Provider: ESPN Radio

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1. Chicago Bears and Quarterback Caleb Williams

The episode delves deep into the Chicago Bears' prospects for the upcoming season, primarily focusing on their new quarterback, Caleb Williams.

• Rise of Caleb Williams:
  Matt Jones initiates the discussion by questioning, "Has the three-pointer ruined basketball? And how did we get here? The rise of the three-point shot" at [00:05], setting the stage for analyzing strategic shifts in sports, albeit mistakenly referencing basketball instead of football. The conversation quickly pivots to Caleb Williams' impact on the Bears.

• Training Camp Concerns:
  Myron Medcalf expresses skepticism about the Bears' training camp visuals, noting, "Caleb Williams and they had one of those nets with the little pockets you try to throw in. You try to throw the ball in the pocket and Caleb missed the net, the whole net like twice. And it wasn't a good sign" at [03:19]. This highlights doubts about Williams' readiness and effectiveness in high-pressure scenarios.

• Pressure and Expectations:
  Aaron Goldhammer weighs in, stating, "The good news about Matt is that he's a professor. The bad news about Matt is that he has all the Ellie De La Cruz bottle" at [01:24], pivoting to discuss the unrealistic expectations placed on Williams, especially in comparison to his predecessor, Jaden Daniels. Goldhammer emphasizes the pressure on Williams, asserting, "Anything that goes wrong with the Chicago Bears from this point forward is Caleb Williams' fault" at [03:51], suggesting that the quarterback will bear the brunt of the team's success or failure.

• Comparison with Past Quarterbacks:
  Matt Jones compares Caleb Williams to previous Bears quarterbacks like Jim McMahon and Jay Cutler, remarking, "It's a long time the Bears have starved for. I mean, we've been through all the Cade McNally and the Mitch Trubiskys and we've starved for this" at [05:00]. This underscores the high hopes and recurring disappointments associated with the team's quarterback position.

2. Listener Hot Takes and "King of the Mountain" Segment

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the interactive "King of the Mountain" segment, where listeners call in with their hottest sports takes.

• Russ from Indiana's Take:
  Russ claims, "They were talking about Nebraska, said they were the McRibs of sports but think they're the prime ribs. They haven't been relevant since the Clinton administration, and they still think they're great and they're not" at [26:00].
  Matt critiques his submission, noting, "Here's why you didn't beat Russ. You said hear ye, hear ye and then you pause for a reaction that never came. That little two-second pause is what's called uncomfortable silence" at [38:36].

• Myron and Aaron's Commentary:
  Myron praises listener submissions but also points out the flaws in their delivery. Aaron discusses the need for more substantial arguments behind hot takes, advising listeners to "act like the king of the mountain" by providing well-thought-out analyses rather than brief declarations.

• Additional Calls:

  • John from Arizona: Predicts, "The Los Angeles Lakers, despite showing strong in the last season, they're going to experience a significant decline or even potentially miss the playoffs, largely due to their internal issues and the issues with LeBron, Luka Doncic" at [34:14]. Matt encourages listeners to provide more detailed reasoning behind their takes.
  • Adam from Arizona: Suggests, "The 49ers will make it to the Super Bowl. Christian McAffrey will be MVP of the super bowl, and that will put him in the hall of fame" at [30:46]. Matt acknowledges the boldness but critiques the lack of supporting arguments.

3. Sunday Headlines: Key Stories Overview

The hosts break down the week's top sports stories, offering insights and opinions on each.

• Damian Lillard at Weber State:
  Matt highlights, "Damian Lillard is returning to college, this time as general manager of the Weber State, where he once starred" at [16:26]. He expresses skepticism about the practicality of professional athletes taking on significant roles in college sports, questioning, "How did Damian Lillard end up at Weber State? And in this day and age, he'd never stay at Weber State" at [17:08].

• Buford High School's New Stadium:
  The grand opening of Philip Beard Stadium is discussed, with Matt questioning the appropriateness of a "$62 million for a high school stadium" at [18:31]. He comments, "This is like a high school where it's like all rich kids and there's probably somebody's dad who gave the money... high school football is way too important" at [19:16].
  Aaron adds a humorous take on the luxury features, stating, "There are luxury suites in this building." at [19:19].

• Closure of Hooters in Augusta:
  The closure of a notable Hooters location near Augusta National Golf Club is covered. Matt reflects on the cultural impact, mentioning, "No place on earth has that many rich middle-aged men with a pot belly who try to hit on women much younger than them more than almost anywhere" at [20:10].
  Aaron suggests, "If you're gonna keep one Hooters, that's the Hooters to keep. Augusta, Georgia is the one that should stand." at [21:11].

4. Fantasy Football and Personal Anecdotes

Interspersed within the main segments are discussions on fantasy football and personal stories.

• Fantasy Football Promo:
  Matt mentions, "ESPN Fantasy Football is more than just a game. It's thousands of stories in the making" at [12:06], highlighting the app's features and encouraging listeners to engage.

• Phil Vassar Song Discussion:
  A brief conversation ensues about Phil Vassar's song "Another Day in Paradise," where Aaron expresses skepticism about its relatability for parents, stating, "As the father to a six and two-year-old, I can officially disagree with Phil Vassar" at [13:38]. Matt humorously suggests, "Guests have to explain foul balls simply to kids, like 'there's a box that goes from their chest to their knees...'" at [14:52].

5. Concluding Remarks and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Matt and Myron reflect on the day's discussions and tease upcoming segments.

