Best of Query & Company- Tuesday 12/23/25

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There are three that any member of the Colts defense
can blame for last night's loss. Me, myself, and I
and I don't mean me, I mean they as they
are looking in the mirror, mirror on the wall. Like
Daylas Soul once said, I thought, personally last night, that
was a defensive effort that was void of soul altogether.
No soul, no heart, no effort, and brock Purdy was

(00:23):
able to just stand and stand and stand, and like
I said, it was like watching one of the Colts
training camp practices where you sit there and you think, oh, man,
this quarterback looks unbelievable, and.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Then you've got it.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
You know, your buddy sitting next to you goes, there's
no defense out there, man, it's a walk through.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
That's what it looked like last night.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
I thought it was a horrific performance defensively, and the
Colts once again, I'm going to keep using the line
somebody said to me, perfect and a year that we
thought was all about an achilles tendon. Actually it's their
achilles heel that once again did him in a defense
that was non existent down the home stretch. Joining me
now and feeling free to disagree with any of that
if he so chooses the Steven Holder on the Java

(01:04):
House peeling port guest line Jake twenty five for twenty
five percent off at Java house dot com and Stevenholder
of ESPN dot com. Steven I thought that was the
worst Colts defensive performance of the year, if not the
last two year.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Thoughts, that was epically bad. Yeah, I liked that Achilles
heel little uh little thing there. I think that's exactly true.
I thought it was the defensive effort felt like I'm
trying to think of a you know, a reference point,

(01:38):
a little bit like that Jacksonville game to end the
twenty twenty one season. Maybe that comes to mind. That
was the whole team that day. But I think just defensively,
like no one made a play, no one made a stop.
It was It's going to go down as I think
one of the one of the more memorable or maybe
forgettable the defensive performances. And I think in a long

(02:02):
long time around here. I mean, it just it was
it felt like they had nothing to play for at times,
and that's just really disappointing. And I get it, like
those cornerbacks out there, I'm gonna be honest with you, man,
they're awful. They're awful, all right. They shouldn't be out there.
They're practice squad level guys, and that is what it is.
So they had they had nothing really to work with there.

(02:23):
But at some point you got to compete, you gotta fight,
and they didn't do that.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
But Steven, here's the thing. You know, this is it's
a chicken and egg thing. I realize, but when you have.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Corners that are inexperienced or young or old or whatever
it may be, you can sometimes offset that if you
get any pass rush whatsoever.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
And they had none, none he had all day.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
I mean, you could have had their corners last night,
could have been Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson or Dion
Sanders and they would have eventually broken down because there
was pretty had all day. That That the to me,
why is it that the Colts seemingly are the last
franchise in the NFL to figure out pass rush?

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Well, I don't know what, I don't know what to
I don't know how to answer that question, I guess
is what I'm saying. But I I don't think I'm
surprised by it. I think we we knew that this
pass Russ was going to be largely contingent on on
all these guys, you know, contributing across the board, because
they didn't have that one guy who could just go

(03:36):
get it and take over a game. And and the
problem is that it's been too intermittent among the whole group.
So like you might get one guy that goes off
and has a good night on one night, but you're
not getting that from across and across the board effort.
And that's what it was going to take. They said
this was going to be a group where it's it's
some was greater than its parts. I mean, I think

(03:58):
they have two primary parts that could individually, you know,
maybe threaten to take over a game. And that's the
Forest Buckner who just got back from an injury that
was a really bad injury, more than people realize. And
then the other one is the layout to a lots
who I think is that a fine season, Like he's
gonna end up with like eight or nine sacks or something.
I think it's fine, But that's that's a guy who

(04:22):
is a complimentary guy with a good group around him.
He's not gonna take over the game. And so they
just haven't had enough like They're just too intermittent from
those guys and it didn't work as planned.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Steven, I'm gonna ask you about some people and I
want you to tell me. Well, I mean, I'll ask
specifics about them, I guess. Okay, I'll begin with this.
Do you believe that Philip Rivers? Well, okay, will Philip
Rivers start two more games?

Speaker 2 (04:56):
I think they lose to the Jaguars and he probably
does not start Week eighteen. That's a total speculation, but
that's my thought. Right now.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Okay, does Anthony Richardson get snaps this season?

Speaker 2 (05:16):
I say no.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
If Riley Leonard, well, I guess Philip Rivers would be
there technically, right, I mean, they're not going to have
Philip Rivers. He's not going to pack up his stuff
for the week left and head home. Right, He'll be
on the sidelines at the very least, right, I.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Would presume he would stick around and help carry Collins
whoever else is there. Yeah, I mean that's my assumption.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah, Okay, the Shane Steiken. Do you believe that Shane
Styken returns next year?

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Wow? I felt before last night I would have told
you eighty percent chance, maybe eighty five. I still think
it's likely, but I just think that if you lose

(06:09):
seven in a row down the stretch, I don't think
anybody is truly safe. So I say probably, but odds
are diminishing with every loss. Chris Ballard, same answer, same answer.
Just as an observer. Okay, look this is I'm not

(06:31):
promising anybody anything here, but just as an observer looking
at what I see every day and being in that
building every day, I think Carly Ursay Gordon has been
on board with their plan okay for the most part,
and it endorsed the things that they have done and
want to do. But the question then becomes at what point,

(06:54):
if at some point does she lose faith in that
plan and their ability to tocute that plan. The question
is are we there yet? And I don't know, because
I will say this, this season just it breaks all
the rules of analysis. There is no rational analysis you
can apply to this season that makes sense. I've never

(07:16):
seen a season like this, and that's not a defense.
I'm just telling you that it is maybe terrible for
talk radio, but like, this is the most nuanced situation
I've maybe ever seen. You had two seasons in one
a seven to one team on the front end and
then on the back end a team that can't win

(07:36):
a game. I have never seen anything like it. And
I'm not begrudging people from being mad and that mad
as hell and wanting wanting ahead on a platter. I
get all that. I mean, I see the tweets people are,
I mean, they're angry as hell. But I also got
to say, like this, this is we gotta take a
step back and very what the hell is this? Right?

