Pacers Season Preview + Will The Colts Make A Trade? Bobby Marks, Stephen Holder, and Scott Agness Join!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is a great day, not a good a great
day for Jake Querry sports fandom. It's a great day
all the way around. It's beautiful outside now. Sean Ash
WTCHR when I was in there yesterday said that by
the middle of today it's gonna start getting funky out.
But it was gorgeous this morning. I've got right here.

(00:22):
You can see it, Eddie. You know what I need
to pull around our signage? There?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Got my Java House Columbian here. I got to say,
is that the Columbian? That is that a little bit
of the wrangular energy?

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Do you really? I was asking you, Oh yeah, No,
going with to Columbian today. Obviously the Wrangler's fabulous as
well from Java House. And that's because and I'm drinking
the Java House Columbian coffee today with the Peel and
port pod because I was up late last night. It
goes without saying it's a sleep deprivation Tuesday, literally and figuratively,

(00:55):
but it literally is a sleep deprivation Tuesday because I
was up so late last night celebrating multiple facets of
the Jake Querry sports fandom on why life is Good, Baby,
It's more than just a T shirt company that you
see around Hilton Head life is good. For example, I

(01:21):
do a weekly NFL Pick Them each and every week
with my three buddies, Brian, Brad and Shawn. This week
I missed. It's a confidence pool. You rate each game
on how many points per game. I had three points
on Pittsburgh and they lost on Thursday night. After that
clean sweep fourteenth straight, nobody cares. I realize. It does

(01:41):
make me realize, Man, what would happen if I'd have
won a fourteen game parlay but swept the week? Because
the NFL to an extent, now you can look at
some games and immediately go I got a pretty good
feeling about this team or that team. This was a
tough week actually because I thought there was a lot
of looking in the mirror for teams. But that's not

(02:02):
why you folks want to hear. What has me excited
this morning because nobody cares about that individual stuff like
my fantasy team, which continues to struggle in the Chicago's
Pizza Fantasy Football League for a Query and Company. My
team's decimated, just decimated. My good players are hurt and
the good receivers I have, their quarterbacks are hurt, been

(02:25):
a disaster, but nobody cares about that. What you care
about is this, as I mentioned yesterday, the number two
team in the country in college football. We get to
talk about on this show, including their coach talking about
a place that he's going into to play or actually
they're coming to him to play and he's talking them up.

(02:46):
But there might be actually something in terms of a
little reverse psychology and checkers and chess being played for
Kurt Signetty, and we get to talk about that, which
has me excited, and it has me excited enough that
it kept me awake for an extra thirty minutes last night.
And then maybe it might be that I'm excited because

(03:09):
I know that the NBA season is getting set to
take place on Thursday, and there's a promotion for Starting Five,
the Netflix documentary that features me prominently. You might think
that's why I'm excited. It's not. There is. Yes, I
haven't seen that, well, i'll send it to you. I
can get you a frame copy of if you'd like.
That's not necessarily the entire reason I'm excited. Maybe it's

(03:33):
because my Toronto Blue Jays, My Toronto Blue Jays, who
I've now been a die hard fan for almost eight
weeks in Alejandro Kirk and George Springer springing them into
the World Series the first time since nineteen ninety three
and defeating the Mariners, who I thought got a little
big for their britches, and so the Blue Jays winning

(03:57):
the ALCS. Maybe that's why I'm excited today and slept
for another or stayed up another forty five minutes on
this sleep deprivation Tuesday. But actually, and it's not the
fact that the Colts right now are the best team
in the National Football League. It's this Eddie Garrison, I
ask you, and good afternoon to you everybody. This is

(04:17):
Quiring Company here on ninety three five and one oh
seven five of the fam. My name is Jake Querry.
Eddie Garrison is the president of the company here at
Querying Company. And Eddie, if there's one thing you know
about me when it comes to the Indiana Pacers, it's
that I have a schoolboy crush. I have a major fandom.
I have a completely non objective, totally biased infatuation with

(04:44):
the style of play and the contribution of one member
of the Indiana Pacers, and Eddie Garrison that member is
who I'm asking you as a trivia question.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
That would be one of aaron NEI Smith.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Aaron NEI Smith indeed, and aaron N Smith we now
know is going to be a Pacer even longer because
aaron Ne Smith, it was announced yesterday, gets a two
year extension, nearly doubling his salary to stay with the
Indiana Pacers. And so this is the thing about aaron
NEI Smith. Aaron Nismith to me is a little bit

(05:25):
like hear me out on this. Tyler Warren for the
Colts now, Tyler Warren is the Colts right now in
what they are doing offensively is historically unique, historically unique.
They are scoring at a clip and with an efficiency

(05:48):
that is unprecedented in the last twenty five years in
the NFL. We have talked about the fact and will
continue talking about the fact that from a defensive standpoint,
there are areas that Indiana absolutely or excuse me, that
Indianapolis the Colts absolutely needs to shore up. Because I
still go back to this slight concern and worry that

(06:14):
while they're scoring a ga billion points that late in
a game in December or January in the playoffs, whether
it be on the road or here, that a You
don't want to put the ball into the hands of
a Patrick Mahomes or a Josh Allen, because that's where
you've got to get a stop. And I'm not totally
confident yet in their ability to get that stop. But

(06:36):
offensively they are clicking on all cylinders. The colts are
and such a big part of that. And I thought
of this last night at about three forty eight in
the morning. I was sitting there and I was in
my euphoria figuring out which Blue Jay's had I was
going to wear today. And I was going through my
closet trying to find my Blue Jay's shirt because I'm

(06:58):
going to have been diehard for almost eight weeks now.
And I was sitting there in all of this glass,
this glory and basking and all of it, staring at
the ceiling, and then the brain dropping hits me at
three forty eight. In regards to Tyler Warren, okay, and
how it relates to Aaron Nesmith, did you ever, Eddie Garrison,

(07:19):
when you were a kid have an ant farm? No?
Are you familiar with the premise of an ant farm? Sure?
So I had an ant farm when I was a kid,
and I would sit and watch this ant farm, and
I found it fascinating. And one of the ways in
the ant farm that you would, you know, you would
feed the ants is you would put like a little

(07:40):
bread crumb in there and then they would like. It
was fascinating to watch all the ants of how they worked,
and I there's one ant in the ant farm that
is like the worker ant, and you would drop the
bread crumb in and there was one ant that was
like bigger, stronger, faster than the other ants, and he
would go and get the bread crumb. And then once

(08:03):
he got the bread crumb, like everything opened up because
every ant was digging tunnels to get to the ant
that had the bread crumb. And in doing that and
digging their tunnels to get to the ant with the
bread crumb. Now, all of a sudden, once they were
done eating, an ant that wanted to go anywhere, it
could go anywhere he could in the ant farm because

(08:23):
there was a series of tunnels that they could navigate
all over the place. And all of those tunnels were
facilitated by the fact that every ant had the attention
of one ant in the middle. And it dawned on
me last night that Tyler Warren is that ant for

(08:44):
the Colts, not because when he doesn't have to have
the bread crumb to be that ant, but the rest
of the defense is having to at all times. The
one person that they're watching is Tyler Warren. And because
they are always keeping an eye on Tyler Warren, and

(09:06):
because whatever Tyler Warren does, there has to be specific
attention that moves towards him that is freeing up little
tunnels and little avenues all over the field for Jonathan
Taylor and for Josh Downs, and for Alec Pearce, and
for Michael Pittman, and for Daniel Jones if he's holding
onto the football, for ad Mitchell, for Ashton Doolan. Everything

(09:28):
is funneling off of the subtle attention that is being
paid of all eyes gravitating and moving towards Tyler Warren.
And he is that one big ant that's moving around
the ant farm and everything is feeding off of that.
I really believe that about this Colts offense. Now. Jonathan
Taylor is having an MVP level season, but Tyler Warren

(09:52):
is the guy that facilitates for so many things because
you have to be aware of where he is when
he is lining up in the backfield when he is
taking a quick just a bubble screen, if you are
throwing to him in a slant eighteen yards downfield, if
you're throwing it to him and he gets behind a defense,

(10:12):
you have to be aware of him at all times.
Aaron Neismith is not necessarily that in terms of his
offensive versatility. He is not a guy that is a
mid range jumper, pull up guy. He is not a
guy that blows around you and gets to the basket.
He doesn't have the offensive versatility necessarily of a Tyler Warren,