• Reflection on Listener Engagement:
  Matt emphasizes the importance of listener participation, stating, "You have to get it in. 888 say ESPN. Lines are open now. 8, 8, 8 say ESPN." during the "King of the Mountain" segment.

• Final Listener Calls:
  The episode concludes with comments on additional listener calls discussing potential trades in the NFL and critiques of coaches like Mike Tomlin and James Franklin.

• Closing Remarks:
  Matt humorously connects the day's discussions to a possible theme song for rival shows, blending personal opinions with light-hearted banter, and concludes with a nod to upcoming segments on baseball and national sports previews.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Anything that goes wrong with the Chicago Bears from this point forward is Caleb Williams' fault." — Aaron Goldhammer [03:51]

• "He didn't really get good until his last year." — Matt Jones [17:08]

• "Don't worry about foul balls. They're going to be looking at popcorn." — Matt Jones [15:08]

• "I think a lot of pressure on him now." — Matt Jones [06:18]

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Conclusion:

This episode of "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron" offers a comprehensive analysis of current sports topics, with a strong focus on the Chicago Bears' quarterback situation, interactive listener segments, and a roundup of the week's notable sports headlines. The hosts blend expert opinions with relatable anecdotes, providing listeners with both entertainment and insightful commentary on the evolving sports landscape.

Transcript

[Matt Jones]

You've seen the headlines, heard the debates.

[Myron Medcalf]

The three point ball has created a monotonous rhythm to the game.

[Matt Jones]

Has the three pointer ruined basketball? And how did we get here? The rise of the three point shot.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Can be partially traced to an eccentric Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story.

[Matt Jones]

Didn'T turn out quite the way he imagined. I decided I wanted to have one of the most organized goodbyes in history. 30 for 30 podcast presents Chasing Basketball Heaven. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is Matt and Myron the podcast Sunday morning ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Let me tell you something Progressive. They can help your home, that's nice. Your auto, that's nice. Boat, if you got one of those, you're already in good shape. Motorcycle, ATV and rv. If you have an rv, it's a tough investment, but you can still get it done at Progressive. And if something wasn't mentioned that you haven't had mine, you can do that too. Find out if it's [e-mail] or 1-800-progressive because it probably can be. I like that. I just like to call Progressive and just mention things in my house. Can I cover my Ellie de la Cruz bobblehead doll? Can I get insurance on that? I bet they're good for. Yeah, yeah, that's exactly what they would say. They'd be very excited about it. I've collected all the L. A De la Cruz bobble. Are you a bobblehead doll person? Aaron?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I am not a bobblehead person. I'm. I was a card collector when I was a kid, but I never know. What do you do with all your bobbleheads? They just sit there. Do you dust?

[Matt Jones]

Well, women love them. Women. When you have bobbleheads with what's like women are like that guy's. You talk about a cool guy. He. The. The difference between a man who has women and doesn't is whether you have a Jake Fraley bobblehead. If you do, they're usually pretty attracted to you.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

The good news about Matt is that he's a professor. The bad news about Matt is that he has all the Ellie Della Cruz bottle.

[Matt Jones]

Being a professor of sports law one day a week at Georgetown College is also not something that has the women lining up. You would probably say, oh, he's, he's, he's, he owns a business or something. You don't. I don't, I don't bring the. I teach sports law one day a week at Georgetown. Not the university in D.C. the college in Kentucky. I don't usually bring that up.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Do they call you professor? Do they call you Professor Jones?

[Matt Jones]

I just tell them to call me Matt. I mean, I'm wearing a hoodie most days, so it's hard to call someone a professor who's dressed worse than most of the students are during the class. So I teach sports law for people who probably don't care. The Chicago Bears have a quarterback named Caleb Williams. They're my team. I have a weird set of teams. I like the Reds, the Bears and the Carolina Hurricanes. At least with the Reds, the Bears, you can't accuse me of being on a bandwagon because they both stink. But the Bears now have a chance this year with Caleb Williams to make a jump. They have, they've gone all in. They have improved their offensive line. They had weapons last year, just didn't really have much of an offensive line. But videos keep coming out of the Bears camp and I never know whether to believe training camp videos, what good or bad because, you know, it's like they're distilling two hours of work into a 20 second clip. But I saw one this morning of Caleb Williams and they had one of those, what do you call, nets with the little pockets you try to throw in. You try to throw the ball in the pocket and Caleb missed the net, the whole net like twice. And it wasn't a good sign. This is a big year for Caleb Williams. They get Ben Johnson. It's all you've got to succeed. How big a year though, is it, Aaron? Is this like if he doesn't play well, give up? I mean, the guys in his class, Jayden Daniels, Drake May, Bo Nicks had good years.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

And I think what does this year mean for Caleb?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

All of that makes it harder for Caleb Williams that Jaden Daniels was the greatest rookie quarterback in NFL history. Like you don't think those two things should matter, but I think they do. And I think last year, you know, it was really easy to just blame everything that went wrong with the Bears on the coach. Right? Right. I mean, you could just say, oh, that was Eber flu. So that was all the game management stuff. What happened on Thanksgiving, what happened to the, the Hail Mary fiasco with the commanders, and then those two teams went in opposite directions after that. I think now anything that goes wrong with the Chicago Bears from this point forward is Caleb Williams fault. And that was not the, the fat. So that's where the pressure is. I don't expect him to be one of the five best quarterbacks in the nfc, but I think he has to Handle situations better. And he has to show a lot of improvement from year one to year two. And I'm not really looking at training camp throws, but I will tell you, Matt, like, you know this better than anybody being a Bears fan. Who was the last Bears franchise quarterback? Were they wearing leather helmets?

