Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron - Hour 2: Moving On?

Date: January 4, 2026
Hosts: Myron Medcalf & Matt Jones (with James & Jeremy Fowler)
Platform: ESPN Radio

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the high-stakes, season-defining NFL matchups — particularly the Ravens vs. Steelers showdown for the AFC North — and unpacks its seismic implications for star players and celebrated coaches. Matt, Myron, and their panel banter about coaching hot seats, quarterback futures, and the reverberations for marquee franchises. Beyond football, the hosts offer colorful takes on sports news, from college basketball outbursts to Draymond Green’s ejection, and enjoy some lively personal tangents — making this both a sports analysis show and a character-driven Sunday ritual.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Opening: The Impact of Representation in Sports Media

[00:00–02:04]

• The show opens with affectionate references to Stuart Scott ("Booyah") and a lighthearted exchange about a Franklin doll – reflecting on being "seen" as a Black character in pop culture.
  Notable Quote:
  • “Can you imagine the impact of young black boys and girls looking at that?” — James [00:18]
  • “He changed the culture. He changed sports stream.” — Myron [00:21]

Tone: Playful, nostalgic, highlighting the cultural importance of representation.

2. NFL Main Event: Ravens vs. Steelers — High Stakes, High Drama

[02:04–08:27]

• Build-Up:
  • James touts Ravens–Steelers as "the best rivalry in football in the last 30 years" [02:04], surpassing even Bears–Packers.
  • The win-and-in, lose-and-out scenario: "It's what the NFL would want... gets my juices going." — James [02:36]
• Franchise Consequences:
  • Myron and James agree the game's aftermath could force foundational change: Tomlin or Harbaugh’s future, and potentially Lamar Jackson’s.
  • Myron highlights Tomlin’s "19 consecutive 500 or better seasons" [03:55] as a remarkable run but acknowledges fan impatience.

Notable Quotes:

• "Steelers fans are more focused on how long it’s been since they actually competed for a Super Bowl." — Myron [03:55]
• "Lamar Jackson has a $75 million cap hit next year... their only choice is to extend him or trade him... wouldn’t be surprising if Lamar Jackson had a new coach next year." — Myron [04:17]

Tone: Analytical, candid, emphasizing both achievement and restlessness.

3. Player Accountability: DK Metcalf's Suspension & Costly Repercussions

[05:38–07:26]

• Matt directly blames DK Metcalf’s suspension for the Steelers’ predicament:
  • "I blame him for this one too... he just can't do it... I think it could cost his team today." — Matt [06:04]
• James points out: "Two things can be correct... [the fan] can be a goober... but you still can’t go in the stands and punch him." [06:36]
• Both hosts demand higher discipline, linking individual choices to broader team (and coach) fates.

Notable Quotes:

• "DK Metcalf can’t go into the stands and throw a punch... especially in that situation." — Matt [06:04]
• "If he loses, could lead to Mike Tomlin not being part of the organization." — Matt [07:03]

Tone: Firm, critical, underlining “little” actions with huge repercussions.

4. Coaching Carousel: Futures of Tomlin, Rodgers, Lamar, Harbaugh

[07:26–10:02]

• Speculation (with media clips):
  • Ryan Clark predicts: "Mike Tomlin leads the New York Giants to playoffs..." if Steelers lose [07:40]
  • Jeremy Fowler on Lamar: “Guaranteed money... drying out... Ravens... better off with Jackson than without, but it’s going to be costly either way.” [08:27]
• Rapid-Fire Predictions ("Ink Pen" Segment):
  • Tomlin: Working for ESPN TV — Matt [09:15]
  • Rodgers: Starts a conspiracy theory podcast — Matt [09:23]
  • Lamar: Back with Ravens, “no way you can let a two-time MVP go.”
  • Harbaugh: Remains with Ravens if they win; may reunite with Jim (Chargers) if they lose.

Notable Quotes:

• "The futures of four major figures in the NFL could be decided tonight on Sunday Night Football." — James [10:02]

Tone: Playful yet informed prognostication, aware of league-wide ripple effects.

5. Headlines Rapid-Fire: College Basketball & Draymond Green

[11:30–19:02]

College Basketball:

• Micah Shrewsbury Reprimand — for charging after official following Notre Dame’s buzzer-beater loss: “He looked like a bull that was not about to be tamed.” — James [12:31]
• Matt: “You don’t have to end your career like that... It was all bizarre, man.” [13:06]

Draymond Green’s Ejection:

• Hilarious Bit over ‘Vehemently’ Pronunciation:
  • Jeremy Fowler’s mispronunciations spark a comedic riff among the crew [14:29–15:58].
• Panel’s take:
  • Matt: “Draymond Green... set up to be this incredible media start after basketball, and... he continues to put himself in a spot where people aren’t going to want to hear from him.” [17:00]
  • James: “Most annoying player in sports. He complains at everything... If there’s a fight, I’m always taking the other guy’s side.” [17:00]
  • Myron: “Mostly embarrassing.” [18:02]

Notable Moments:

• Lighthearted but critical take on personalities and sportsmanship.