(10:35):
and he certainly isn't the guy it would be naive
to think otherwise that is the one that defenses are
constantly keeping an eye on everywhere he is on the floor.
But the one thing that he is much like Tyler
Warren is he is a guy that is willing to
help you and can help you and contribute to his
team in a number of different ways. And that alone

(10:59):
makes him a guy that you have to be aware
of when you are scouting the Indiana Pacers, because you
say to yourself, look, we gotta kill the snake in
the head, and we've got to get after the point guard.
Tyrese Haliburton. Obviously in this year, we're talking about an
impard or TJ McConnell. Fine, so we're gonna lock down
on that. And then but we've got to be aware

(11:22):
of Pascal Siakam on the low block as well. Okay, fine,
so we're gonna we'll back down on that. We don't
have to worry as much about a center popping out
because we haven't, even though Indiana has shown in the
past they like to do that, we don't necessarily have
to worry about that, at least so far this year. Fine. Okay,

(11:43):
so we got things kind of covered here. We've got
our low and our high defense covered. A wait a minute,
did you watch the playoffs? Yes, we did. Who did
Indiana beat the Eastern Conference Finals? New York? That's right, Tyres.
Haliburton had that shot at the end that hung way
up in the air and then dropped through and everybody
went and then they had to come back to overtime.
And that's correct. But what nobody remembers is what got

(12:06):
them to that position is aaron NEI Smith went crazy
and hit like five threes in thirty five seconds. I'm exaggerating,
I realized, but you get my point because you have
to be aware of where he is all the time,
because he doesn't necessarily go out and force himself offensively
into sets. He lets it come to him. But no

(12:27):
matter where he is on the floor, he can get
you out of situations. And he can do so in
a number of different ways. He can score on the
wing as a three point shooter, he can facilitate as
a passer. He's a very good defender. He can keep
the number of plays that were kept alive during the
Indiana Pacers miraculous run that were kept alive because of

(12:49):
a tip by Aaron Nesmith, because of a proper placement
by aaron Ne Smith, because of a switch by Aaron Nesmith,
because of a pass by aaron NEI Smith. Like, I
love aaron NEI Smith, and I think he is such
an important and underrated aspect of what it is that
Indiana does that I love. I celebrate, I love hold
a parade for the fact that Aaron Nesmith is going

(13:11):
to be here for two more years. Love it, love it.
But Eddie, that comes at not necessarily the cost of
But I think Indiana and the Pacers and Chad Buchannan
and Kevin Pritchard and Rick Carlisle. I think they knew
that financially speaking, they needed to figure out which basket

(13:35):
they were going to put their eggs. And the other
player that comes into play is Benedict Mathern, and Benedict
Matherin is undoubtedly a major piece, especially this year for
the Pacers. But I think the Pacers know that with
Benedict Matherin, you're kind of at a crossroads here because

(14:02):
I think the Pacers knew they have to be careful
in terms of what they commit to him, and probably
what you know in an extension, if you were going
to extend Benedict Matherin, you don't want to overpay right now,
not knowing exactly what his role is going to be

(14:23):
once you are back and full healthy again. And I
think they also know and understand and respect and realize
that if Benedict Matherin goes out this year and has
the kind of year that is widely expected or anticipated
at Benict Mathern, then he's probably going to average what

(14:46):
would you guess, Eddie is going to be a realistic
if you had to put the over under points per
game A Benedict Matherin on the regular season. Where do
you put it.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
Twenty two and a half?

Speaker 1 (14:58):
Ooh boy, that's going way up there right.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
Well, you have to remember Jake, he's like he's unlike
most of the other players on this roster. He finds
ways to get to the foul line. No, I understand
that has a lot of points though, well who else
is scoring? Understood? Pascal will probably average round twenty.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
I mean, Siakam's going to be up there, right. I
think nim Hard probably gives you what twelve to fourteen?
I mean, he averaged sixteen a game last year. Nie
Smith will give you what eleven to thirteen fifteen. You're
right in the fact that you know you're you're missing
the scoring of a Miles Turner. But either I would
say eighteen and a half.

Speaker 2 (15:37):
He averaged seventeen as a rookie, fifteen as a sophomore
in seven sixteen as a junior last year.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
Okay, I'll go eighteen and a half because I do
think you are correct. They're going to be nights he's
got thirty five. Then there are going to be nights
where you're like, what haven't have been at Matherin last night?
You know what I mean? But either way, even if
it's twenty two and a half or eighteen and a half,
there is going to be a franchise that is in
need of a frontline scorer or a backcourt main line

(16:03):
scorer for them that will make an offer to him
and pluck him away at a value or a cost
that exceeds what Indiana is going to be able to pay.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
I will say this, I'm fascinated in this regard just
based off of the fan jam, you know, intersquad scrimmage
and the preseason games. It does look like they're asking
him to be the top guy defensively. They're asking him
to go take on the Donovan Mitchell's, the Jalen Brunson's
the opposing teams the best offensive player, and if he

(16:38):
can do that, that's only going to up his value. Now,
it's worth noting he has a restricted free agent, so
whatever offer a team makes, the Pacers will have the opportunity.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
And this is the reality. I think that it comes
down as simply as this. This is at no knock
on Benedict Matheren, who's a wonderful talent, a wonderful player,
and by all account a really good guy. I have
no reason to believe he's anything other than those any
of those things, right, But he has always to me

(17:14):
felt like the just the one guy that I'm not
gonna say doesn't play well with others. That comes off
the wrong way. But his playing style, his area of strength,
his area of strength is a more isolated area than
it is the rest of his teammates and the rest

(17:35):
of the style that Indiana plays. Now, there are games
where Benedict Matherin absolutely bailed out his teammates, no question.
NBA Finals Game four, Benedict Matherin or was it game three?
Game three Benedict Matherin was the guy that put them

(17:55):
on his back, right, and then in game four the
other side of Matherin came out. But it's just his
style of play. He's going to score a lot of
points this year, but one would assume that is coming
at the cost of the same offensive fluidity that Indiana
was used to running with Halliburton and Miles Turner being

(18:17):
critical parts of that, and that is going to be
something that they try to return back to when Halliburton
obviously is back, but he's so you have to retweak that.
And if you are allowing Benedict Matherin this year to
individually grow and work on the areas of his game

(18:38):
that need to be polished. Those areas are of our
areas that would be great for Benedict Matheren and are
great for the twenty twenty five twenty six Indiana Pacers,
but when you get to the twenty six twenty seven season,
you go back to kind of a little bit a
stylistically an area that relies less on his get to

(19:01):
the basket priority and isolation priority. And therefore I think
it's in the PACER's best interest to hold off Eddie
on figuring out locking that in until they can get
a real feel for just how versatile or flexible he
can be. Not that he doesn't want to be. I'm

(19:22):
not saying that. I'm saying that his game can conform
and become a hybrid back and forth of the way
they need to play this year and the way they
want to play next year.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
I totally agree with you, Jake. I mean, that's the
whole reason why you don't sign it to an extension,
because you know, these two parties are probably way off
in terms of numbers as it is going into it.
I don't know if they had conversations about an extension,
you would assume the PACER's offer would be significantly lower
than what the Mathering camp feels like because the potential
been into Mathering is still you know, a fringe all
star type of player, and can he tap into it?

(19:55):
Can he finally develop into it? That is to be
seen this season because he's going, I now have an opportunity.
Now he's twenty three years old, so he's entering that
time in his you know, professional career where this is
where you're needing. You need to start seeing the production
as to why you drafted him fourth overall. Now, let
me tell you the other thing that happened to me
last night.

Speaker 1 (20:14):
Okay, and we got a big show line up. Steven
Holder is going to join us on the program today.
What's at sixth overall? Got that wrong? Scott Agne's going
to join us two o'clock hour, Bobby Marx. We'll talk
a lot about this as a matter of fact at
two thirty today. But another thing that jumped out at
me last night. You know, I started doing sleep mathematics.

(20:36):
When you look at the clock and you're like, okay,
I fall asleep right now. I can get four hours
right now? Okay, I read a medical journal that said
it's better to do it in ninety minute increment, so
three and a half hours be perfect. I can do
that right now, you just do it. So eventually I punted,
And so I'm scrolling my phone and there I see it. There,

(20:58):
I see it like it's a sunbeam on the mountaintop. Heay,
hey read me. And it's a part of my phone
that's trying to draw me back in right, that vortex
of the digital communication that keeps us, keeps our brain going.