[Matt Jones]

Well, I mean, it depends on what you mean. You know, Jay Cutler made the Pro bowl, but was one of the least likable people on the planet of ear. Even. Even Aaron Rodgers is like, dude, will you try to get a personality that people will enjoy? Jim McMahon is what most people would say. And that's a very short one.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

The super bowl, but that was the greatest defense of all time.

[Matt Jones]

But it was also like his personality. He was the punky QB known as McMahon. And then you got to go back to what I mean, Sid Luckman. I mean, it is not. It is a long time the Bears have starved for. I mean, we've been through all the Cade McNally and the Mitch Trubisky's and we've starved for this and we. And we haven't had it. Um, I think there's a lot of pressure on him now. He, he gave a quote to Waddle and Sylvie that said, pressure is not a thing. I don't think of it that way. Those quotes worry me when people say sentences like that, like, pressure is not a thing. That feels like to me, you've been reading too much philosophy and I want you to be able to throw the ball in that net. Um, so we'll see. I like Caleb Williams. I think he's smart. I think, I think he's interesting. I just don't know if he's a good football player yet. And that's not a great place to be. But this year you have to say this for the Bears. A lot of times I think they haven't done their young quarterbacks any service by what they put around.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Correct.

[Matt Jones]

This year they have. They've got. He's got the weapons and they fixed the offensive line and they literally went and hired a coach. The sole purpose was who is the coach that has the best chance of making Caleb Williams good. There is a level to me of, I'm not saying he's got to be great, but if he's not significantly improved, yeah, it is on him. Because I have to feel like they've done everything else they can do for the kid.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

What I would do if I was the Bears with the improved line and with Ben Johnson there. I mean, one of the ways that the Lions offense got good was they started running the ball a lot and in dynamic, creative ways. I think that's really important for the Bears this year, Matt. I think they need to commit themselves to some.

[Matt Jones]

Well, that might be the weak part of the offense though, is that they don't have. Well, they don't have that break away. Like they don't have a guy. That one way is going to be great at that.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

But that. That is one way to take a lot of pressure off of Caleb Williams is to say we're not going to put you in third and 10, you know, at least until you build back some confidence. Because I think what you see with him missing the net and all of that to me, Matt, that I would worry me a little bit if I was a Bears fan. Is. Is his confidence starting to get a little bit zappy?

[Myron Medcalf]

I.

[Matt Jones]

Let me say, I watched every Bears game last year. I actually didn't think Caleb was that bad. I think the narrative has been bad on Caleb because of how good Jaden Daniels was. Right. Like they just. People just look and say, well, Jayne Daniels was great and Caleb Williams was picked ahead of him and thus Caleb Williams is a disappointment. I don't think that's really fair. As a matter of fact, I think Caleb Williams was better than Drake May most of the year until the end. Drake May took some steps at the end and Bo Nixon, I think. I think they played similarly. It's just first of all, the Bears lost like six games on the last drive.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

So to some extent, I mean, they. They lost in every way. You could lose in a heartbreaking manner.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Let's just say three of those go differently. Aaron.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

And all of a sudden they're like in the playoffs. I think people look at Caleb Williams different. So I'm not worried yet. I think that their schedule is not as bad as it was last year. I think some of those one score games have got to flip for them. But I will say this. I do think if he does not improve, I mean, is there any way Ben Johnson's not a good NFL head coach?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I mean, I'm. No, I think that what happens next is that people start to blame Caleb. And by the way, I think that, you know, not calling a timeout and some of the game management stuff I think does actually fall on him a little bit to a degree.

[Matt Jones]

But it's not his fault Jaden Daniels hit that Hail Mary. I mean, like, that was. No, that wasn't on him.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

He actually won that game.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I mean, he actually. People forget because the Hail Mary but he took the Bears all the way down the field on the road 80 yards when the Commanders were playing well and had them ready to win that game. It's not his fault that they didn't stop the Hail Mary.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

And you have to wonder how much momentum because I am a big believer in momentum. Although some scientists say it's not real.

[Matt Jones]

The Commanders you believe that scientists say aren't real. Let's just be real about that. That's kind of you. You know, you've done your own research, though.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

That's right. I, I think that that win lifted the Commanders all the way to the NFC Championship Game and the Bears, like didn't win after that.

[Matt Jones]

You're right.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So, I mean, I don't think that that's The Bears were 4 and 2 at one point last year and we're on the verge of 5 and 2. If only a defensive back was focused on the play and not yelling at some fans in the stands.

[Matt Jones]

Totally agree about that. And Aaron, for more of Aaron's scientific thoughts, listen to the Hammer Boys or excuse me, the Golden Boys on on.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Your you on the Hammer Boys is another show that's I don't know that we want to recommend people watch have.

[Matt Jones]

Similar they both have similar strengths and weaknesses. There are a lot of news in sports sometimes that you don't necessarily see at the top of the of the page. That's what we do for you with our Sunday headlines and their next here on Sunday Morning with Matt and Myron. Matt and Myron the Podcast if you've.

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[Matt Jones]

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[Unknown]

In last, you have to sit in.

[Matt Jones]

A closet and assemble a 300 piece puzzle in the dark. Yeah, that stuff really actually happened. The football may be fantasy, but the stories are 100% real. So download the ESPN fantasy app, sign up and start your story today. Insights with IBM WatsonX. I'm thinking about. I gotta figure out who this guy is. Hang on. This is like a 90s relatively obscure country singer. I can picture him, but I'm not going to sit here and stammer. Who is it?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

It's Phil Vassar.