6. Winter Olympics & Sports Preferences

[19:02–21:12]

• Banter about Winter Olympics, especially the absurdity of the biathlon (“Nobody’s on skis shooting stuff!” — Matt [20:33]), ski jumping, and hockey.
• Matt prefers ski jump and figure skating, skeptical about some events (and Swedish “snow advantage”) [20:49–21:12].

Tone: Relaxed, humorous, with a wink to non-traditional sports fans.

7. Super Bowl Odds & Playoff Scenarios

[24:02–30:37]

• Surprise Super Bowl Odds:
  • Patriots at +1100, Seahawks favorite at +440.
  • Matt credits Seahawks’ rise to “stopping a Niners offense that was as hot as any we’ve seen.” [25:08]
• Bears’ Resurgence:
  • James details Bears’ comeback-driven wins and Caleb Williams’ interception record.
  • Matt: Bears-Lions is pivotal; matchups can re-shape entire playoff paths [26:26–27:09].

Eagles’ Strategy Debate

• Mystery over Eagles’ choice not to play starters:
  • James: “Baffling,” urges resting isn’t always best.
  • Matt: “Eagles are not afraid of anyone... more than anyone, probably understand the value of rest.” [28:12, 28:47]
• Eagles’ confidence in the NFC: “Who intimidates you?” — Matt [29:38]; “They can win ugly.” [31:06]

8. Book Club Moment & Personal Recommendations

[32:50–33:41]

• Matt and James bond over books (“Headshot” by Rita Bullwinkle; James Baldwin bio), showing depth beyond sports.
  • “You probably won’t hear a lot about James Baldwin on ESPN Radio...” — James [33:42]

9. Tank for the Pick? Raiders, Giants, and Coaching Decisions

[34:50–38:03]

• James: Would you lose on purpose for #1 draft pick?
• Matt: “As players, you just going to play the game, but as coaches... I’d lose. I’d call plays I’d never called before. High risk.” [36:27]
• Pete Carroll’s ambiguous future if Seahawks land #1 pick: “Oh, we’re not going to let him guide this new quarterback.” [36:59–37:38]

Notable Quote:

• “If I’m the owner, I’m coming down and tapping them on the shoulder... You know what you have to do.” — Matt [37:49]

10. QB Prospects: Mendoza & Draft Debates

[38:17–42:33]

• Discussion on Fernando Mendoza—his “intangibles,” Heisman, winning with less NFL talent at Indiana [39:00–40:11].
• Matt cautious: “This is such a weak quarterback class... there’s two guys: Mendoza and Dante Moore” [40:51].
• James: “I don’t know how you can’t believe in him at the next level.”

Giants Dilemma: Mendoza vs. Jackson Dart

• Matt favors developing Dart under fresh staff rather than drafting new QB [41:20–42:33].
• “What we just saw with Drake May should be the example for all these teams... Drake [May]... now we’re talking MVP.” — Matt [41:52]

11. King of the Mountain: Listener Take Segment (Teaser)

[42:33–43:48]

• Hosts look for “the best take of the week” from listeners:
  • “Passion, energy, information delivery, a little humor sometimes, and stay on time. 30 seconds.” — Matt [43:38]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Team Representation:
  "He changed the culture. He changed sports stream." — Myron [00:21]
• On NFL Stakes:
  "Both franchises could go in completely different directions after this." — Matt [03:55]
• On Discipline:
  "DK Metcalf can’t go into the stands and throw a punch... it could cost his team today the way it cost them last week." — Matt [06:04]
• On Draymond Green:
  "Most annoying player in sports... complains at everything. He’s a dirty player and he’s annoying... If there’s a fight... I’m always taking the other guy’s side." — James [17:00]
• On End-of-Season Tanking:
  "If I’m the owner, I’m coming down and tapping them on the shoulder... You know what you have to do." — Matt [37:49]
• On QB Hope:
  "Winning the Heisman, bringing Indiana potentially to a national championship... he’s gonna get a statue at Indiana no matter what happens from here." — Matt [39:00]
• On Book Recommendations:
  "You probably won’t hear a lot about James Baldwin on ESPN Radio, but..." — James [33:42]

Timestamps for Critical Segments

• Ravens–Steelers stakes: [02:04–08:27]
• DK Metcalf/Discipline: [05:38–07:26]
• Coaching futures predictions (Clark, Fowler): [07:26–10:02]
• Draymond Green ejection + ‘vehemently’ riff: [14:29–18:20]
• Winter Olympics banter: [19:02–21:12]
• Super Bowl odds, Bears, Eagles debate: [24:02–31:57]
• Draft/tanking strategy and Mendoza discussion: [34:50–42:33]

Overall Tone & Takeaways

This episode’s energy is signature Sunday: insightful, irreverent, and inviting. The hosts balance serious sports analysis with personality-driven riffs, textbook ESPN Radio. For NFL diehards, it’s a must-listen for the Ravens–Steelers buildup and the big-picture talk on coaching and QB futures. For casual fans, the show’s warmth, humor, and pop culture detours offer a seat at the table with friends who happen to know sports inside and out.