(21:19):
And there I see it. There I see the tweet.
And it's from none other than Eddie Garrison. Eddie who's
sent a tweet at like two o'clock in the morning
that just simply said, I so love October baseball. Eddie Garrison,
whose mind was racing as well, who had his own

(21:40):
brain droppings happening at two o'clock in the morning. Because
the euphoria of that chill in the air, even though
you don't get it in Toronto because they were playing indoors,
but we pretend that they do. You get the huddled
masses of the fans in their hooded sweatshirts, clinging to
this hope and this desperation that their team is going
to find some sort of a miracle and that this

(22:01):
stagnant offense and these dead bats are actually going to
come to life. And a team that had fifty come
from behind wins over the course of the season in
Major League Baseball to lead the league was going to
have one more left in them, And you get that
tension that is October. And I'm not some huge Major
League Baseball fan. I'm not, and I understand that we
are right now sitting here in a city that has

(22:22):
the best team in the NFL, the number one team
in college basketball, the number two ranked team in college football,
coming off of a season where it's WNBA team with
all of its top line players virtually all of them
out with injury, and yet they get within a hair
of the WNBA Finals and their NBA team extending a

(22:43):
player and getting ready to play on Thursday against the
team that beat them in the NBA finals some four
months ago. I get all that, But there's something about
the postseason baseball that is cool and is fun and
is dramatic, and if you can find yourself a root interest,
it's pretty awesome. And I had it last night and
Shannon is dead asleep, I mean dead asleep on the

(23:06):
couch and Springer's up and my cousin's texted me and
he's like, need the Bats to wake up, And I'm like, man,
I have a feeling that I feel like a ground
like a double play coming or you know, a groundout
or something. And then it happens. And then it happens,
and it goes off into the sky and the Toronto

(23:27):
radio is going crazy about it, and some idiot sends
a thing saying it's the biggest home run in Blue
Jay's history. When the Blue Jays are the last Eddie,
you can't be agreeing with that. No, I'm just saying
it can be one of them, yes, but it's not
the one. Yes.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
Correct.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
When you have a guy in your franchise history that
hits a walk off World Series home run, Bata boom butabang,
end of story. Everything else is playing for a second.
But nonetheless, George Springer hits that home run last night,
it was awesome. You don't have to be a baseball fan,
you don't. It helps to have a rooting interest in it,
but it was awesome. Just absolutely, send Hima Jake, you

(24:06):
loved it. Huh, oh, yes, and who are you rooting for?

Speaker 3 (24:10):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (24:10):
He likes Seattle though, right, I like both these teams
quite Frankly, I'd agree they're both pretty likable. You are
rooting for who in the World Series?

Speaker 2 (24:19):
Toronto's all right? Sorry?

Speaker 1 (24:22):
Mom? Does your mom not like Toronto? She's a Dodgers fan? Okay, Well,
it's the Dodgers and the Blue Jays, and I'll be
happy if it goes five, but we'll take five. We'll
come back. I want you to hear from Rick Carlyle.
He joined the guys this morning. He said something very
interesting about development, and yes, there is Colts news to

(24:43):
get to. We will get to that. We will discuss
also some of the things that the Colts have to
think about in relation to what happened with Aaron E. Smith.
We'll get to all of it other side. So you
just heard Rick Carlyle was on with the guys this morning.
It's always cool that he does that. Hopefully they continue
that over the course of the year. Talking about Cam Jones,

(25:05):
the rookie that was involved in that incident yesterday that admittedly,
and I'm listen, I'm not here to carry the water
of professional athletes. Things like that. I mean, I'd like
to think that I'm pretty down in the middle of stuff.
That is one situation. It would appear, and you keep
your fingers crossed on this that Rick Carlisle was correct there,

(25:27):
and it makes for a pretty saucy headline, understandably so.
But I think what it comes down to is, I
don't know this, but by all account it seems as
though cam Jones was on his way to practice. He
was running a little behind, no excuses there, but he
was speeding on sixty five and it was a construction

(25:48):
zone I believe, which is, you know, pretty egregious. But
in terms of the fleeing, I think it was probably
more that he was looking for a place to be
able to pull over. I'll tell you this much. If
you got I'm not in any way, shape or form
saying that you need to flee from police. I'm not
saying that. On a side note, what in the world

(26:09):
is going on on? What? I mean, you can say
this about a lot of places, but has anybody here
tried to drive Keystone southbound between seventy fifth and sixty
fifth Street recently? What in the absolute flipping hack is
going on? I mean, it's like, right, turn left. It's like, literally,

(26:30):
when you drive Keystone right now southbound between seventy fifth
and sixty fifth, you're playing car Tetris.

Speaker 2 (26:37):
That's how I feel driving downtown too. Jacob totally Illinois
blocked off. I mean they blocked off Market Street.

Speaker 1 (26:43):
But the difference with that downtown at least everything's so
food bar are you just know it? You ain't going
anywhere when when you go when you drive down Keystone,
you're playing car Tetris because you're sitting there and you
can actually hear dun do do doo do doom de
de de de de doo do doo doo do do
and the whole time because you're driving and you turn
your car sideways and then and then you're back to square,

(27:05):
and then you're to the right side and then and
before you know it, you're you literally go two blocks
completely going sideways. What in the world is going on? Yes,
this is what it sounds like the whole time. He
I remember in college, true story, I had a guy
in college I knew that had a game boy with Tetris,

(27:27):
and he was like super stoked because he was on
this marathon hour like six and a half hours into it.
Where he was closing in on like one million points
on Tetris and the battery was dying and he was
like trying to figure out how he could change the battery.
It was like George Castanza with the Frogger. The battery
ended up dying on so Aaron Nesmith is extended as

(27:51):
an Indiana pacer. Rick Carlisle talked about it this morning,
and I think one of the things that is fascinating
with this sometimes in life things just have to work
your way. Sometimes you just get those days where you're like, man,
everything fell my way. I got every green light. I

(28:11):
pulled in to work, and there was the park there
was one parking spot that was in the front row.
The guy's pulling out right when I pulled in the
elevator unlike the one that I got stuck in today
for twenty minutes, and our building, the elevator was working.
It like was right there waiting for me. Sometimes things
just go your way.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
You know what they say, Jake, if you're a good person,
getting things will happen to you. Like you're you've been
a good person and that's why you're working with me
now and send of Mark Dighton.

Speaker 1 (28:33):
Okay, you know, I like that Mark, but I don't
know if you know this or not. That guy gets
fifty four weeks a year of vacation. It's incredible, really Yeah.
But when it comes to the Pacers and last year
and the the era that we're in with Pacers basketball,

(28:55):
sometimes you need a little luck, right Paul McCartney saying it.
The Pacers, I think believe it because when it came
to acquiring Aaron Niemith, things just began to work out.
And I'll explain and elaborate in a second, but first

(29:15):
here is Rick Carlisle this morning talking about Aaron NEI
Smith and the decision and the process of now signing
him to a contract extension.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
Well, it's been great to see and be a part of.
I think the bottom line is he's a proven starter
for us, you know, the opportunity to extend a guy
a couple of years. So now I think he's under
contract for four years, including this year that we're headed into.
So it's great news for the organization. He's very happy
about it. There's been a lot of growth. You know,

(29:45):
here's a kid that barely got in the games when
he was with the Celtics, and a lot of that
had to do with the guys that were ahead of him.
A lot of them were great players, et cetera. This
has been an amazing opportunity for him and he's taken
advantage of it and he's really helped us.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
Now. One of the things that Carlisle talked about was
this the Pacers were in a situation where they had
Malcolm Brogden. Good player. Malcolm Brogden was a really good
player and was one that I think that they had
very high hopes for when they acquired him.