[Matt Jones]

Phil Vassar? Yes. That's who they named the college after, I believe. Phil Vassar. Just Another day in Paradise. The theme of this song, Aaron, since you're not a fan is you know, people think of paradise as, as Hawaii or islands and beautiful set setting and women. But he says paradise is being with your kids and, and they're like throwing ice cream on your face and like all that. That's paradise. That's. It's a very family centric song, Aaron.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Well, as the father to a six and two year old, I can officially disagree with with Phil Vassar and his college at his college in upstate New York that my mom wanted me to apply to, but I had no interest in.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I would say Turks and Caicos, British Virgin, Virgin Islands or with Aaron Goldhamer's kids and they're snot everywhere. What is paradise? I guess it just depends.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I love my kids. Can I just a quick left turn before we get to Sunday headlines, I'm bringing my 6 year old daughter to her first baseball game today. And I asked you before the show, can you explain baseball to a six year old? And you said start with. Start with what Again?

[Matt Jones]

Just runs. Like they have to go to each of those bases and then when they cross home it's a run and then if they catch the ball it's an out. If they don't, it's not. Start with that, then move to balls and strikes. Do not explain like the shift or any of Those things.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Well, I tried. Suddenly I was talking about the infield fly rule last night, and I was like, yeah, I don't think she's going to pick this up. Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Let me tell you, I'm not going. First of all, I'm disappointed in you. Because people who do local radio, part of it is talking the lowest common denominator. I mean, you have to assume you're doing a live show at Walmart every day. That's what you have to do. Okay. And if you, if you get beyond that, then you're not going to have success. Assume if you're, you're talking to people at Walmart and it'll work. That's what you need to do with your children.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

How would you explain the strike zone?

[Matt Jones]

You should just say there's a box that goes from their nipples to their knees. And it has to. And they have to. You may not want to use that word, but chest to their knees, and if they throw it there and over the little triangle, it's a strike. And if they don't, they don't. That's.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

And then if you swing and miss.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Don't worry about foul balls. They're going to be looking at popcorn. Just forget about the fact this was my problem.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So last night I started talking about foul balls.

[Matt Jones]

Don't talk about foul balls. Don't, don't be like, look, we were two strikes. Then they get to do it again. Just don't talk about that. Just, just leave the foul balls.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

And that's confusing because then I convinced her that a foul ball with two strikes is not a third strike.

[Matt Jones]

Just say, look, you see those lines? I better parent than you. Like, just see if you see those lines and they don't hit it in the lines, it doesn't count. Just say it doesn't count.

[Unknown]

If one of those things happens when you're there, that's when you try to explain it to. You can explain it to when you get there.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Just say it doesn't strike. If the ball gets away from the catcher, you can run to first worry about. There's some of these rules.

[Matt Jones]

Matt.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

It made me wonder, how did I learn this?

[Matt Jones]

It doesn't matter. Just say it doesn't count. Kids are great because kids are not inquisitive about, like, specificity. Just say it doesn't count. And they go, oh, I guess it doesn't count. They don't go, does he have a constitutional right for it to count? They just say he doesn't. It doesn't count. And then they Move on. All right, let's go to the other news. It's headlines time. Extra, extra. Read all about it.

[Myron Medcalf]

Read all about it.

[Matt Jones]

The Sunday headlines.

[Unknown]

All right, let's start with Damian Lillard is returning to college, this time as general manager of the Weber of Weber State, where he once starred. The Trailblazers guard made the announcement Saturday night in Ogden, Utah where he hosted the Weber State basketball Weber alum Weaver. Sorry. Weber State basketball alumni classic.

[Matt Jones]

Yes. This has become a thing like former players are like now I'm the GM of the basketball team. I don't know how they have time to do it. I refuse to believe Damien and Lillard is scouting the kind of player that would go to Weber State. There's no way he knows. So, I mean, I guess it's cool to be able to have this headline and have people talk about Weber State basketball, which is where he went. But I do find all this a little like, yeah, you're not really doing that.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

How did Damian Lillard end up at Weber State? And in this day and age, he'd never stay at Weber State. Right? I mean, it's that, that he was.

[Matt Jones]

He didn't really get good until his last year. I mean like nationally good. Remember though, they made, they were really good his senior year, which is how people got to know who he was. But you know, it happens. You're right. Nowadays what usually happens is they get really good and then they go play a year at a. At a. But you know, I'll use the SEC last year as an example. Not last year, but the year before. The top three players in the league had come from Northern Colorado, Ohio and Illinois State. So those players, I mean those, those conferences can still produce good players.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

And without nil and some of these new transfer rules, I don't know that Dalton Connect ends up at Tennessee. I know that, you know, John Morant probably goes to Kentucky at some.

[Matt Jones]

Probably does. You're right. State, you're right. But those schools do have guys who do this. It's just now in the transfer world. Then they'll get a year at a big time college and that'll help.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

This is like a ceremonial degree. It's a job that you don't actually have to do, but they'll take Damian Lillard's money. And by the way, Damian Lillard's getting paid by the Bucks and the Blazers just to rehab for the next year. So he's going to have some extra money.

[Matt Jones]

I think it's cool when these dudes want to give back to the school. They went to. I do think that's cool. I think that's cool that he want. Even would want to do this for Weber State. Go ahead. What's next?

[Unknown]

All right, Buford High School, located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the brand new Philip Beard Stadium, which is a state of the art facility. $62 million for a high school stadium? For a high school stadium.