(07:57):
What happened here? And I think carl Ersay Gordon in
particular is that kind of person. She's going to take
a step back and she's not going to make a
rast decisions because that's who she is. So I'm explaining
it to you as she will, as she will analyze it.

Speaker 1 (08:16):
I look at it this way, Steven, and I want
and here's what I've said, and I want you to
tell me if you think that they're you know, if
you could see it this way. I lean towards thinking
that Chris Ballard returns and also understanding why he would
return for twofold number one, the only theoretically the only

(08:40):
people that would be interested.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
And I get it.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
A job as a general manager in the National Football
league is incredibly coveted.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
But those.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
That would most be willing to take that on probably
are those that are still that's a dream job, because
it's an ascension for them. They've not done it before.
And because you don't have a first round pick for
the next two years, you don't have total stability at quarterback,
and there are still a lot of question marks. And
so therefore Carly Orsa Gordon, I think would know that

(09:11):
she probably if she's replacing Chris Ballard, would be replacing
him not only with an unknown for her, but for
somebody with somebody who the position itself is the unknown,
and I think that's a double edged sword she doesn't
want to go into.

Speaker 3 (09:27):
Does that make sense, No, it does make sense.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
I would say also that I think the appeal of
the job it wouldn't be as appealing as people think.
And here's why, because I don't know what people think,
but I don't know that the job would be that
appealing because I look at Jacksonville and I get like
Jacksonville they rebooted this year, Jacksonville was a very interesting situation.
I don't think anybody looked at that job and said, well,

(09:51):
that's that's the job. No one said that. However, you
could at least talk to yourself into saying, all right,
we got some assets, some money, and we have a
quarterback that if we can figure it out with this guy.
I mean, you know you're a Clemson guy, right, I
mean we know his pedigree, right, If he can just

(10:11):
figure it out, and now he's playing the best ball
we've seen him play, that that possibility was there was
always there here. I mean, are you really if you're
if you blow this up and you bring a new leadership,
head coach, general manager, are you going back to Daniel Jones?
Are they rubber stamping that new leadership? Are they rubber
stamping Daniel Jones off an achilles injury? Or are you

(10:32):
dropping a nuclear bomb in this entire building and starting
over and you are one of the worst teams in
the NFL next year? You want that job, go for it, buddy.
I think that's where they are. That's where they are
if they boot, if they reboot, And that's why I
think that I think she tries one more time. I
think that's why I think.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
I would understand if Chris Ballard himself says, you know what,
and I just got done laying this all out Stephen
next season and next season there is question.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
I mean, we're assuming Daniel.

Speaker 1 (11:04):
Jones comes back to Indianapolis, okay, and I think he
I mean, I get it, but and now his price
tag maybe is not as expensive as it would have
been elsewise. But you bring back Daniel Jones, and you
are assuming that you have same player, Daniel Jones, and
that you have it by say October. Well, at that
point you got Jonathan Taylor who would be twenty seven,

(11:28):
Pittman would be approaching thirty, Moley Cox over thirty, Nelson
approaching thirty, Ryman approaching thirty at that point to Forrest Buckner,
So do you does Ballard, if it's Ballard, come back
and say, look, I'm I'm coming back, But I understand
I've got to do a not a control all delete,

(11:49):
complete reset, but at the very least like the Apple
reboot and wait for the image to come back up.
They're gonna have. They can't go through this with the
same roster. Theoretically, Am I wrong?

Speaker 2 (12:01):
Well, I think there would have to be like some
significant tweaks. I don't think it's a reboot necessarily. I
think defense you're tweaking, and maybe substantially tweaking, but you
also still have some core guys. I mean, your offensive
line is intact. You have, you have a good offensive
line to work with. I think, even even if we
don't see Braden Smith's return, I think you have a

(12:22):
young group there. I like Jalen Uh Jalen Travis a lot.
I think I think he is a legitimate fundamental piece
moving forward. For example at tackle. Uh he's played right
tackle line left tackle in the past two weeks. Right,
So you have some you have some pieces, some young pieces,
but you also have some veterans that I think that
you'd retain. And then you're hoping that you can get

(12:44):
Sauce Gardener to play like Sauce Gardner for example. Like
I mean that I think the difference between them being
a viable team that could win a playoff game and
what you see right now, I don't think it's actually
that much. If you have good quarterback play, which assumes
a lot of Daniel Jones health, right, but it's not
that far away. But the things you're counting on are

(13:05):
really important pieces that you have to that we have
to discuss, Like is Daniel Jones going to be Daniel
Jones what is the situation with Shavarius Award, for example, right,
I mean, if all these guys are out there and
you have the team that Chris Ballard intended to put
out there, I love that team.

Speaker 3 (13:22):
I do.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
I like that team a lot. That's the team that
was seven and one, and I get And you can
talk about competition. I don't give a damn. They were
one of the best teams in the NFL are beating
people by twenty one points. That's a great team, right,
So they I think it makes more sense. It might
make more sense for them to try one more time
to see if they can recreate that than to blow

(13:46):
it up and have a two year rebuild with no quarterback,
which is a road to nowhere.