Speaker 2 (30:21):
Congrats to them on retirement, by the way.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
And yeah, he just and it's interesting when you talk
about his retirement. Brogden was a guy is a guy.
I mean, he's still living. Was a very cerebral player,
and you know, he came from kind of an education
based background in terms of his parents the influence. Very

(30:48):
intellectual guy. Not to say other players aren't, but he
was very business minded. And when Malcolm Brogden was a Pacer,
and I thought he was a really good player, and
he did good things for them, and it was kind
of a coup when they had gotten him out of Milwaukee.
But when Malcolm Brogden came to Indiana, the one thing.
And there's kind of no way to really know how

(31:10):
these things are going to work out. But one thing
about Malcolm Brogden that you can say is he's he
Basketball was always for him a business, and part of
that business was protecting himself and his body and making

(31:31):
sure that he was always extending his playing time in
his career, which ultimately ended up being ironic because the
chronic injuries and some of that mistime probably are how
he started to fall out of favor with some teams
and then ultimately announced his retirement just under a week ago. Okay,

(31:51):
and he that's after having signed with New York back
in September. But Brogden, at any rate, they trade him,
the Pacers do, and they knew they were starting over.
They literally knew, like we're just starting from scratch here.
And when they traded him the Pacers, they traded him

(32:12):
to Boston for basically like the I'm not gonna say
the junk drawer of the roster, but just kind of
this hodge hodgepodge. I thought Daniel Tye was gonna be
the enforcer they needed. I really did. I remember thinking
when they made that trade, and you know, it was

(32:34):
Malik Fitz and Juwan Morgan and Nick Stauskas and Daniel Tyson,
Aaron nee Smith and Nie Smith was probably the prize
name in there because he had been a lottery pick
in the same year as Romeo Langford. And you couldn't
hold it against the guy that he was unable to
get on the floor on a floor that had Jason
Tatum and Jalen Brown and the other weapons that Boston had.

(32:58):
But at any rate, it was like, Yeah, this kid
from Vanderbilt and like he was a pretty good shooter
in college. That's about all we knew about him, and
so they get him. And what I'm getting at is
sometimes in life you just don't know how things are
going to work out, and sometimes you just kind of
get lucky. And if you look at teams that have

(33:20):
great success, and no matter the sport, the Colts right now,
the Colts are six and one and are humming along
and playing historic level of offensive football because Daniel Jones
is doing every single thing that they need done. And
every time that Shane stiken pushes a button, Daniel Jones

(33:43):
is the elevator with the doors already open. And every
time Shane Stikeen is looking for a parking spot. Daniel
Jones is the guy that just happens to be leaving,
and now that spot is immediately open. Everything that Shane
Steiken has needed to have done, Daniel Jones has delivered.
And I don't know that they anticipated that. But you
need a little of that luck. You need a little

(34:06):
luck to have Tyler Warren fall into your lap during
the draft and have the Chicago Bears decide they'd rather
have a blocking tight end than a receiving tight end
and not doing enough tape research to realize that Tyler
Warren is both a blocking and receiving tight end. You
need a little luck that comes that way and it
springs everything free, right, And so the Pacers with Aaron

(34:28):
Nie Smith, I think that's exactly what happened. Do I
think that they knew he was a good player, Yes?
Do I think they knew through exhaustive research in scouting
that he is a good person, Probably, But I don't
think that they knew he was going to be this
kind of a player. And he literally is the twenty
dollars bill that you find in your jeens when you're

(34:49):
doing your laundry, Like it's great right When Nie Smith
was traded for in that trade in July of twenty two.
Rick Carlyle happened to be in South Carolina because he
spends a lot of time down I think for Carlisle.
I don't know if it's Hilton had or Kiowa or

(35:11):
what island it is, but he spends a lot of
time in South Carolina. And Aaron Niemith's hometown is Charleston.
And Rick Carlyle called Aaron NEI. Smith to welcome him
and congratulate him in whatever else, and they're right there
in the same area and they immediately start talking, and
Nie Smith essentially had this mentality of I'm ready to

(35:33):
get to work now, not tomorrow, not next week now, Okay,
you know it's now, Eddie closed your ears because spoiler
alert here, it's like the warden in Shawshank, not after breakfast,
not tomorrow now. That's when Aaron Neismith was ready to

(35:54):
get to work. And he is a guy that you
know he has in medical school. There's just this drive
about him. I think that is inherent and he is
an important piece of what they want to do going
forward because I think that that professionalism, that maturity, that drive,

(36:18):
and that maturity is what you want, and I think
it rubs all I do. I think it has impact
and effect on the rest of the roster. I'm still
glowing from last night, Eddie. Can you tell that I
am just swept up in my Blue Jay fandom?

Speaker 2 (36:36):
You wear the hat today and everything.

Speaker 1 (36:37):
I have the other hat in my car. I got
the ninety three World Series hat. You've seen it, right.
I believe you said the kids would say it's sick?

Speaker 2 (36:44):
Right? Did I say that?

Speaker 1 (36:45):
You know what? I think? I wore it last week
while you were gone, and I did buy you a hat.
By the way, have you worn your hat yet?

Speaker 2 (36:52):
I did wear it down in Florida yet?

Speaker 1 (36:53):
Did you really? Yeah? How to feel?

Speaker 2 (36:55):
How to fit perfect?

Speaker 1 (36:57):
People have been complaining about that hat. They've been saying
that the monogram of the new Indian logo for the
Indianapolis Indians is too convoluted. I think actually it's like
that magic. IY think they just can't see it. Once
they see it, they can't unsee it. Right, There's like
three different eyes in it, Are there really? Yeah? Indianapolis
Indians Indiana? Is that it?

Speaker 2 (37:18):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (37:19):
Are you saying there are three subtle eyes?

Speaker 2 (37:21):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (37:22):
I never knew that the old Indianapolis Indians logo, the
one that looks I always thought it looked like an arrowhead.
I was fifty three years old and like a week
ago before I realized that that is two capital letter
eyes merging in on one another for Indianapolis Indians. Brilliant, brilliant.
Then we had Randy Lewandowski on and he said, you
know what, it was so brilliant A lot of people
didn't realize it. Steven Hold are going to join us

(37:44):
one o'clock. There is a big question mark for the Colts,
a big one, and it has nothing to do with
their pass rush. I'll tell you what it is. Next,
allow me to ask you this question, Eddie Garrison.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
Okay, I'll allow.

Speaker 1 (38:01):
Is it possible for you to hear this song from
Joon Jet without thinking about the fact that she was
rumored to have been romantically linked to Carmen Electra. That's
not really the question I was going to ask you,
but it comes up every time I hear this song,
and I also think of the nineteen eighty roller skating
party at USA Skate East, where I believe I asked
Shield DeMars to moonlight to the song I love rock

(38:23):
and roll by Jone Jet. Now, if that ain't romantic,
you tell me what is.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
Carmen Electra follows out Mark Dyton, by the way, on Twitter.

Speaker 1 (38:30):
I saw that very impressive, is it not?

Speaker 2 (38:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (38:34):
And you know when I saw that Carmen Electra is
following Mark Dyton on the expost Twitter, I thought maybe
it was because, like, for example, who's the stand up
comic that takes his shirt off everywhere? Excuse me, who's
the stand up comic heavier set fellow that's always shirtless?
Bert Brett, Bert, It's either Bert or Brett. It's Bert, right,

(38:56):
somebody helped me out here. I think he's really funny.
I mean, like, at that's it. He follows me on Twitter, right,
and so he follows me on Twitter, and I think, well,
that's cool. And then you look at it, Well he's
following like three hundred and sixty thousand accounts, right, so
you realize it's some computer. But Carmen Electra I thought
maybe that was the case, and then I saw it.