[Matt Jones]

I saw the renderings. It's absolutely crazy, you know, I mean, high school, first of all, you got to, like, put it in perspective. This is like a high school where it's like all rich kids and there's probably somebody's dad who gave the money. So it's not like this is coming out of your tax dollars. I mean, this is just rich people being rich. But it does go to show that there are parts of the country where high school football is way too important. And I would go ahead and say Buford, Georgia has become one of them.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Look, there are luxury suites in this building.

[Matt Jones]

That's wild like that.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

You're shelling out tens of thousands of dollars and getting gourmet sushi while you watch high school football, kids.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, well, let me just say don't eat sushi in Georgia anyway. Like, I don't care if it's in high school game. If you're more than 100 miles from the water, stay away from the sushi. All of it. In Buford, Georgia. I don't know, maybe there's a sushi chef there that has taken residence, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that's probably not happened. But good luck to Beaver, Georgia. I'm sorry for your opponents. It's going to be hard, I think, for them to compete.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Sorry for them. Their showers are going to be like spa. $62 million. I'm sorry, James, go ahead.

[Unknown]

They'll show up early and leave late. That's what you're saying. The Hooters restaurant on Washington Road.

[Matt Jones]

Just a short walk. Speaking of classy.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Just a short walk from the patron entrance to Augusta National Golf Club and the epicenter of the Masters party each spring, has officially closed its doors. This is the place where John Daly would set up shop and sign autographs and take pictures and make a ton of money every year. RIP to an institution there, right?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. I mean, it's sad that he's gone. It's bad for John Daly's pocketbook. It is good for the institution of marriage because I've been to the Masters a couple of times. And I have been to that Hooters seen John Daly there. The amount of rich middle aged men with a pot belly who try to hit on women much younger than them that they have no chance on and embarrass their wives. No place on earth has does that occur more than the Hooters in Augusta, Georgia during masters week. So for the institution of marriage, Aaron, this is a good thing. But for the overall, you know, master's experience for a certain type of patron, it probably isn't as good.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Matt, I would say if you're gonna keep one h, like you know how there's the one blockbuster in Alaska or whatever. If you're going to keep one Hooters, that's the Hooters to keep. Augusta, Georgia is the one that should stand.

[Matt Jones]

Let me tell you, it's not just that. That's not the only week they have of the year. Can I tell you another time that Hooters is hopping the Peach Jam college basketball event in North Augusta, South Carolina. They cross the state line, the college coaches. And again, I've seen some college coaches very popular names. I ain't going to say their names because I have bosses, but I've seen some very popular coaches with some very, with some very married ring fingers act very inappropriately at that Hooters. There has to be more famous slash rich people act a fool in that place than almost anywhere on earth. So I'm telling you for public profile people this is probably a good thing whether they realize it or not. Should we tell you some stories from the college basketball one?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

But I should have become a museum of infidelity.

[Matt Jones]

Like oh my goodness again. I wish I could say it, but the first team inductees Ichiro may not have been unanimous, but I got one college coach still coaching that I could make unanimous. I'm not gonna say which one it is because I'm a nice person.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

That might behoove you to go to the tease in the next segment.

[Matt Jones]

Sunday headlines has been brought to you well by no. 1. King of the mountain is next and I forgot to introduce it, but I'll do it when I return.

[Marcus Spears]

Matt and Myron the podcast.

[Myron Medcalf]

Good Liberty. Our WNBA champion.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

We can't get enough of the wnba.

[Myron Medcalf]

A fresh draft class has arrived.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Dallas Wings select Paige Beckers teams stacked with new talent.

[Matt Jones]

Jewel is a complete dog.

[Myron Medcalf]

The Valkyries take flight in the bay.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

We've got more stars and more heat than ever. WNBA on ESPN presented by Google.

[Matt Jones]

We can't get enough. It is Sunday morning here on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. It is time to play our favorite game. It is King of the Mountains. Now, for those of you that don't know what King of the Mountain is, I'm looking every week for the best 32nd, 30 to 42nd hot sports. Take whatever it is. And then if you make the best one and it's better than our King of the Mountain, you become King of the Mountain. We've had a couple over the last few weeks. We had one stay for a number of weeks, but you got to get it in. 888 say ESPN. Lines are open now. 8, 8, 8 say ESPN. So I want to hear what your take is, Aaron. We've. You've never done this with me before, but this is their fans chance. A lot of people, as I've said before, don't know. This is how Chris Berman got his first job is. He was a King of the Mountain back in the 70s on talk radio and then that's how he got his job. Now here is your chance to be King of the Mountain.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Look, JT the Brick also was a great sports talk radio caller, right? And then became a we all.

[Matt Jones]

I was just kidding about Berman. Was that really tr. About JT the Brick?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Hell yes. He won the first smack off on Jim Rome's radio show. And that's how JT the Brick became a sports talk radio legend. So, Matt, the beginning of somebody's legendary.

[Matt Jones]

Career could start right now, could be only seconds away. Now, James has to turn the phones on sometimes. He forgets. But if James turns the phones on, 888 say ESPN. Get your call. Well, let's get started though, so you can hear what you have to beat. This was our winner, I think, from last week who became King of the Mountain. It's Russ in Indiana. Call now with your hottest taste.

[Myron Medcalf]

Hello.

[Matt Jones]

And then Matt and Myron will announce the hottest of them all. Is his destiny gonna be fulfilled?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

My destiny awaits.

[Matt Jones]

This is the King of the Mountain champion.

[Marcus Spears]

The King of the Mountain.