Speaker 1 (13:50):
Frankly, Let's say hypothetically, Stephen Holder is my guest. He's
on the Java House Peel and poor guest line Java
house dot com, by the way, the website for Java House, Steven.
Let's just say hypothetically that Daniel Jones, I mean, knock
on wood here. I'm not gonna say he has a setback.
I don't want to put that in the universe. Let's
say Daniel Jones comes and says, look, guys, I feel good,

(14:13):
but my timing is just a little off. I need
another month at the beginning of the year. And Anthony
Richardson is.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
Just say it's a tough injury. Don't we don't even
correct we have a situation, right, it's a tough injury.

Speaker 1 (14:22):
It is, And so Anthony Richardson is the curveball and
all of this. Do you believe Shane Stykeen and Chris
Ballard are one percent on the same page when it
comes to Anthony Richardson, Not really.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
I think I think Shane Styken moved on from Anthony
Richardson last year when he benched him, period, That's what
I think. Now, he didn't. They didn't trade him. They
didn't publicly, you know, say that we're moving on from

(14:56):
him for good. They said all those they said the
opposite of that, actually right, right, but you benched your
fourth overall pick, you know, halfway through his second season.
I mean, what are we talking about here? Right? Like,
what are we talking about? I think it was Claire's
day at that point.

Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, I mean to me, Richardson and I it's boy,
there's just so many variables there, Steven, right, because I
think that they would have liked to have the opportunity,
at the very least to showcase a little bit of
him for his trade value purpose, and now you don't
even have that. Being the case, somebody asked me this question,

(15:37):
and I thought it was an interesting question, and you
feel free to tell me if it's the dumbest one
you've ever heard, But I thought it was an interesting question.
If Anthony Richardson now is in a situation where vision
prohibits him from moving forward at all as an NFL player,
could there be a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the

(15:58):
device that snapped his eye, No idea.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
I don't. I don't think so. I don't think that
is I don't think that's something that's even been discussed.
I would also say so, so that would be my answer,
first of all, I don't. I don't think anything like
that has been discussed that I'm aware of now. I
would also add that the vision issue is not unexpected

(16:25):
like that was. It was a problem from the beginning
in that right eye, as I understand it, when this
incident occurred, he had very limited, if any vision in
that right eye because of the swelling and the trauma
and all of that. Right so it was explained to
him that over time this will come back and be
back to normal. So my understanding, and I think the

(16:49):
assumption is that he is still on that track and
it is continually improving. I mean, we've seen him in
practice throwing the ball around during during individual drills, and
he's throwing it fine. He doesn't look like someone who
is who is blinding, and I you know, so I
have to assume that he has Number one, he has

(17:10):
come a long way in terms of the vision correcting itself.
And number two, I think that process continues. So I
don't believe there's a lot of concern that it won't
come back to allow them to play at an NFL level.
But it's not like we can just rubber stamp anything.
When you talk about vision in a quarterback.

Speaker 1 (17:28):
Steven, am I too cynical when I say that I
looked last night at a defense that looked to me
like their coach has lost him.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
I mean, cynical doesn't sound like you at all. But
I would say I was very shocked by it. I
would tell you that.

Speaker 3 (17:49):
And to what would you attribute it? If that was
the case, to what would we attribute it?

Speaker 2 (17:56):
I don't know. I mean certainly you know talent was
was was a factor, is no question about that. From
what I know of Louanna Roumo and how they feel
about him, and and the fact that he's very well respected.
I just I don't think it boiled down to he's
lost them, just because I would be surprised by that.

(18:16):
But at the same time, you know, to to take
your cynicism into account and to give it some validity
if you didn't know any better and you watch that,
I mean, that's a fair question, right, Like like these
guys hate their coach, clearly, that's what it looks like, right.
I don't know, man, I think you just wrong time,

(18:37):
right right, wrong time or excuse me, wrong wrong place,
wrong time against the wrong team. Kyle Shanahan just you
know in his bag, Uh, those corners overmatched and no
pass rush and it can just unravel really quickly. You know,
it really can. It really can. And that's what you
saw last night.

Speaker 1 (18:57):
Steven Holders my guest a ESPN dot com where you
can read his work. Steven, what are your Christmas plans?

Speaker 2 (19:02):
By the way, not much? I mean, you know, just
the usual uh by other people gifts and uh, you know,
watch them enjoy them.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
You know, when you were a kid, what is the
Christmas gift that you look back upon now that you
most does your Like literally, you know each year when
you're a kid, there's like one thing you want, right,
You're like, oh my gosh, like I'm asked Santa for it.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
I'm just I'm all in.

Speaker 1 (19:30):
What is the one thing more than anything else that
you had the strongest desire to ever get it?

Speaker 3 (19:35):
Chris for a Christmas?

Speaker 2 (19:37):
Okay, So I would say two different years, I would
say a couple of things. Number one, I wanted the
BMX bike. I don't remember how old I was, but
I wanted a BMX bike and I got it. You know,
I don't I think it was a huffy. Probably a huffy, right,
I think you know we're same age range. You probably
had one totally, Yeah, for sure. So and and of

(19:59):
course I am from South Florida, So in my time,
my childhood, at least, you know, in sunny Florida, Christmas Day,
everybody wanted a bike. So Christmas afternoon you're out there
riding bikes. That was the thing. So so I got
that bike one year, and I think there was another
year I wanted the g I Joe the I think

(20:22):
it was the F fourteen jet. I think I remember
getting that one year and that was like the best
because G I Joe was like the that was the
show at the time, the cartoon. If you don't if
you've not seen G I Joe for those whipper snappers
out there and I don't know, go find you, Go
find you the YouTube dot com.

Speaker 3 (20:42):
Did did you get the bike? And the G I Joe?
Did Santa deliver?