(39:16):
Carmen Electra is following literally like six people on Twitter.
She follows Dennis Rodman, Jon Jet and Mark Dyton, and
then like three people she went to high school with.
It's the weirdest thing ever. It's very strange. But my
question for you is this. We were just discussing in
the break, and it's not often that you and I
talk in break, but in this particular time, I'm sleep deprived,
and so you decided to take advantage of my lack

(39:38):
of neurological function, especially sports and correct that is actually correct.
And we were discussing just I remember years ago. Maybe
it's time to bring back this old little Jim for
the question of the cults that I have. Many moons ago,
the Colts and Pacers were not unlike the situation that

(39:59):
we are right now.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
So would you said that is back in your day, Jake,
You're back, that's right.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
I walked uphill to work five miles on the snow
both ways, got to Channel six and day First and
I were working together, and I said, you know, the
Colts are the best team in the NFL by a
long shot. Peyton mannings in his prime and nobody's discussing
it right now, but the Pacers are like on their
way to win sixty games. So I did a lighthearted,

(40:27):
fun story where I took every player on the Pacers
roster and said who their cult equivalent was. This is
the one that got me in trouble because at the
end of the story true story, I said to Reggie Miller,
are you the Mike vander Jet of the Pacers, because
you're really cocky you win games in the end by

(40:50):
hitting something worth three points. And Reggie Miller laughed and
said no, because I don't want to be called an idiot,
kicker liquor up kicker. And and then I in the
story by saying perhaps, but hopefully vander Jet will always
be as clutch as Reggie or something along those lines.
And the next day Bill Pullian called WRTV Channel six
and said, if I did not write a handwritten letter

(41:13):
of apology to the franchise for disrespecting them and their kicker,
that they would pull my credential. And I'm like, I
didn't say it. I quoted Reggie Miller, who was quoting
my fander Jet, and in the end, all is well,
that ends well, But I digress. So if you were
to look at members of the Pacers right now, we

(41:37):
were just discussing whether or not, for example, like who
is Benedict matherin Okay, I think in actuality the one
analogy would be, I will ask it to you in
these terms, Eddie, who is the cold Aaron Nesmith? And

(42:01):
I know that I said on the field it's Tyler Warren.
But I'm talking about just in terms of the representation,
the the molding and meshing, the contribution level there is.
And I know that I said Tyler Warren in the
fact that he is a jack of all trades is

(42:21):
what Aaron Nismith reminds me of. But situationally, there's a
guy for the Colts that I think is similar to
what Aaron Nesmith.

Speaker 2 (42:29):
Has just gone through. Mike Clipman Jr.

Speaker 1 (42:32):
Close. I think it's Alec Pierce because so Pittman Junior
would be kind of like Mathern and the fact that
you know he's very talented, he gets because of his position.
Initially you assumed that he was a selfish guy. You

(42:54):
now realize he's a very selfless guy. I'm talking about Pittman.
But Pierce I think is Nie Smith. Because could Daniel
Jones also.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
Be Aaron E. Smith.

Speaker 1 (43:05):
I think Daniel Jones is probably Halliburton. He's the guy that,
like you got him wanting to see whether or not
you could rejumpstart what you saw as a foundation early
in his career in the first stop, and then it
all comes together and you're like, whoa, this is the centerpiece.
But Alec peers to me, is like Nie Smith in
this fact. Pierce is a guy that early in his

(43:27):
career you started to wonder whether or not he was
ever going to be able to get footing in blossom.
In Nie Smith's case, it's come in stop number two,
not stop number one. But once he showed that he
has grown, So I'm talking situationally, not x's and o's wise.
Once you saw that Nie Smith in fact had developed

(43:50):
before your very eyes, then came the challenge of how
you were going to resign him and make sure that
you were keeping him even though you already had him
essentially on value. And I think Alec Pierce is at
that situation and is approaching that fork right now, because
he was a young player that we almost cast off

(44:13):
and forgot about, and I think many of us thought, maybe,
in fact, you move on from it. And then he
started really blossoming and growing and you realize that once
he was around the right people around him, WHOA, this
guy's capable of doing some things on his own, even
above and beyond what we thought his ceiling was. And
so therefore he becomes a positional priority of maintaining and

(44:39):
sustaining on your roster. And therefore the one problem the
Colts may have right now, but I think that there
could be solution to it, is I think they know
they have to extend Alec Pierce. He is becoming a
critical part of their offense and an integral part. Yes,
when Daniel Jones drops back, his first priority is probably

(45:03):
to find Tyler Warren. His second priority is probably to
find Michael Pittman Jr. Or vice versa. But the defense
knows you can't let go of Alec Pierce, Tyrese Haliburton.

(45:24):
When he's coming up the floor, his first priority is
probably to find where Pascal Siakam is. His second may
be to fined where Nim Harder Mathern is. But when
all else breaks down, he knows he can find aaron
Nie Smith. Now Nie Smith in terms of the versatility
of what he can do. Is why he said Tyler Warren,
because Warren can play anywhere. But you get my point,

(45:44):
Pierce is growing into a very integral part offensively of
what they do, and what they rely on, and so
therefore he is creating a situation where his play has
created a situation where the culture have to address this.
And financially speaking, you do begin to wonder when you

(46:04):
look at some of the pieces they have. Yeah, they
got Warren on a rookie deal and that's wonderful. And
they just extended Pittman, and they have Buckner making a
lot of money and Quentin Nelson making a lot of money.
And now you know that Daniel Jones, you're going to
get out from underneath the contract, even though it's a
rookie deal. You're not going to have to extend Anthony

(46:27):
Richardson probably, and Jones is the guy that you do
that too, assuming knock on wood, that he stays healthy.
I think we have seen enough body of work now
to say this is not a fluke. Daniel Jones is
the guy. So you've got he's going to make a
ton of money, and you've got to figure out where
to get that money to keep Pierce in the fold.
I think they restructure some guys, whether it be Pittman,

(46:50):
whether it be Nelson, you know Buckner for that. I
think there are guys that are going to come and say, Okay,
you can restructure me here, restructure me there, or whatever else.
And the reason that colts offense is as good as
it is is because it is unbelievably balanced. Unbelievably balanced.
Stephen Holder joins us. We'll talk about that and more
next Stephen Holder are gonna join us just a couple

(47:13):
of minutes. He's wrapping up some things out of the complex.
In the meantime, because it's a sleep deprivation Tuesday, we're
just gonna spin it right back to the late eighties
with some wall of voodoo. Baby. Eddie and I are
just gonna sit here talking about eating barbecue iguana. This
song is so strong. I love, love, love Mexican radio. Now,

(47:37):
what made you think of that song?

Speaker 2 (47:38):
Eddie?

Speaker 1 (47:38):
I love it?

Speaker 2 (47:38):
No idea, Jake, would.

Speaker 1 (47:40):
You like that tune? Don't you? You know it bangs
as the kids say, right and that what they say.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
I don't know if they say it bangs anymore.

Speaker 1 (47:48):
Before we get to Stephen Holder, I wanted to play
this just because it's the beauty and the magic of
radio radio is you know, I get it, I totally
understand it. We are rapidly moving in a direction where

(48:09):
all industries and all technologies are changing, but there is
something about live radio that is just different. And maybe
I'm speaking as an anachronism because of my profession, but
I totally understand and respect. Last night I sent out

(48:33):
I sent yesterday that text asking for people to as
a roll call, and I had two hundred and sixty
six messages and last night while I was watching the
baseball game, and yes, some of it I just sent
like an emoji, but I made it a point to
respond to every single person.

Speaker 2 (48:47):
We got just over forty on the text line yesterday,
so over three hundred people.

Speaker 1 (48:52):
Yeah, and I talked to a couple one. I talked
to one of our female listeners who was excited to
try out job a house, for example, which I greatly appreciate.
And whenever I talk to people, I always ask them
the same thing. And it's very important. Take twenty five
or twenty five percent off your first order, thank you, Eddie.

(49:12):
You know it might be for your second order too.
I don't know if they're hip to that yet, but nonetheless,
radio has an ability that other mediums don't, and it's
the personal connection. It's the it's the feeling of when
you're talking on the radio or when people are listening

(49:33):
to me. And I had a long conversation with a
listener about this yesterday, about the importance of this show
or whatever it is that you listen to on live radio,
giving you the ability of human interactive communication and live
in the moment. It's so important to so many people,
and you don't take it lightly. I don't take it lightly.

(49:54):
It's the best thing about doing this job. Is it
fun to talk sports, sure, is it fun to go
to games, sure, But it's also fun to know. And
I take it with the utmost level of hopefully respect
to the craft of the understanding and the privilege of
being able to talk to and communicate with people, even

(50:16):
if it means later they just simply text me, Hey,
you said this or you mentioned this, and I wanted
to ask you about that. You don't get that in
anything else. And I hope that never goes away, and
I hope people understand that never goes away. And the
same is true with live sports play by play. When
you listen on the radio, it is still a marriage
between sport and radio because it is the human emotion

(50:39):
that exudes via the transmission of your radio, and you
just don't get it in other things. Sometimes TV, yes,
you can see the euphoria. But with radio, there is
a magic to your own imagination, your own digestion and
ingestion of the word as it's coming through, and then
feeling this immediate connection and bond with the enthusiasm of

(51:02):
the person on the other end. That's describing to you
what is euphoric or at times catastrophic. So last night,
for example, George Springer hits a three run and I
get it. Nobody in this town cares about the Blue
Jays and the Mariners, perhaps, but they do care about
big time moments and sports in the ALCS. And so
last night, with the World Series on the line, the

(51:25):
Blue Jays are down to their final like nine outs,
they're down two runs. George Springer, who I believe has
ten now like lead changing home runs in postseason history,
comes to the plate and this is how it sounded
last night on the Blue Jays Radio Network. First real

(51:45):
scoring chance for the Blue Jays since the first inn
one tozer pitch swing in a f ball left field
in deep a Rose Arena turns a stringer dinger four

(52:10):
three blue days in the bottom of the seventh Okay,
so you can hear right there the color commentator, the
unbelievable nature of the guy wants to both cry. You said,
you think it's Dan Schulman.

