Arch Manning, The Strokes & ACL News | Morning X | July 24, 2026
Trevin & Sawyer In The Morning | Austin, TX | Friday, July 24, 2026
🎙️ First Hour
Morning X — Transcript Analysis (Portion 1)
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Topics & Stories Covered
- [00:00:00] Traveling with grandparents vs. toddlers — Prompted by a viral claim that a man found traveling abroad with his 78-year-old parents harder than traveling with toddlers. Trevin and Sawyer debated the merits of each, drawing on personal experiences.
- [00:03:33] SEC Media Days / Arch Manning — Sawyer covered the close of SEC Media Days, Steve Sarkisian’s praise of Arch Manning as a “dangerous player,” Manning’s ranking as the #7 QB by The Athletic, and Manning’s own reflections on maturing after a rough debut season. Also mentioned: Peyton Manning’s son reportedly already drawing prospect buzz.
- [00:04:50] Japanese “human refrigerator” — A Japanese company (Hiemon) has created a personal cooling cabinet — essentially a human-sized fridge at 41°F for ~$9,000. Sawyer riffed on the concept, pitching William “The Refrigerator” Perry as a celebrity endorser, and the conversation spiraled into Punky Brewster fridge safety PSAs and Indiana Jones nuking a fridge.
- [00:08:36] Jimothy the raccoon — Coverage of Jimothy, a raccoon with short spine syndrome who has become a viral sensation in Seattle. The University of Washington gave him an honorary degree. Public health officials warned people to keep their distance due to raccoon roundworm risk.
- [00:10:03] Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey* — Trevin saw the film on what he described as Texas’ largest screen with a packed house and a top-tier sound system. He gave it an enthusiastic endorsement but admitted to post-film depression knowing he won’t experience it that way again. Led into a bit about using the film’s plot to ask your partner the “would you still love me if…” question.
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Austin/Texas News
- Austin weather: Noted as a “brisk 94 degrees” on the day of the show — framed sarcastically as a low high for Austin in July.
- Jimothy the raccoon: While the story originates in Seattle, it was covered as a national/pop culture news item.
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Sports Topics
- Texas Longhorns / Arch Manning — SEC Media Days coverage: Sarkisian’s warning about Manning, Manning ranked #7 QB by The Athletic, Manning reflecting on his difficult debut season and personal growth. Mention of Peyton Manning’s high school-age son already drawing comparison buzz, with a tongue-in-cheek question about a potential Manning dynasty at UT.
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Austin Events / Local Happenings
- Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey* — Trevin saw it opening week on what he described as Texas’ largest screen, in a full-capacity theater with one of the best sound systems available. Strong implicit recommendation to Austin listeners to go see it.
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Funny Bits, Debates & Memorable Exchanges
- Grandparent vs. toddler travel debate — Trevin chose grandparent; Sawyer chose toddler. Trevin shared a story about taking his father to a museum and having to awkwardly wander away to stand by a David Robinson jersey after an uncomfortable comment. Sawyer admitted he “barely has parent patience” and referenced how annoyed he gets at his dogs. Both agreed the challenges are “very similar yet very different.”
- William the Refrigerator Perry pitch — Sawyer’s extended riff proposing a George Foreman-style celebrity partnership with the 63-year-old former Bears star to market human refrigerators in the U.S. was a highlight, complete with fake branding names: “William G.E. Perry” and “William the Avalanche Perry.”
- Trevin’s dad’s suspiciously specific fridge disposal advice — In the middle of the fridge conversation, Trevin deadpanned that his dad once explained in precise detail how to dispose of a body in an old refrigerator, then added, “He said it so clearly, like he had done it before.”
- The Odyssey “would you still love me” bit — Trevin reworked the viral “if I was a worm, would you still love me?” meme into an Odyssey version: asking your partner if they’d still love you if you were away at war for 10 years and it took 8 more to get home — and then having to explain that a sea witch (played by Charlize Theron) kept you captive on a beach for seven of those years.
- Jimothy’s gender — The hosts briefly questioned whether anyone had actually confirmed Jimothy is male, with Sawyer suggesting the name might need to be “Jimothy” regardless, and Trevin offering, “Who are we to assign genders to animals? They aren’t allowed to talk and tell us how they feel.”