Speaker 2 (20:45):
I did? These were separate years, but Santa was good
to me. Yeah, came through.

Speaker 1 (20:50):
So what we know is Santa was not a twenty
twenty five Colts defender because when the holiday season came,
Santa delivered right.

Speaker 2 (20:59):
Right well, although I could argue that they were actually
in the giving spirit that defense.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
So that is a good way of saying it. That
is an excellent point. Yes, that's a very good point.
Is Alec peersc has Alec Pierce played himself into big
money elsewhere and perhaps even looking at the situation and saying,
why would I stay here if I can go into
a situation with the quarterback that I know who it's

(21:27):
going to be week in and week out.

Speaker 2 (21:30):
Okay, Well, the thing we know for sure that he
has played himself into big money. I think this is
maybe not the most popular thing to say around the
Colts facility, but I think he is the colts number
one receiver. Yes, I said it, okay, And people can
do whatever they want with that information. So I think
he's the most versatile receiver they have, for sure, And

(21:51):
so I would say that's worth a lot. He is
going to be very valuable and it's going to cost
a lot more than people maybe even realize. Now. He
loves Indianapolis, he loves Daniel Jones. But the the question becomes,
what does that look like next year? I mean, who's

(22:11):
leading the team, who's signing the players, who's the quarterback?
You know? How committed to resigning Alec Pearce? Are they?
All those questions I think are still on the table.
I will tell you that there have been discussions between
Alec Pearce's representation and the Colts in the past, and

(22:33):
the indication was that we probably can't afford him. Now,
that was before this season, before he took over and
became the player that he has been. So his value
now to them might be such that they have to
go beyond what they wanted to spend. But I don't know,
it's too early to really predict how any of that
is going to go. But he has definitely played himself

(22:55):
into a massive contract.

Speaker 1 (22:56):
Okay, lastly, Steven, here we go, Santa's flying around right now, right, and.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
You would think, well, you know, it's amazing.

Speaker 1 (23:05):
I think he does a lot of it just in
the one night, right, I mean, like, you know, although.

Speaker 3 (23:11):
He's got to be.

Speaker 1 (23:13):
Now Australia is ahead of us, right, so he's got
to be I mean, he's got to be headed down.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
Like it's going to be Christmas Eve somewhere.

Speaker 1 (23:20):
Yeah, he's heading down there pretty soon here. So let's
just say that the ways is really good for him
and he avoids some traffic jams and whatever else. So
he arrives to Indianapolis a little bit early and he
so he is then able to visit the home of
the following people and ask them specifically, I am Santa.
I am capable of it all. So I am going

(23:41):
to deliver what truly, But I'm Santa. So, little boys
and girls, I know if you're lying, I know if
you're naughty, I know if you're nice. So if you
tell me something and you're lying, I'm going to know it.
So you got to be completely transparent. It's like a
spell of transparency he puts on these people. But he's
going to stop by the house of a couple of
people and once they're over there, shock, He's going to
ask him, what is it in regards to your profession

(24:03):
that you need me to deliver for you? Down the chimney,
we will begin with Chris Ballard. What does Chris Ballard
ask him to.

Speaker 2 (24:09):
Deliver man health for his team health? Okay, because he's
egned a lot of players for a lot of money
and a lot of them didn't play.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
Now, the other thing, too, is Santa as jolly and
as wonderful as Santa is, and he has the ability
to bring you a BMX bike in the middle of Florida.
Santa's wonderful and he's a miracle ripper. But Santa also,
unbeknownst to many people, Santa does have one nitpick rule
where when he talks to people that know one another,
they can't ask for the same thing. He can only

(24:44):
deliver it to one per person.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
Right.

Speaker 1 (24:46):
So therefore, he goes to Shane Steichen's house and he says,
Shane Stiken, what would you like? What does Shane Styken say?

Speaker 2 (24:53):
Hm? Uh a franchise quarterback. And I don't know if
they have that guy or not, but he wants a
franchise quarterback. Okay, so you can sure of get to
five hundred with any old quarterback, but that's not the goal.

Speaker 3 (25:08):
Uh, Carl Orsea Gordon.

Speaker 2 (25:12):
Hm a new team? No, that's a good question. I
don't know. I think she I think she just wants
I think she wants wins. She asked for wins, that's
what because she's she's a competitor, and I think ultimately

(25:34):
that is going to have to guide her and so
she and Santa will have to pow wow and figure
out how to how to get that done.

Speaker 3 (25:40):
I think, okay, what about this?

Speaker 1 (25:42):
Santa says, I can deliver you the wins, young Carly,
but in doing so, I've got to make some changes
within the building itself.

Speaker 3 (25:53):
Is Carly cool with that?

Speaker 2 (25:57):
I think she is, yes, because that's ultimately the goal.

Speaker 1 (26:03):
You know what, I think Carli orsay Gordon would asked
for what's that? Guitars because she just sold all of them.
She didn't have any left. She just needs a guitar, right,
I don't think they've sold them yet though, right.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
So my understanding is that they are with the auction house.
So yeah, there's a there's a big pile of guitars
sitting somewhere about to get sold for a whole lot
of money.

Speaker 1 (26:27):
Do you think there are people that are like thinking
they're going to be sneaky, like, you know what, I'm
gonna get on that thing when nobody else is looking,
and I'm going to swipe away Prince's guitar for two
hundred and twenty five bucks.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
Good luck.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
I tried doing that with watches, Like every once in
a while, I get on something and I'm like, oh
my gosh, I'm in the totally in the running for this,
like you know, vintage watch, and then at the eleventh hour,
all of a sudden, I'm like, oh boy, yeah, now
I see what happened. Everybody else is teen to it there,
wait until the eleventh hour.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
That's going to be the case here, Yeah, I think,
And I also believe ultimately they would like to sell
this thing in mass I don't think that's gonna be possible,
but certainly, like maybe pieces of it, not individually, but
like you know, hey, here's there's twenty five amazing historic
guitars or something. I don't know how it's gonna work,

(27:12):
but we'll see.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
Yeah, well, Steve, and I know you have listen.