Speaker 2 (52:26):
Right, I think it is. He does their TV, and
I know he's pretty flexible.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
So well, yeah, and he wouldn't be doing their TV
because they're on you know, obviously network at that point. Right,
So you hear the the euphoria in his voice where
he wants to both cry and he wants to hug you,
and that comes through via the radio. You can feel
the emotion. Now you can also feel when things don't

(52:51):
go well for your team. You're not alone because you
can feel the sorrow, the disappointment, the dismay, the con
when your team is the one that suddenly gives up,
as it happened to the Blue Jays in Seattle with
the home run that turns things Seattle. Also with the

(53:11):
Mariners radio network, you can hear the disappointment from that
home run. On the other side, here comes the pitch
from Bizardo.

Speaker 5 (53:22):
Swung on that is hit high deep left field and
it is gone. George Springer, free run, home run, Blue

(53:59):
Jay's four three.

Speaker 1 (54:02):
That's a guy right there. There's an art to letting
the crowd tell the story. But that's a guy right
there that isn't just letting the crowd tell the story
in that moment. He doesn't have a story to tell.
And I mean this as the utmost respect towards that call,

(54:23):
because sometimes you let no words say all the words.

Speaker 2 (54:29):
You went twenty seven seconds between words there, Jake.

Speaker 1 (54:32):
And the reality is this that silence and only hearing
the noise of the crowd and then coming back from
it and saying simply the facts of the matter. Radio

(54:55):
is what makes that work. It truly is. And yes,
you can go back the next day and listen to
it like we just did and still feel that emotion.
Those are two great calls from two different standpoints, and

(55:20):
it's the reason why are there people still like there
was a time in this country where people will tell
you if you lived in Brooklyn, New York, you didn't
even You could be out walking your block and you
knew everything going on in the Dodgers game because everybody
was sitting out on their front porch listening to it

(55:41):
on the radio, and so you could just hear it.
The same is true like in Saint Louis, of the
Cardinals for a long time. And I understand that perhaps
people now, you know, you gravitate towards television obviously, or
you're doing a million different things and you go back
and you just catch the highlights on off TV or whatever.
I get that, But in the moment, nothing captures it

(56:06):
better nothing. And tip of the cap to those two guys,
those two announcers and those two radio networks for what
was a pretty electric moment for sure. And like I said,
I Shannon was dead asleep on the couch and I
jumped up. She jumped ten feet off the couch because

(56:28):
I jumped up and yelled out. And It's been a
long time since I've done that, nonpacer related, probably in
sporting events in sport, but just jumped up and was like,
you know, now that was happening obviously, while Seattle was
playing an NFL home game for the Seahawks beating the
Houston Texans and now the Colts. I mean, Eddie, the

(56:51):
Colts are so far out in front of their own
division here you don't want to get too high on
the horse. But for sure, we thought going into the
year that Houston was going to be one of the
teams that you know, I think we knew Jacksonville was
possibly going to be decent. But with Houston, I'm fascinated
by the Texans because you know, Nico Collins goes out

(57:15):
and can't finish the game yesterday. He's a big target
for CJ. Stroud.

Speaker 2 (57:18):
Stroud, what's that concussion?

Speaker 1 (57:20):
Correct? C J Stroud? Last night? Did you see his numbers?

Speaker 2 (57:24):
Yes, I watched that game.

Speaker 1 (57:25):
He threw one hundred and six passes painfully. C J. Stroud.
And you know, I'm thinking of other quarterbacks that would
fall into this category. We've seen it here and it's
why perhaps the Colts want to be still precautionary with

(57:48):
Sam Darnold. But the quarterbacking position is one that you
can you can start to fall believe that somebody is
the long term and eventually things kind of balance themselves
out once And yes, a big part of it is

(58:09):
protecting guys, and a big part of it is having
targets for them, and a bigger part of it is
having a running threat behind them. But you have to
assess all of those things for a quarterback in case
any of them go away. And you look at the
case of Stroud, for example, they can't run the football,
and he for a guy that was a ball placement specialist,

(58:31):
as he said during the combine, and he wasn't wrong
at the time. I didn't watch the totality of that game,
But that offense now suddenly feels completely inept. And the Texans,
who have been at times from a front office standpoint inept,
have never looked at more so. And on the other
side of that, Eddie, I go back to this, are

(58:56):
the Seahawks good?

Speaker 2 (58:59):
I don't think we know.

Speaker 1 (59:01):
I mean, we're almost a third of the way through here, right, well,
we're more than a third of the way through. Are
the Seahawks good?

Speaker 6 (59:06):
Or what?

Speaker 2 (59:06):
Five and two?

Speaker 1 (59:10):
I mean, you don't hear anything about them? Are they good?
Let me give you a couple of teams. I'm gonna
give you the team, and I want you to ding
or buzz. Are they good?

Speaker 2 (59:18):
You're ready? I mean they beat the Steelers, Saints, Cardinals, Jags,
and Texans lust to the forty nine Ers and the Buccaneers.

Speaker 1 (59:25):
Okay, but again I go back to Okay, let me
give you a couple of teams in the National Football League.
If they're good, you give me a ding. If they're bad,
you give me a buzz.

Speaker 2 (59:34):
Can I play the Crickets if we don't know.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
Yes, if we don't know, it's Crickets. You ready? The
New England Patriots, really.

Speaker 2 (59:48):
I mean they're five and two, but their schedule has
been incredibly weak. Okay, They've beat the Panthers, they beat
the Dolphins. They did beat the Bills when the Bills
made a lot of mistakes, so they took care of
their business. There, beat the Saints and the Titans. Like
they've beat They've defeated the four worst teams in the NFL,
the Pittsburgh Steelers. Really, the Cincinnati Bengals, you seem sure

(01:00:17):
on a lot of well, I think that the addition wars.
I more so lean towards that than the cricket.

Speaker 1 (01:00:30):
But the Dallas Cowboys, okay, the Chicago Bears. Disagree. I
think the Bears are good. I think the Bears are
good and only getting better. I think the Bears are

(01:00:52):
going to make the playoffs. They're they're figuring it out.
I like their coach. I got you, inqu I think
they're good. Okay, here's one for you.

Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
Huh.

Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
We're going to strongly disagree. As a matter of fact,
I'm ready to throw off my Blue Jays hat if
it weren't for the fact that I'm eight weeks into
my family. Okay, the Carolina Panthers. I think the Panthers
are decent. I knew what what I think. The Carolina

(01:01:23):
Panthers are decent. I think they're.

Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
Respectable, respectable and good. Two different things here, Jake.

Speaker 1 (01:01:29):
I mean I realized, Look, they beat Atlanta, they beat Dallas,
Miami and the Jets, you know, I mean, those are
probably gimmes. They lost close to Arizona. We'll find out.
They played Buffalo this week. I'll give you one more here. Okay,

(01:01:51):
we already mentioned Seattle. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yeah, I
would agree they're good, but it is a This is
the reason I brought up this whole exercise is because
I just asked you like a third of the league,

(01:02:14):
and for literally two thirds of that third, which is
the upper coartile of upper corptile, and that's rare air
that for that that I just asked you the vast
majority of those teams, Eddie, you said you don't know yet.

Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
Yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
And the thing about the NFL, which is by design,
it's by design. The World Series is set right now.
It's got the Dodgers in the Blue Jays. The Dodgers
had the biggest payroll in baseball. The Blue Jays are fifth. Yeah,
the Dodgers of the number one television market, number two,
number two television market in the country, and Toronto if

(01:02:55):
it was in the United States would be like TV
market six. Last year the World Series was won by
the Dodgers. Who is the last non Dodger team to
win the World Series? I should know this, That is correct?
You should That's Texas Rangers? Is that who it is?
Could you get any more obscure than that? By the way,

(01:03:21):
look at the matchups each year within the World Series
and in baseball it is hurt And look, I think
it's fun what's going on right now?