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Summary
This opening portion of the July 24th Morning X kicked off with a lighthearted but genuinely argued debate about whether it’s harder to travel with a grandparent or a toddler, inspired by a viral story about a man’s rough trip abroad with his elderly parents. Both hosts drew from recent personal experience — Sawyer had just returned from a trip with his in-laws and four-year-old, while Trevin recounted a museum visit with his father that required a strategic retreat to the David Robinson jersey. The segment was warm and relatable, with both hosts ultimately conceding the challenges are uncomfortably similar regardless of age.
Sawyer’s sports segment covered the end of SEC Media Days with a focus on Arch Manning, who drew praise from Coach Sarkisian and reflected on maturing after a shaky college debut. The segment stayed grounded, noting Manning is currently ranked 7th among QBs — not the Heisman frontrunner hype some expected — and tossed in a fun note about Peyton Manning’s son already generating prospect buzz. From there the show pivoted to a sprawling, comedic riff on a $9,000 Japanese personal cooling cabinet, with Sawyer pitching William “The Refrigerator” Perry as the ideal American celebrity endorser, and the conversation drifting into Punky Brewster fridge safety trauma and Indiana Jones nuclear survival tactics before Trevin’s dad delivered the segment’s darkest and funniest line.
The back half of this portion covered Jimothy the Seattle raccoon — now holding an honorary University of Washington degree — with the hosts questioning his verified gender and issuing a public health reminder to keep your distance. Trevin then gave a glowing review of Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey*, seen on Texas’ largest screen in a packed house, admitting to genuine post-film sadness knowing the experience can’t be replicated. That emotional response became the launchpad for the segment’s funniest bit: Trevin proposing men use the film’s plot to ask their partners the “would you still love me” question — specifically whether they’d forgive an 18-year absence that included seven years of beach captivity with Charlize Theron. The show closed the portion on a high note, with Sawyer quietly landing the last line: “No one ever asked me if they were a worm.”
⏰ Second Hour
Morning X Transcript Analysis — Middle Portion (approx. 00:13:44–00:26:13)
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Topics Covered
- Pat McAfee album announcement and ESPN commentary
- Congressional bill to ban phone calls on airplanes
- Airplane etiquette debate (listener call-in segment)
- Austin company Wexel Art and tariff refunds
- Oliver Tree memorial event
- Protect College Sports Act / Senate delay
- New music Friday — The Strokes’ *Reality Awaits*
- Dexter and the Moon Rocks added to ACL Fest Weekend One
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Austin & Texas News
- Wexel Art (Austin-based acrylic frame company) is recovering $70,000–$80,000 in tariff payments after the Supreme Court ruled those tariffs unconstitutional earlier in 2026 [00:19:08–00:20:14]
- Dexter and the Moon Rocks announced as a new addition to ACL Fest Weekend One [00:18:32–00:18:37]
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Sports Takes
- The Protect College Sports Act — a 100+ page federal bill that would create an antitrust exemption for the NCAA to enforce spending caps, transfer rules, and eligibility limits — is not expected to reach a full Senate vote before Congress’s August recess [00:23:40–00:24:19]
- Sawyer’s take: *”They’re trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube with college sports. I don’t think it’s going to work.”* [00:24:17]
- Ted Cruz noted as a co-author of the bill, prompting jokes about sneaking language into the bill to ban Cruz from attending Texas sporting events [00:24:35–00:25:03]
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Austin Music, Venue & Event Mentions
- Dexter and the Moon Rocks added to ACL Fest Weekend One — tickets offered as a listener prize for the airplane sins call-in bit [00:18:29–00:18:37]
- The Strokes — new album *Reality Awaits* released today (Friday, July 25, 2026), nine songs, approximately 45-minute runtime [00:25:48–00:26:13]
- Sawyer had previewed it and says he likes it more than the last Strokes album