Speaker 2 (27:16):
Listen. It's got to be worth at least a couple
a couple of good contracts. I would think you would.

Speaker 3 (27:21):
Say, there's that, Stephen.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
You have a son and a daughter, both adults living elsewhere.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
Correct, son is, but daughter is still sixteen.

Speaker 1 (27:31):
So yeah, okay, I'm sorry. I was thinking she was
away college. Cool enough, but who's counting either way. My
point being, I certainly hope that everybody is able to
be under one roof when Santa does bring everything and
eats the cookies. And you mentioned health for the cold's
health to you and your family as well, for a
safe and prosperous not only Christmas, but New Year's. Well,

(27:52):
I do appreciate all the time that you lend to
this radio station over the course of the year.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
All right, well, sing to you and yours and know
where to find me in in the year.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Yeah, at a Pacer game, right, that's where.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
Well that we we can that can be arranged, that's right.

Speaker 1 (28:08):
All right, Steven, appreciate a happy New Year. And Merry
Christmas to you all right soon? All right, Stephen Holder
who joins us, and again we'll probably talk to him
between now and New Year's I guess. But no show
tomorrow or on Christmas Day on this radio station. We
will be back with everybody on Friday when we do return.
Some great submissions last night after the Colts defense basically

(28:33):
submitted then it was, and yes there is Pacers news
to get to. Speaking of that, but I want to
get into the comments that people shared with me of
when I asked fifteen words, are fewer your thoughts on
the Colts season? Some great answers. I'll share them with
you next. Scott Agnes joins the show. Scott, let's begin
with this. The Isaiah Jackson injury last night. I saw

(28:53):
him walking off after the fact. But now Rick Carlisle
last night had said that there was perhaps concussion.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
Do we know what the latest is in that?

Speaker 4 (29:05):
Yeah, the latest is he was diagnosed with a concussion.
Has already Jake been ruled out for tonight's game against
the Bucks, and it makes you wonder about his status too.

Speaker 5 (29:14):
Moving forward with.

Speaker 4 (29:15):
Another back to back coming up this weekend, but they'll
have the next two days between games. But it's even
more difficult for them to take at the moment because
Tony Bradley last week fractured the tip of his right thumb,
so that's why they brought in James Wiseman.

Speaker 5 (29:32):
So now Bradley's limited. We know Isaiah Jackson's out, so
they're rarely down to Jay Huff and James Wiseman.

Speaker 1 (29:40):
So Wiseman was on a ten day I would assume
that that becomes a twenty day now right.

Speaker 4 (29:45):
You would assume it will expire before the next game,
so they'll have to make at least one more transaction
before Friday.

Speaker 3 (29:52):
Scott one of the things to me that's been frustrating.
And I get that.

Speaker 1 (29:56):
You're going without all you know, you're going into this
without all pieces around them, But Andrew Nimharden, Jeris Walker,
been at Matheren, those three, the consistency or lack thereof,
to me, has been frustrating. I think nim Hart is

(30:17):
another one that has struggled with consistency.

Speaker 3 (30:19):
You agree or disagree, I.

Speaker 4 (30:22):
Would agree, but I put Matherin and Nimhart in a
category of giving it them all.

Speaker 5 (30:27):
They're all despite their.

Speaker 4 (30:28):
Physical limitations, meaning they're not healthy, and they're battling and
they need help from everybody else. And so of those three,
Walker is the one that really strikes me. This is
a breakout type year he could have. The opportunity is
obviously there, and he's only getting fifteen minutes because that's
really all he earns is right now.

Speaker 3 (30:47):
And last night again, I mean, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (30:50):
If Walker was over, he might have had a field goal,
but he just I I Scott, what is it that
is missing? I guess I would ask, because is at
times he looks in flow, and he looks comfortable and
he has you know, he's a bigger body. But at
the same time, you know he can play on the outside,
he can at times have touch, but then it's like

(31:12):
things just go too fast for him.

Speaker 3 (31:14):
What is it that's missing?

Speaker 4 (31:15):
Yeah, I think your last point is the number one
thing is his mind gets racing and then sometimes maybe
his mind gets ahead of his body and whether he overthinks,
you know, should he take this three or not? Or
what should he do when he puts it on the floor.
To me, it's the decision making and overthinking. I think
out there and you in some of it is understandable,

(31:36):
right He sees what we're talking about. There's this opportunity
he needs to prove himself. He was disappointed not to
be eligible for the finals last year due to injury,
trying to make up for lost time.

Speaker 5 (31:48):
But it just hasn't.

Speaker 4 (31:49):
It hasn't played out as any of us thought. Like
all those things that we highlighted during the draft process
which made him an obvious fit for this franchise, and
all the things they talked about is defense, the versatility,
his length, his defense, his three point shooting. Really all
that's shown is as a consistency I think from his
three point shot, although last night he was over four.

Speaker 5 (32:11):
But it seems like he's had.

Speaker 4 (32:15):
To adapt, certainly playing a different defense and what he
did at Houston where he could kind of you know,
it's just entirely different. But here, you're right, Jacob, He's
the one to me that has just not elevated his
game to the level we thought, to the point where
I think Johnny Furfey's surpassed him and he's a year
behind him.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Yeah, and Furfey, I know that fans love Furfey because
of the dunks, right like in Summer League and that
kind of thing. But Furfey's another one that you can
kind of see now the game starting to slow down
for him a little bit. And I thought initially he
looked like he was playing also like a little oversped

(32:56):
But in talking with the Pacers, they love not only
his length but the fact that he can be quick
release and defensively has a little bit of lenked about him.
What is the ceiling for Johnny Furfey.