Speaker 2 (01:03:32):
Right?

Speaker 1 (01:03:33):
But last year, who'd you have Yankees Dodgers? Year before that,
who'd you have Rangers Diamondbacks? I mean, the Rangers are
still playing in TV mark, a top ten market, So
I got it. Before that, Houston second biggest city in
the country, third maybe I think it's third biggest Tampa,
and then the Dodgers, Washington, Boston, big market, team's big payroll,

(01:03:58):
and I'm here for it. I enjoy it's fun, but
there's no doubt that that has hurt baseball to an
extent the NBA. The NBA is a star driven league,
and because you only have five guys on a team
on the floor at the same time, it only takes
one or two players to completely change things. So a

(01:04:18):
little bit different. People in the NBA are gravitated towards
the stars as opposed to the markets. But the bigger
the market, oftentimes the easier time you have in getting
the stars. Okay, but in the NFL, the NFL is
the eight hundred pound Gorella because even though we say
hope springs eternal in Major League Baseball and every preseason

(01:04:40):
teams feel like they've got a shot, it's the NFL
where that's really true. Look at the Indianapolis Colts. The
Colts are a team that the schedule helped them because
they were coming off of a bad year. Yes, that's
only like a two game difference, but it is a
difference nonetheless. But also the way you draft, all of
the things are set up salary cap, revenue sharing. It's

(01:05:07):
set up for parity PA r it Y, not PA
r O d Y. It's set up for even balance,
so that every year teams are like, you know what,
I think, actually this year or we're a year away
teams in the NFL. It's an art in the NFL.
I mean, it is an art in the NFL. Somebody
should give the Tennessee Titans a plaque. Do you know

(01:05:30):
how hard it is to suck annually? It's hard and
they manage to do it. But in the Jets as well,
they literally, like, if you go to the Indianapolis Motter Speedway,
they've got those things called the Titan air dryers. They
should create one of those and put it in bronze
and just call it the Titan Jet. And it literally

(01:05:52):
is named for the NFL team that is stuck in
suck every single good year, because there's only two franchises
that theoretically are there. The Panthers are kind of there
as well at times, but they're showing a little bit
of heartbeat and the Saints will see because they haven't
been there long enough. But either way, the thing that
Eddie is interesting about the National Football League to me

(01:06:14):
is when we're sitting there going through it, we have
literally a third of the league that we don't know
yet whether or not they're good. And it's because you
say either and I'm not saying you specifically, but we
as people we say about these teams one of two things.
We either say, well, I ain't played anybody, or you say,

(01:06:34):
you know, well they haven't they haven't lost any bad teams,
you know whatever. If you haven't played anybody, who is somebody?
Colts haven't played anybody. The Colts haven't beaten anybody. Well,
who is somebody? Who is the team? Who is the
team that the Colts need to beat? Where people are like, okay,
they're for real.

Speaker 2 (01:06:52):
I still stand there would be Kansas City. Okay, in
a couple of weeks.

Speaker 1 (01:06:55):
That's fair. So then for Kansas City. But who is
Kansas City beaten? That leads you to believe that? Tell
me who Kansas City has beaten? Where you say, well,
that's why, Well, they.

Speaker 2 (01:07:07):
Demolished Baltimore when they were healthy, uh thirty seven and
it wasn't even that close. They it's balto Baltimore is
going to be good when they get their guys back. Detroit.
They took care of business against Detroit.

Speaker 1 (01:07:26):
Detroit. Good, who's Detroit beating?

Speaker 2 (01:07:29):
Let's rubble up Detroit scheduled I mean Detroit's good five.
But I mean they beat the Ravens, they beat the Bears,
they beat the Browns, they beat the Bengals. Theat the Browns,
they beat in Elf. Great, they beat in Elf all right,
all right, they beat the Browns. Let's go forty six
quarterbacks beat the breaks off of Chicago.

Speaker 1 (01:07:52):
Massage to win against Deshaun Watson. All right, let's go
hang a banner.

Speaker 2 (01:07:56):
Let's go lost that first game of the year, uh
with the coordinators at green Bay when everybody thought green
Bay the Bengals.

Speaker 1 (01:08:05):
I mean, come on, the Bengals are Who are the
Bengals starting a quarterback this week?

Speaker 2 (01:08:09):
Right?

Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
I mean they had to trade for Joe Flacco, who
is literally six weeks away from doing insurance ads with
Joe Namath. I mean, come on, right. Bec My point,
though I do it is That's why to me, it's
that much more impressive what the Colts are doing because

(01:08:31):
the league is set up for parity, and yet the
Colts are managing to separate themselves and they're doing it
with this offense that just scored again. I mean, you
expect now, and not only are the Colts scoring, they're
not just a quick strike offense. They're an offense that
can sit there and just literally you don't want your team's,

(01:08:55):
your fantasy football team's key receiver or key running back,
key quarterback. You don't want a key offensive player of
your team and fantasy football playing the Colts this week,
not because of the Colts defense, because of the Colts
offense that is keeping the ball out of the hands

(01:09:15):
of the player you need points from, because they just
control They totally control the game in terms of pace, clock, everything.
I mean, it's really impressive stuff. And again, is this
sustainable long term? I don't know, but for right now,

(01:09:40):
I think the whole league is waiting for the other
shoe to drop here on this entire experiment with Daniel Jones,
and at some point you're just like, I you ever
seen Goodwill Hunting, Eddie?

Speaker 2 (01:09:56):
Yeah, you had me watch that one.

Speaker 1 (01:09:59):
Did you like it?

Speaker 7 (01:10:00):
Not like it?

Speaker 1 (01:10:00):
It was going, Chuck, I had a double burger in
Goodwill Hunting.

Speaker 2 (01:10:06):
Something of Robin Williams best work. And there's no question
about that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:10):
In Goodwill Hunting, Ben Affleck says when he's talking about
Damon and he's like, you know what, the best part
of my day is the best part of my day
is when I show up and I think there's the
chance that you're not going to be there because you
finally just you took off and you spread your wings
and you got out of all this and like at

(01:10:34):
the end of the movie, that's what happens, right Starry
spoiler alert, you just realize you're like, I don't think
he's coming back. It's like Ostraker in the lacrosse game.
It's like, guys, he's not coming back. And for the
Colts right now, as the rest of the league sits
in this parody, at some point you have to say
to yourself, I don't think they're coming back to the pack.
I think they're really this good. I don't know why.

(01:10:56):
I don't know how I can. We can sit here
and go on and pontificate about it and speculate about
it and point to stats and points to this and
point to that, and a big part of it is
with Daniel Jones. At some point you have to say
to yourself, I don't think he's going back to being
Daniel Jones. I think he really is on his way
to California to go see about a girl, and we're

(01:11:17):
not going to see him again. If you're the if
you're the rest of the league waiting for him to
come back down to earth and the Colts. The Colts
have to make that decision. Is in fact they're enough
finality there of that for them to definitively say we
need to pay this guy, we need to lock him in.
And that's one of the decisions that they have to make. Now,

(01:11:38):
let me ask you one other team here, ready, while
we're at it. Okay, Okay, I mean, hell, we've gone
through at the team at the league at this point.
You ready, Okay, the Cleveland Browns?

Speaker 2 (01:11:54):
Are you serious?

Speaker 1 (01:11:57):
I mean I just made fun of him, but I
do think that they have some God no, okay, please
fair La Chargers see and that in that vein, Then
you got another reason why you've got to be impressive.
Are doing?

Speaker 2 (01:12:17):
We may judge good differently, Jake. My definition goes like,
are you a playoff team?

Speaker 1 (01:12:21):
Like?

Speaker 2 (01:12:21):
Are you a team that's competing for the playoffs?

Speaker 1 (01:12:23):
How about this one? Washington Commanders.

Speaker 2 (01:12:25):
I feel so bad for them because they're so injury riddled.
I do think they're a good.