[Matt Jones]

Ladies and gentlemen, your winner and new King of the Mountain champ. Let's go to Russ in Indiana. It's a boring state, so maybe he's had time to come up with something good. Go, Russ.

[Myron Medcalf]

Overrated team in college. In college sports, they are the McRibs that think that they're prime ribs.

[Matt Jones]

They haven't been relevant since the Clinton.

[Myron Medcalf]

Administration, and they still think they're great and they're not.

[Matt Jones]

That was. That was. He was talking about Nebraska. We missed the start of that, but he was talking about Nebraska, said they were the McRibs of sports but think they're the prime ribs. I think he's exactly right. No more overrated. Well no fan base that thinks higher than of themselves. Aaron Gold Hammer than Nebraska. So that is what you have to beat so far.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I would say impressive take but Matt. A good line but a good line does not necessarily make a great take.

[Matt Jones]

Well they didn't have. They don't have all the call. That was a longer call. I don't know why that got edited down. But we'll. In the future. But like he had all he. He.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

So we'll see if we can find maybe.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

What I would tell you is I don't think that's an unbeatable one. I think it's good. But I don't know that anybody's hiring Russ in Indiana to host the new drive time show in Indiana.

[Matt Jones]

So you might hide him. Hire him as a writer for the Gold Golden Hammers. But. But whether or not you would do it for what wasn't the Golden Hammer. Sorry, what was it? The Hammer. Hammer.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Boys, you keep screwing this up.

[Matt Jones]

I don't even. I actually don't know what the actual. Is it Hammer Nimmet. Emmett Hammer.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Hammer. And Emmett is the name of the show on ESPN radio. But our original show name was the Golden Boys.

[Matt Jones]

You have to. The problem is your names are too much alike. They. They're both gold. They're both Hammers.

[Myron Medcalf]

Your.

[Matt Jones]

Your grandpa's name was Emmett. It's hard for me to keep up. Eight eight, eight say at ESPN. Let's go to John in Arizona. John.

[Myron Medcalf]

Matt. 1984 record of Eric Dickerson is in the trash next year with Cam Scatterboot taken down as a rookie.

[Matt Jones]

Hang on. I gotta cut you off. You can't scream into the phone like first of all you're gonna have to. You're not gonna. You can't have cricket cell phone and scream. The combination of no connection and your voice is not gonna work. Cam Scatter Boo. Do you think he's gonna have a big rookie year? Is he or. I don't think he's gonna pass Eric Dickerson. But do you think he's. You think he's going to have a big year?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I was hoping that the Browns would draft him here in Cleveland because Cleveland falls in love with running backs. Especially running backs with names like Cam Scatter Boo.

[Matt Jones]

What was the name of your all's? What was it? Big chunky white running back Peyton Hillis. Peyton Hillis. That's right. Yes. What happened to him?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

He joined the CIA, I think. And then at one point. At one point he nearly died, Matt, saving other kids lives in a. Like a water accident.

[Matt Jones]

Remember that? Actually.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

So Peyton Hillis is like a world hero and also was on the COVID of Madden one year because Browns fans voted in there.

[Matt Jones]

Amazing. All right, well, I think he played at Arkansas with like Darren McFadden. Right. Like, didn't they have like three running.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Back on his own college team? Because the. The guy that went to the Cowboys, Felix Jones.

[Matt Jones]

I think that's right. They were all three on there. The only reason I remember that is Kentucky won at Arkansas that year and I don't know how it happened. 888, say ESPN King of the Mountain. It will not be John in Arizona. So let's go to Aaron in South Carolina. Go ahead, Aaron.

[Myron Medcalf]

Morning, guys. Thanks for taking my hot take. So my hot take is about the state of tennis right now. I know everybody's comparing it to the Federer and Nadala Djokovic era. I think for the Alcatraz, for the Alcaraz and Center era. Hit that era to eclipse that era. I think there's gotta be a third person coming up, and I think it's also gotta be an American. There are about four or five top Americans in the top 20, top 30. I think one of them needs.

[Matt Jones]

First of all, where is our sound? We're supposed to have a sound that when he goes long. Do you have the. Because that, that. First of all, you said the word era too many times. Yeah, that was a lot of errors mixed up.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Alcaraz and Alcatraz. That was a problem.

[Matt Jones]

Did he say Alcatraz? They say we're opening it back up. So maybe that's what it is. Yeah, I don't know that you can come in. You got. If you're going to talk about tennis, it's going to have to be more steam. That was like watching a tennis match. So I'm going to have to say no to that one. Aaron, you have to.

[Myron Medcalf]

You.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I have to respond. I already.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, I like it when you respond.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Look, I'm a. I'm a. I'm a tennis fan, but I would agree that you better be creative and have some sort of McRib prime rib line if you're going to wow us all with your.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so so far, no contenders. LS in Virginia. Go for it.

[Myron Medcalf]

The 49ers will make it to the Super Bowl. Christian McAffrey will be MVP of the super bowl, and that will put him in the hall of Fame.

[Matt Jones]

That you can't flame. The was a long. I liked your first two sentences. I mean, they were declarative. You didn't give me logic after it, though. But you can't go. You had six seconds. Yeah, I wanted 30 and you didn't even get to 10. So you're gonna have to do a little better than that.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

The name of the bit is king of the mountain. We don't have a jester of the mountain right now.

[Matt Jones]

We have a lot of people who are going to need Sherpas to even get to the first checkpoint.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

We haven't gotten to base camp yet.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that's exactly right. All right. Annie is in Indy. I think Annie is going to do a good job. Go ahead.