Speaker 5 (33:11):
Yeah, I go back to like Mike Dunleavy.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
That's the comparison I like to use for for Fear,
And you got to remember too, he's like he came
in as a nineteen year old new to the States
and spent one year at Kansas, So there's going to
be more of a a growth curve and more adaptability necessary,
I think for a guy like him. But now in

(33:34):
this year, you're totally right. I think things have slowed down.

Speaker 5 (33:37):
I think he.

Speaker 4 (33:37):
Knows a lot more of what Rick Carlisle and the
staff are asking from him, and he's more confident in
his abilities, and I think you.

Speaker 5 (33:45):
See that play out.

Speaker 4 (33:46):
The only thing that has held him back to this
point has been that ankle injury that he suffered very
early in the season, maybe even game one, then he
was out for a month and he came back and
then kind of tweaked it this past week and it
is now having.

Speaker 5 (33:58):
To play through that.

Speaker 4 (34:00):
That's all obviously a mental hurdle when these players suffer
injuries is can they get to their spots and make
the same same type of moves when when one of
your limbs in his ankle is not completely healthy.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
Scott Agnes is my guest field House Files where you
can read his work. He's on the Java House Peel
and Poor guest line. Scott one of the things that
was a positive for the Pacers, and he has been
and I was wrong. I mean I had hesitation about
giving a Max deal to Pascal Siakam, partially because of

(34:33):
his age and the timelines, and he's been everything and
more that you could ask. So I was wrong there.
But one of the things that is of concern to me,
and I want you, Scott Agnes, to tell me if
I should not be concerned by this. One of the
things that is of concern to me is the fact
that Pascal Siakam, when he arrived via trade, the lack

(34:56):
of mileage for his age was a selling point. Hey,
I know that he's this age but or older than
other players, but he doesn't have the number of games
logged in Toronto? Is that getting off set now by
the fact that he is the one guy that they're
having to use thirty five plus a night, and he's
having to go at a higher level than if he

(35:18):
had everybody around him to lean on.

Speaker 4 (35:21):
Yeah, I think it's less the mileage or minutes per
game he's playing right now, and more so how much
is being asked from him within that timeframe, right Like,
if he doesn't do it, he's got to have that
feel like, all right, well no one else will or
I got to do it at both ends and I
can't take possessions off or anything like that. So to me,
it's not the minutes. It's more just the lack of

(35:44):
help across the roster that they're really getting. It's him,
it's Natherin, and it's Nimhard and the rest of the
group has kind of struggled, with a few exceptions from
now and then, right Furfy had a big game the
other night in New Orleans.

Speaker 5 (35:56):
TJ McConnell.

Speaker 4 (35:57):
You know what you can get exactly from him, but
everybody else a lot of question.

Speaker 1 (36:02):
Marks Scott when you were a kid growing up. I
asked Stephen this question earlier. If you were to look
back at Christmases in the Agnes household, you know, each
year there's the one thing that you like. You just
you're trying everything. You're going to every Santa that you've known,
the man, you're asking everybody. You're repeating it to your parents,
you're telling your grandparents. It is the one gift you

(36:24):
want more than anything in life itself. Give me the
gift at any point in the childhood of Agnes that
jumps out at you as you're like, man, I remember
wanting that more than anything.

Speaker 5 (36:34):
Ooh, that's a great question. Mmm.

Speaker 4 (36:39):
I think I had a lot of high hopes. I
used to be the guy that had the long list.
Now I haven't even thought, nor have I even started.

Speaker 3 (36:46):
Well, you're running out of time.

Speaker 5 (36:47):
Bud Work calls first Jake.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
A couple that come to mind, Penny Hardaway shoes back
in the day, that must.

Speaker 5 (36:56):
Have been mid probably late nineties, and.

Speaker 4 (37:00):
Probably the other one I think was Oh he was
the rival, and I was so.

Speaker 5 (37:04):
Mad that I got it.

Speaker 4 (37:05):
I got the N sixty four, but I think I
wanted the other one, like a sega maybe and it
ended up being just fine.

Speaker 5 (37:11):
But I remember throwing a fit about that.

Speaker 3 (37:13):
So you were a spoiled kid.

Speaker 5 (37:16):
Sometimes sometimes you.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Were a brat. Is that what we're getting at? You
were a brat.

Speaker 4 (37:21):
I was definitely known for being that until middle school
for sure.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
Okay, fair enough with the and we'll do what we
did with Stephen Holder earlier.

Speaker 3 (37:31):
Okay, Santa is he's he's already.

Speaker 1 (37:35):
You know, Santa's got to start out down in Australia,
and you know down there because it turns midnight faster, right,
so Santa just has he has the night where everything's
going perfect.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
He's put it in the ways.

Speaker 1 (37:47):
Rudolph is just killing it on the direction. You know,
Donner and Blitzing are on it. And so he's way
ahead of schedule. And he arrives in the United States
a little bit ahead of schedule, and so he knows
that he's going to visit a couple people and he's
going to ask them, I want to know, as it
relates to your job, what you want Santa to bring

(38:09):
you for Christmas? And he begins at the home of
Kevin Pritchard and he says, Kevin Pritchard when it comes
to this basketball team, tell me what it is that
you want for Christmas that's most going to help your team.

Speaker 3 (38:21):
That would be what.