- Notes the internet reaction has been mixed
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Pop Culture & National Topics
- Pat McAfee announced he is releasing an album on August 14, 2026, describing it as *”the diary of a polarizing figure”* [00:13:58–00:14:24]
- Context: ESPN laid off numerous employees the same week; McAfee’s next deal reportedly worth $60 million
- Hosts compare the future of ESPN’s McAfee Show to MTV’s *Ridiculousness* [00:14:45–00:14:54]
- Congress considering a bipartisan bill to ban all phone calls on airplanes, prompted by the spread of in-flight Wi-Fi enabling voice calls [00:15:28–00:15:43]
- Oliver Tree memorial event announced for Saturday, July 25 in California, with a live stream at 7:30 p.m. [00:20:34–00:21:02]
- Speakers include Logan Paul, Diplo, and Ethan Klein
- Event sponsored by Slime (Oliver Tree’s answer to Logan Paul’s Prime)
- Hosts express skepticism about ticketed memorial events and where proceeds go, though acknowledge Oliver Tree’s friendship with the speakers [00:21:02–00:22:47]
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Funny Bits & Memorable Host Moments
- Sawyer misreads the Wexel Art tariff numbers and thinks $7,000–$8,000 was already bad enough to cut employees; Trevin has to correct him twice [00:19:36–00:19:53]
- The hosts riff on the *Airplane!* movie drop (“Surely you can’t be serious / I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley”), debating whether they have the full clip [00:15:09–00:15:22]
- Listener call-in for biggest airplane cardinal sins, with Dexter and the Moon Rocks tickets as the prize — hosts rank: (1) shoes AND socks off, (2) eating smelly food, (3) phone calls, plus armrest hogging, manspreading, using a stranger as a pillow, and standing up immediately upon landing [00:16:03–00:18:22]
- Sawyer admits he only just realized that tours get announced on Tuesdays and new music drops on Fridays — then immediately pitches “Tour Tuesday on Wednesday,” which Trevin shoots down instantly [00:25:10–00:25:33]
- Trevin jokes: *”I really just did this story as an excuse to get to play Oliver Tree on the airwaves”* [00:23:31–00:23:37]
- Ted Cruz joke: hosts suggest sneaking a clause into the Protect College Sports Act banning Cruz from attending Texas sporting events, with Sawyer adding *”Do you think he can read it?”* [00:24:35–00:25:03]
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Summary
This portion of the show opens with the Morning X Sports segment, where Sawyer covers Pat McAfee’s surprise album announcement, framing it against the backdrop of ESPN layoffs and McAfee’s reported $60 million contract. The hosts are skeptical but amused, comparing the direction of ESPN under McAfee to the mindless repeat programming that took over MTV. The segment transitions into a lively discussion about a proposed congressional bill to ban in-flight phone calls, which spirals into an entertaining debate about the full hierarchy of airplane etiquette sins — from bare feet to smelly food to manspreading — with Dexter and the Moon Rocks ACL tickets dangled as a prize for the best listener answer.
Trevin then takes over for Morning X Headlines, leading with a genuinely upbeat local story: Austin’s Wexel Art is being refunded tens of thousands of dollars in tariff payments after a Supreme Court ruling declared those tariffs unconstitutional. The segment shifts to the Oliver Tree memorial event planned for the following day, which prompts a nuanced conversation — the hosts clearly have affection for Oliver Tree’s work and persona, but Sawyer voices discomfort about ticketed memorial events and the guest speaker list including figures like Logan Paul and Ethan Klein. Trevin defends the event while also admitting he mostly used it as an excuse to play Oliver Tree on air.
The show wraps this block with a return to sports, where Sawyer covers the stalled Protect College Sports Act, expressing doubt that federal legislation can rein in the chaos of modern college athletics. Ted Cruz’s co-authorship of the bill generates predictable mockery, including a bit about secretly inserting a clause banning Cruz from Texas stadiums. The segment ends on a lighter note with a new music discussion — The Strokes’ *Reality Awaits* dropped today, and despite the internet’s lukewarm reception, Sawyer says he genuinely enjoyed it on first listen, calling it better than the band’s previous record.