[Myron Medcalf]

Hi. I'm going to try. I just wanted to talk about taking your daughter or whoever was taking their daughter to the game. Just listen to the questions she asked. I saw Ken Holtzman hit a no hitter for the Cubs when I was probably about 10. And then when he moved to the A's, I would bet with my dad and say, that's the guy we saw. And he'd say, no way. So, yeah, I just. So exciting to hear people taking their girls to games and go fever. That's all I got to say. Thank you.

[Matt Jones]

Thank you. All right, so a couple things. First of all, you got us on speakerphone. You cannot be king of the mountain unless you're talking into the phone, speakerphone. And I know Bluetooth and all that. That's safe, but like, it doesn't sound good. But second, I liked it. Although he didn't hit a no hitter. He threw a no no hitter. But otherwise I think that was better than the other ones.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I think we've got. I think we've got a top of that. You got to beat that. That's the new for today.

[Matt Jones]

I still think my McRib guy is going to take that one. But that's. But so far, Annie is today's winner. Ryan in Austin, Texas, about the Browns trying to do a homer take. Go.

[Myron Medcalf]

Hey, bro, why don't you give me the crown right now? The Browns are going to be terrible. Shadow Sanders going to be the starter. They're going to hire John Gruden. John Gruden is going to draft Arch Mannings from the Texas Longhorns and John Gruden's going to get back to a Super bowl and prove everybody wrong. Love you guys. Take care. Peace out.

[Matt Jones]

All right, there you go. That's your team. What do you think, Aaron?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Energy level was good? I don't know. That Jon Gruden is going from barstool back to an NFL head coaching job. Given that everything that's happened to him, that's a little questionable. But if you put Arch Manning on the Browns right now. I've never really seen Arch Manning play two college games in a row, but I would take him over the four quarterbacks the Browns currently have.

[Matt Jones]

I generally believe when I look at appointments in the federal government right now that Jon Gruden is overqualified compared to many folks. So I don't see why the barstool thing would keep him away at all. So. All right, we'll see Ryan and Austin. Let's go to Adam in Arizona. Go ahead, Adam.

[Myron Medcalf]

Hey, gentlemen, this is Adam in Arizona. My potential hot take for today is about the 2025 NBA season, and that is that the Los Angeles Lakers, despite showing strong in the last season, they're going to experience a significant decline or even potentially miss the playoffs, largely due to their internal issues and the issues with LeBron, Luka Doncic. That's my belief and my feeling and my potential hot take.

[Matt Jones]

All right, Appreciate the call. All right, so again, this is part of. This is a learning curve for all of our listeners. You can't just say declarative sentence. You have to then explain why you believe it. So, for instance, you can't just say the Lakers are going to be worse. You need to say the Lakers are going to be worse. And here are the reasons why. And so you gave me good declarative sentences, but you didn't tell me why. You just said them. And anyone can just say something. The question is, do you have the evidence, Aaron, to back it up?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Agreed. Also, how do you feel about reading your take?

[Matt Jones]

How do you feel okay with it? Some people aren't like you, Eric. Some people don't have the gift of gab. You know, I'm sorry.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I'm sorry.

[Matt Jones]

Not everybody has a loquacious tongue like you. Some people are not able to do it. So I'm okay with it.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I just, you know, you might be tempted. And I appreciate Adam's effort in that regard, that he wrote it, but I could kind of tell that he was reading it. And in order to sound like the king of the mountain, you gotta act like the king of the mountain.

[Matt Jones]

That's true. Steve in South Carolina. Let's see what you got, Steve.

[Myron Medcalf]

James Franklin and Mike Tomlin are essentially the same coach. They are rah rah guys. They say a lot without doing anything and they. Neither one of them can win a big Game.

[Matt Jones]

I liked where you started. Too short. Kind of like, you know, and not for the good reasons, like the rapper is too short. We need. I needed more. I like. I'd love to have heard all the reasons because James Franklin and Mike Tomlin are actually a decent comparison. Mike Tomlin's better than James Franklin, though. Yes. And so that makes it a little bit hard.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

James Franklin is a poser. Mike Tomlin.

[Matt Jones]

Whoa, Whoa. Hot take Hammer.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Well, I'm just showing people what King of the mountain might say.

[Matt Jones]

You think he's a poser?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I do. I think he's acting like he's a great college football coach when he really just beat who they beat in the playoffs.

[Matt Jones]

This is here, though. I mean, in theory, this is the year.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Better be it better.

[Matt Jones]

Let's go to Ronald in Florida. Ronald.

[Myron Medcalf]

Hey, guys, how you doing? I think the Miami defense should look into trading Tyree Kill to the Washington commanders for Terry McLaurin. You probably have to give up a conditional third or fourth round pick. If you're Washington, you get. You get Tyreek Hill. An electrifying weapon. And if you're Tyree Kill, you're on a team that was actually contending to make a Super bowl appearance. If you're the Dolphins, you get your team back. You get the pressure of having to cater to a big name superstar and it takes the pressure off to his. Thanks for that.

[Matt Jones]

Your phone broke up a little bit. I do like that you explain your logic. I don't think the Commanders would do that in a million years. But Aaron, what did you think?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

I thought that it was thought out. I thought it was relevant and current, but I think it comes up just short of Ryan and Austin.

[Matt Jones]

And I totally agree with you. I think of the mountain that was along the path that we were looking for.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

But I don't think quite gate there. All right, I got one or two. I'm going to go ahead and do the last one. Make it Nick in Florida because I think what he's going to argue is terrible. So, Nick, go ahead.