Speaker 4 (38:24):
Let's throw out the obvious jake of good health, because
every team wants that. I would say stability and a
long term piece at the center position.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
Okay, okay, So a good answer, and Santa writes that down.
And then Santa gets in his sleigh and he goes
to the home of Rick Carlyle and he says, Rick,
you know, I just got done talking to your friend Kevin.
It seems like a nice guy. The thing is, I'm
willing to offer you the same thing as Santa Claus. However, however,

(38:53):
I can only deliver one per person. So Rick Carlyle,
you have to say something that is most going to
help your team, but you cannot go with stability at
the center position. Rick Carlisle asks Santa for.

Speaker 5 (39:05):
What consistency of their play? Fair consistency of their hard play, because.

Speaker 4 (39:13):
Like last night, we saw a solid first half and
a terrible second half.

Speaker 2 (39:17):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
Finally, Santa is going to go to the home of
Pascal Siakam and he's going to say, you've been a
very good boy. You've been a very good boy, because
there are a lot of players that would have gone
to Santa a long time ago and asked for a trade.
There are players that would have gone to Santa a
long time ago and asked, you know, simply why. But
you left me fabulous cookies. You left me really good milk.

(39:39):
I'm very appreciative. This is a beautiful home where you
had all your teammates down in the off season. But
I'm curious you, Pascal, what is it that you would like?
What does Pascal Siakam say?

Speaker 4 (39:49):
I think you'd say Aaron Nesmith to come back sooner
than later.

Speaker 1 (39:54):
You know that's not a bad th Nie Smith? Is
you play that Jenga right, that wooden block game. They
have it at Drake's. They haven't basically at any restaurant.
You know what I'm talking about? The Jenga I do? Yeah, okay,
Nie Smith is one of those block pieces that is
far more important than probably people realize.

Speaker 5 (40:13):
You would agree, Yeah, well for sure. At both ends.

Speaker 4 (40:16):
In the locker room, the hard plays contagious, yeah, no doubt.

Speaker 3 (40:20):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (40:21):
Lastly, Santa gets done in Indy and now he's going
to put on an extra layer and he puts the
cute little you know, toppings on Rudolph and the gang
because they're going further north to Milwaukee where things get
very very cold, and truth be told nobody, you know,
for the obvious reasons. The reindeer they do kind of
like the bucks, you know what I mean. I mean,

(40:42):
it's kind of within the family. But nonetheless, Santa gets
there and he arrives at the home of Miles Turner,
and he says to Miles Turner, young Miles, what is
it that you would like for Christmas? You made an
interesting request to the Easter Bunny last year in the spring,
and now it's wintertime and it's my turn. What does
Miles Turner say, truth be told that he hopes for.

Speaker 4 (41:06):
I think he would say, I already got paid, and
if Jannis wants out, I want to go to a
winning situation as well to maximize the rest of my career.

Speaker 1 (41:14):
Okay, fair enough, Scott agnesfield House files where you can
read his work. Always a pleasure, Scott, very you have
big Christmas plans by chance.

Speaker 5 (41:24):
Just in townless family as usual, which is which is awesome.
I love it. It's my favorite holiday across the years.

Speaker 1 (41:29):
Well, I'll tell the neighbors to keep clear in the
front yard for your tantrum if you don't get the
exact specifications of your request.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
Right.

Speaker 5 (41:37):
That was the only about thirty years ago.

Speaker 1 (41:39):
Okay, fair enough, Scott, Merry Christmas to you man. I
appreciate the time as always.

Speaker 5 (41:44):
Hey you two the Jake. Thanks enjoyed that game.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
Scott Agnes joining us on the Java House Peel and
poor guest line. You know what I have not done today,
and I should have, and I apologize, but I also
was aware that there were some things we were kind
of working through, and I appreciate everybody's patients with that
and as well our engineers and their work. But two
three nine ten seventy is the telephone number, and after

(42:08):
a game like we had last night, I'm just under
the assumption that people would like to get it off
their chest. Two three nine ten seventy in terms of
I asked yesterday, you know about what people wanted to
say in terms of Twitter and their thoughts from last night.
And let me read you two other really good ones again.
Fifteen words are fewer is the way I asked it

(42:29):
last night. I like this from pond Bear went over
fifteen words, but it's good.

Speaker 3 (42:36):
I think this offseason is going to look.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
Like twenty twelve twenty twenty six is I'll say, screwed.
You might as well trade Taylor, Pittman, Nelson, Franklin, anyone
of value with a contract is gone. Their careers are
done here. That sounds extreme, but I don't think it's
totally off base in terms of something that can be explored.

(43:00):
I'm not saying they do it, but I could see
them exploring it. Ross Mattlock, Ross matt eight. Ross Mattlock
has I think the best answer of all and I've
used it today. Ross Mattlock gets total credit for it.

(43:23):
Achilles heel bigger issue than achilles tendon. That is so brilliant, Ross,
that is so brilliant. And you are right, the Achilles
heel meaning in this case for me and all, you
can come up with a one hundred different things that

(43:43):
you think would be the Achilles heel. But the Achilles
heel has been defensively and lack of late season execution
for the Colts defense and depth. Those two things have
absolutely been things that have done in the Colts at

(44:08):
this point. Kurten, did you say that we have a
couple to participate.

Speaker 2 (44:15):
Are you there.

Speaker 3 (44:16):
We've got Moe and Kimball on the line. Your choice.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
We will begin with Mo. Mo is exactly what the
Niners offense had last night. Plenty of momentum and it
never let up.

Speaker 3 (44:27):
What's up, Mo?

Speaker 2 (44:29):
Well, I just got up, you guys.