🏁 Final Hour
Final Segment Analysis — Trevin & Sawyer In The Morning (July 24, 2026)
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Topics Covered
- The Strokes new album — Discussion of Julian Casablancas’s autotune use, internet backlash, defense of the production style (recorded in Costa Rica with Rick Rubin), and a lyrical shot at music critic Anthony Fantano on the second track; Trevin’s favorite track: *”Lonely is the Future”*
- Other new music — Brief mentions of new releases from Rico Nasty and Charli XCX, including discussion of the icons featured on Charli’s album cover (music, fashion, film)
- Bastrop data center concerns (Morning X Headlines) — Edge Connects project on FM 535 on 1,400 acres; residents unaware of scope until construction began; 500,000 gallons of water/day consumption; San Marcos and Hayes County have a one-year moratorium on new data centers; Texas Ag Secretary Sid Miller voiced bipartisan concerns
- Trevin’s solo dad week — His partner was away six days (Houston, then 30A/Florida girls’ trip); bonding time with his four-year-old son included fishing, Amy’s Ice Cream, Target toy run, and McDonald’s
- The “Odds” game — Sawyer challenges Trevin with a 1-in-5 odds game to determine if he’ll solo road trip to the beach; they both say “two” simultaneously — Trevin is going to the beach
- Weekend plans / life banter — Trevin’s anxiety about home furniture reorganization tasks; Sawyer heading to Waffle House (smothered, covered, peppered, with biscuits instead of toast)
- 101X Teacher Wish Lists — Over 300 submissions so far at 101x.com ahead of the 2026–27 school year; plans to incentivize donations next week
- Teaser for next week — A “big announcement” involving helping animals and having fun; described as bringing something back “from days of old”
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Closing News & Local Update
- Bastrop data center story [~00:28:43–00:29:51]: Residents of Bastrop seeking more information on the large-scale Edge Connects data center project on FM 535; next update expected at the Bastrop Commissioner’s Court meeting
- Teacher Wish List drive [~00:34:07–00:34:39]: 300+ submissions received at 101x.com; more listener engagement efforts planned for next week
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Final Austin Event / Weekend Recommendations
- 101x.com Teacher Wish Lists — Listeners encouraged to submit and support ahead of the new school year
- Teased upcoming event — Animal-related charity/fun event to be announced Monday, described as a returning fan-favorite format
- Trevin inadvertently “recommended” a solo beach trip (via the Odds game)
- Sawyer’s personal weekend plan: Waffle House
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Funny Closing Moments & Memorable Quotes
- [00:27:44] Trevin, on the Strokes: *”That’s the last great American rock and roll band.”*
- [00:28:02] Sawyer, on playing the album at 6 AM at full volume: *”It’s much better at reasonable volume with a Knox chord that actually works now.”*
- [00:32:31] After both saying “two” simultaneously in the Odds game: *”It’s the first time all morning we’ve agreed on something.”*
- [00:32:43–00:32:47] Sawyer: *”Odds got my friend in jail in Korea once. So it’s a dangerous game. But it got you sent to the beach.”*
- [00:33:28–00:33:33] Trevin on weekend tasks: *”Imagine trying to rearrange furniture and reorganize rooms with a woman in your life who can’t get her Vyvanse thanks to the current state of health care.”*
- [00:33:55–00:33:58] Trevin, scheming: *”There’s a world where if I can get all this stuff moved, it’ll keep her busy. I can just disappear.”*
- [00:35:21] Show signs off: *”Enjoy some Nirvana.”*
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How the Show Wrapped Up
The show closed on a relaxed, Friday-energy note. After the Odds game sealed Trevin’s fate as a reluctant solo beach-tripper, the two traded banter about weekend to-do lists, Vyvanse shortages, furniture feng shui, and Waffle House hash brown terminology. Trevin plugged the Teacher Wish List drive and teased a big animal-related announcement for Monday, before both hosts said their goodbyes and directed listeners to their social handles. The final sign-off line — *”Enjoy some Nirvana”* — was characteristically offhand and low-key.
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Summary
The final segment of Friday’s Morning X opened with a lively debate about the new Strokes album, with Trevin defending Julian Casablancas’s long-standing use of autotune and the band’s apparent lyrical jab at music critic Anthony Fantano. Trevin praised the album’s production — recorded with Rick Rubin in Costa Rica — and called out *”Lonely is the Future”* as a standout track, while Sawyer remained characteristically skeptical, labeling Trevin a “generational curmudgeon” for his rock loyalties. The segment was full of good-natured tension between the two, and briefly touched on other new releases including Rico Nasty and Charli XCX.
The show then shifted into the Morning X Headlines, where Trevin covered growing community concerns in Bastrop over a massive Edge Connects data center project on FM 535 — 1,400 acres consuming 500,000 gallons of water per day. The story tied into a broader regional conversation, with San Marcos and Hayes County already having imposed moratoriums on new data centers. Texas Ag Secretary Sid Miller’s rare bipartisan framing of the issue — calling it “a Texan issue” rather than a partisan one — gave the segment some weight before the show pivoted to lighter territory.
The back half of the segment was pure Friday banter, with Trevin sharing a warm story about his solo week parenting his four-year-old son while his partner was away, then getting talked into a solo beach trip via the Odds game — both hosts landing on “two” simultaneously in what Trevin called the first thing they’d agreed on all morning. Weekend plans, Waffle House hash brown philosophy, furniture reorganization stress, and a tease for a returning animal-charity event next week rounded out the show before a characteristically low-key sign-off.
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Analysis generated from archived transcripts. Hosts: Trevin Smith and Sawyer Stull. Morning X — 101X Austin, TX.