[Myron Medcalf]

Hear ye, hear ye. The king is speaking. Aaron Rodgers with the Steelers is a great move. He flops like we all predict. They're a top five contender for Arch Manning or any of the quarterbacks next year. He succeeds and Mike Tomlin finally has a chance to say, see, guys, I can do better than 10 wins. Zero playoff appearances. Zero playoff win.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, but what if he goes 8 and 8?

[Myron Medcalf]

Then they're still out. And we all know Aaron Rodgers is terrible and Mike Tomlin comes out looking Like a rose coaching a guy that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. All right. So there's Nick and Florida's take.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Aaron, what do you think, ladies and gentlemen?

[Matt Jones]

Now, wait a minute. You're just picking the winner. I'm not giving you permission to pick the king of the mountain. He has to be Russ in Indiana. I'm asking you, are you picking him as the winner today?

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Yes, I'm taking that as the winner today.

[Matt Jones]

Okay, I'll take that as the winner today. But you don't beat Russ in Indiana. Russ in Indiana. Gay. First of all, I'm sorry. It's good, but Russ in Indiana said McRib and primary him. That was better than anything he said. I thought his clip was pretty good. The hear ye, hear ye was pretty good. But here was the problem. Here's why you didn't beat Russ. You said hear ye, hear ye and then you pause for a reaction that never came. And that little two second pause is what's called uncomfortable silence. And I hate uncomfortable silence. And I can't have a king of the mountain that when I replay next week, I hear uncomfortable silence. So you lose even though you win today. And Russ in Indiana making fun of Indiana. Nebraska will remain our king of the mountain. Russ, we'll see if you can keep it again next week. The best college football players to watch next season. That's next. Matt and Myron. The podcast feels like this would be the theme song for the Golden Hammers or Hammer Boys. The Golden Boys. Sorry, this. It feels like this would be it. This, they'd be like, yes, we're on St. Louis, rolling on dubs. Except we're in Cleveland. It's Sunday morning. Matt Myron on ESPN Radio. Aaron Goldhammer filling in. He normally does the same show in this slide on Saturdays with Emmett Golden. 10 to 1, check them out. They have great chemistry. Do a good job. I listened to them yesterday on the way to Chipotle and they were good. Appetizer for a chicken bowl.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Ooh, I think we might use that and put it on our movie poster. They're a good appetizer for a chicken bowl. Sincerely, Matt Jones, Kentucky Sports Radio.

[Matt Jones]

Listen, I judge books when I go to the bookstore based on the blurbs that are on the front and. And really, who says them? And I think I would be more likely to buy a book if it said appetizer from a chicken bowl rather than innovative fresh. Because then I know, like, they don't really mean that. But. But when you give that level of specificity it's good. Marcus Spears was on ESPN's NFL Live and he gave a rant that I'd like to hear Aaron's response to about how the Cowboys are always distracting.

[Marcus Spears]

People have to understand how much this affects a football team that is trying to focus on winning. We have these conversations every damn year about the Cowboys. It's always some sort of noise that does not play into actually winning football games. So as opposed to me going crazy and losing my ish on TV with the contract negotiations I'm not going to lose my mind. I circle back to what I said. Myles Gary requested a trade. I thought that was going to be it in Cleveland. He ends up signing a whopping 40 plus million a year salary deal. Hopefully that is what Micah and his agent David Mulageda is doing. But Lord have mercy. Do we have a problem if he's serious? Do we have a problem if you can't get this back to where he is actually wearing that uniform? He's the best player on the team. On a team that is absolutely going to need him with a brand new head coach. But here's the other issue I have. Why can't we ever just have a normal off season with training camp, get ready for the season, go into the season and play football games.

[Matt Jones]

Hallelujah. Praise it. Preach it brother Spears. I mean I love listening in the background Mina and everybody else going mm tell them brother you oh yeah let him go. Like let them know like I felt like I was in church this Sunday.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Matt the new king of the mountains. Sorry.

[Matt Jones]

Exactly. That's how you do it.

[Aaron Goldhammer]

Is Marcus Spears. Look I, I think everything he says is right. I think it's hard enough to win in a division. Look the Commanders and Eagles are good. Right. Those are two teams that you expect to contend for the nfc. So if you're the Cowboys where it starts for you. Can you imagine too Brian Schottheimer's gotta deal with this. He hadn't even coached a game yet. He's been waiting his whole life to get an opportunity to be an NFL head coach. He's the son of a legendary probably should be in the hall of Fame coach with Marty and now this is the first thing that he has to deal with is it, it's totally unfair. And I get the reaction that they're not able to focus on preparing for the season because they're too wrapped up in everybody's contract and trying to play a game against their own owner.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah I, I, I'm with you. I get it. I mean, I didn't think Brian Schottenheimer should have had the job, but if you're going to, once you hire the person, you got to give them a chance to succeed. And this is about the worst way to have a chance to succeed, coming out of the top. You know, you said earlier that you believe this will get done. I don't see any reason it won't. But I do think it's impossible. If you want to create a culture of success, the worst way to do it is to have distractions. And when there's one every year, it's not the people just that are having the problems. It's you. If the dish. If you're always the person fighting at some point, it's you. It's not everybody else. And that's what Jerry Jones has done to the Cowboys in the last 25 years. We're gonna head out. A little bit of baseball, a little bit of going around the country for states and the previews of all that's to come today. Next on Sunday morning, Matt and Myron, the podcast.