Speaker 6 (44:32):
The fan has been my alixir, kind of stort of
because I got this morning. I'm drowning myself and my
orange juice and I look across my room and I'm
looking at that bottle of vodka and I'm thinking, at
nine o'clock in the morning, should I and I I
passed on it. But they are driving me, the Colts

(44:54):
are driving me in that direction.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
It's I don't know what to say a fan.

Speaker 6 (45:00):
You know, I bought season tickets for thirty some years,
and it just keeps going over and over and over
and over. I know how you feel about it, But
I can talk myself into all kinds of ways in
which if they just jettisoned everybody and tried to make

(45:20):
it work, that I can see a way where it
could work. I don't know, but we keep you know,
it's that insanity thing, But you and I keep going
over and it just keeps going on and on and on,
and we repeat ourselves and everything. Shoot, we even repeated
ourselves getting filliped rivers.

Speaker 3 (45:40):
Let me ask you this mode, do you ever have
you ever had one of these dreams?

Speaker 1 (45:43):
And maybe it's just me and my own neuroticism, do
you ever have a dream where you are like a
in a building and you got to get to you know,
a final exam or something like that, But every you're
in a hallway and every time you try the door,
it's locked, and you keep trying a different door, its
locked again, and it's.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
Yes, that's what it feels like.

Speaker 1 (46:06):
It feels like every combination they're trying to use for
the last ten years is locked.

Speaker 6 (46:12):
And that's the same thing with fandom. You know, I'm
setting around and businesses they jettison sayings, they start all over.
If you've gone for so long, and all I want
is hope, But it seems like we get into that
part and then we have no hope and and fight.

(46:33):
I just wanted to see some fight. And that was
so totally disappointing last night with the with the with
the defense.

Speaker 1 (46:39):
So I'm not being too critical when I say that
defense looked like they had no heart no hope, no plan.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
Right. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 6 (46:45):
I know when you said something about watching training camp,
and that's exactly what I thought. There were times when
they just looked like they were statues. They were like
them blocking dummies or whatever that they have.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
Yeah, I don't mean the word dummy. I'm not calling it.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
No, I know what you mean. They're just standing there right, Wait,
they're just standing there waiting.

Speaker 6 (47:05):
Most importantly, sometimes they double team them, and I thought,
what the heck are you guys thinking?

Speaker 1 (47:11):
Mo, Listen, when it all comes down to it, here's
the thing. Football is a great game, and the Colts
are a franchise that have given a lot of, you know,
joy to people for a long time. And I love
the fact that all we want is hope. That should
be their model for next year. But most importantly, at
Christmas time, it's about health, and it's about family and happiness.

(47:33):
And I wish you a very merry Christmas for your
entire family. With that, Kimball joins us. Now, Kimball, what's up?

Speaker 7 (47:41):
This is your seventy five year old favorite race car driver.

Speaker 3 (47:45):
Seventy five year old favorite race car driver.

Speaker 2 (47:48):
Yeah, I talk while back. You call me Charlie Kimball.

Speaker 3 (47:51):
I love it, man, I love it.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
Matter of fact, you're still what is it you race
late models?

Speaker 7 (48:00):
Well right now to the twenty eighteen.

Speaker 2 (48:01):
Dodgs to Rango.

Speaker 1 (48:03):
Well listen, I mean you know there are late models,
whether it be cars or otherwise, you can always be
chasing them down right, I mean you get what I'm saying,
all right, Kemball, yep.

Speaker 7 (48:12):
Well I'll tell you what everybody's talked about. The defense,
So I won't talk about that because that's a dead horse.
But my feeling right now is I feel good for
Philip Rivers. They give him no shot last night, and
he did everything he could. He did, and it seemed
like that we went away from the running game from
Jonathan Taylor after he got the almost a fifteen hundred

(48:34):
yards and you know in they finally everybody finally figured
out what to do to stop him.

Speaker 2 (48:41):
So other than.

Speaker 7 (48:45):
You have to have players to have a defense, that
mean you have to have a coach. And everybody come
in talking about lou or Animo. So he was supposed
to be the savior. Well I don't see it, but
you know I will part with this shot right here?
Go you all the way thanks again, Happy New Year,
and a good blessing to you.

Speaker 1 (49:04):
Hey man, Happy holidays as well, Kimball. That's our man,
our seventy five year old race car driver. I love
it right, and happy holidays, and you are right.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
Do you know what.

Speaker 1 (49:16):
Did you ever think? Did you ever think can you
imagine going on the way back machine at any point?
When I say way back even three years ago, but
can you imagine certainly thirty years ago, forty years ago
saying to someone I'm looking into the future. I'm looking
in the future in twenty twenty five, and I'm seeing

(49:38):
a city that is still picking itself up and dusting
itself off from being one half away from winning an
NBA title in Game seven. But they thought that they
were going to find some peace of mind based on
the Indianapolis Colts get out to a potential number one

(50:01):
seed in the AFC, but when it all went south,
it was all made good based on the fact that
they would still be a week away from watching the
Indiana Hoosiers as the number one seed in the college
football playoffs get set to beat Alabama and then go
on and for the second time, potentially beat Oregon or

(50:22):
Texas Tech, where Bob Knight would coach after he was
fired from Indiana, and then they'll go on and potentially
face the Ohio State Buckeyes, who they previously beat at
Lucas Oil Stadium in the Big Ten championship game. There
are so many elements of that statement that thirty five
years ago, someone would have looked at you and without question,

(50:46):
without question, you're in LaRue, Carter or Central State or
whatever it was open at the time, because people would
have been like, there's no way that none of that
is of sound mind, none of it. Ten your thoughts
on it, if you'd like. From last night, a total collapse,
Philip Rivers said something about where he thinks the Colts

(51:09):
are