Speaker 1 (01:12:29):
Team, though, I think I think Washington it's one of
those years. If you're doing sports talk radio in Washington.
You're just you're you've moved on. You're like, you know, okay,
well back to the Wizards. You imagine how bad that
would suck? Can you imagine if you're doing sports talk
radio right now in Washington, You're like, Okay, the Gnats,

(01:12:50):
the Whiz and the Commanders. Bring on Georgetown, baby, you know,
I mean, George Washington gonna be any good this year?

Speaker 2 (01:12:59):
Gosh I got And how painful their last three loss
they've been for the Commanders.

Speaker 1 (01:13:03):
I feel bad for him too, because I love Jaden Daniels.

Speaker 2 (01:13:05):
But Daniels goes down against Dallas they don't have their
top three receivers, and then Chicago.

Speaker 1 (01:13:10):
It's a fault of theirs.

Speaker 2 (01:13:12):
Yeah, so Corey krosskeymer get crossed up fumble leads to
a game.

Speaker 1 (01:13:15):
Winning you know. Another observation. And I've gotten used to
and I kind of like their helmets and all that.
I think I thought I got used to and thought
Washington football team was cool. Yeah, I just would have
stayed with that. Like just the generic nature of Washington
football team. It sounds very nineteen like thirties newspaper movie
reel The Washington football team Yesterday and a captivating win

(01:13:37):
seventeen to ten and over Dalls.

Speaker 2 (01:13:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:13:39):
I don't know, it's kind of fun. We come back.
Kurt Signette. He had some interesting things to say, and
perhaps he was saying it with a subtlety about one
of his former colleagues. We will explain and we'll try
to catch up with Steven Holder as well. Indiana is
set to get back on to the grid iron, tacking

(01:14:01):
on UCLA and you remember, Actually, I think you could
make the argument that UCLA was kind of the wake
up call to an extent for the rest of the
country last year with IU football, because it was when

(01:14:25):
they went and I'd have to look, Eddie, if you
could look up their schedule last year. I think maybe
it was like week three or four. It was fairly
early on. But just the whole aura of you know,
the Pac ten, Pac twelve, whichever you want to call it,
Merger and UCLA and USC and don't kid yourself, Ucla

(01:14:51):
and for that matter, Washington, they were like Bogo, buy one,
get one. For example, I you Indy and their basketball
coach Ben Hallett, He's going to be at a chocolate

(01:15:11):
company up in Fishers and on Monday making chocolates, and
if you go up there and buy a chocolate you
get in a basketball ticket for free. And I think,
I you INDI this year men's basketball is going to
be really good.

Speaker 2 (01:15:24):
I do.

Speaker 1 (01:15:25):
And in addition to that, their volleyball team has home
games this week, and if you go to those games,
you can get by if you buy them online. You
use the old Bogo phrase buy one, get one, and
you can get tickets to men's soccer. You know, that's
how people do these things, right. And when the Big
Ten was expanding, they basically said with USC and Oregon

(01:15:48):
both like we're gonna bogo, We're gonna buy one, get one,
and they wanted USC for football, and USC essentially said
we will come to the Big Ten, but we need
a travel partner or school or one that has to
come with us, essentially, And so the Big Ten said, fine,
then we'll take Ucla because it was all about football.

(01:16:09):
Ucla has a huge basketball program, but it was all
about football, and so Ucla kind of they piggyback the
USC inn And while I don't know for certain that's
how Washington got in, I think for sure the Big
Ten was going after Oregon for the football prestige and
the Nike money, and therefore Oregon did the same thing

(01:16:30):
and that's how Washington got brought in because it had
football prowess. But when Indiana went to UCLA last year,
I think because Kurt Signetti was new to Indiana and
the and Ucla was new to the Big Ten, the
experience of going to the Rose Bowl was this measuring
stick for a lot of Indiana fans. And it was

(01:16:53):
on national television, it was in the Rose Bowl, and
all these Indiana fans went out there because when would
Indiana ever go to the Rose Bowl? Right? And like
I found out when I went to the Oasis show
back a month ago or so. I mean, the one
thing I learned about the Rose Bowl fabulous venue, absolutely gorgeous, beautiful,
perfect setting, historic, and then you go in there and

(01:17:15):
you're like, this place is a dump. And in nineteen
twenty five, clearly everybody was five foot four and ninety
five pounds and literally it's one hundred and five thousand
seats and all of them you feel like you're sitting
in a kid's booster seat in their concrete. Not literally,
but they felt like it. But Indiana went in there
and just I mean literally had their way with the
UCLA They controlled that entire game, and that I think

(01:17:37):
to a lot of people was the wake up call
of like whoa, I mean, this is what in the
world here? Right? And then they went on and you
saw what they did. Right. But now they're getting ready
to play UCLA again. It's at home. The tables have

(01:17:58):
turned because now we know so it is in fact
Indiana that's a benchmark game for UCLA. Because UCLA fired
their head coach in Deshaun Foster. Remember he's the one
that at media days like we're from Ucla, Uh, we're
from La poor guy, a legendary football player at UCLA.

(01:18:23):
But now since they fired him, UCLA has totally turned
things around.

Speaker 2 (01:18:28):
Well, not him, they fired him like early in the year,
like three weeks ago. They fired Tino Cinceri. It was
the former quarterbacks coach, I believe, correct with IU So.

Speaker 1 (01:18:40):
I was getting to that, right they have Ucla has
sprung new life here. And yes, Tino Cinceri, who had
been a coach at Indiana and had been a co
coordinator at Indiana, right, and but he was plucked away.

(01:19:02):
As a matter of fact, I can't remember did he
come with Signetti from JMU.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
Yes, or was he already on staff? Either way, I
can't remember. I thought he was another one of those guys.

Speaker 1 (01:19:19):
Either way, he was a member of the UCLA staff
and now is not. And you wonder if Kurt Signetti,
does Signetti now have even more motivation and drive against
UCLA or is this coach speak for the old Lou
Holtz strategy. Here is Kurt Signetti talking about the Bruins

(01:19:44):
getting ready to come to Indiana.

Speaker 8 (01:19:46):
Or playing a three and oh football team that's undefeated,
that's three and oh in the conference since they have
retold their staff and now have their new defensive coordinator
and offensive staff in place. Very impressive football team and offensively,
this team is rushing for two hundred and thirty three

(01:20:07):
yards a game right now in their last three games,
which would be against Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland.
Time of possession thirty six and a half minutes. I
mean the other team has ball twenty three and a
half minutes, fifty third down, seventy percent on fourth down.
They've gained two possessions with two fake punts, so they're
keeping the ball away from the other team. They're starting fast,

(01:20:29):
outscoring people in the first half fifty eight to seventeen, okay,
averaging thirty three points a game. And defense a lot
of different personnel packages really try to keep you off balance.
Really impressed with what they do. When you get outside
of normal down and distance situations, you see a lot
of stuff. They got about seven personnel packages, a variety

(01:20:51):
of blitzes, pre snap looks, with linebackers mugged, try to
confuse the quarterback a little bit, and they're rejuvenated football team.

Speaker 1 (01:21:00):
Let me give you a couple of glimpses here into
Kurt Signetti and why Indiana fans listen up here. That
sounded condescending, but I'm going to tell you a couple
of things about Kurt Signetti as to why we're seeing
what we're seeing. First off, nothing nothing goes overlooked by

(01:21:24):
this guy, every single detail, attention to detail. You could
hear it right there. I played that for you because
when you hear that, not because anybody really cares about
time as possession and yards rushing and et cetera. But
when you listen to that, he wasn't looking off a sheet.

(01:21:46):
That's a guy that has examined and double checked every
single aspect of his football team. It's like when when
you work at a grocery store. When I worked at
a Maya's grocery store, people'd come in and they'd say,
excuse me, do you know where I find Uncle Bin's rice? Yes,
it's now. I would walk them down to it. I

(01:22:08):
was training that but Aisle five, left hand side, three
quarters of the way down, second shelf right there, and
it's right next to you know whatever, you knew every inch,
every nuance, every barcode of that store. That's how he
is with this football program. Attention to detail. But you
noticed that when he talked about that attention to detail,

(01:22:28):
everything's calculated, thinking things through. And maybe this is me
overthinking it or overanalyzing it. But when he talked about
the UCLA offense and the rejuvenation that has taken place
since they've made changes in their coaching staff Sincearri who
came with him from James Madison, who was a quarterbacks

(01:22:49):
coach for him at James Madison and then the quarterbacks
coach for Curtis Rourke and the co offensive coordinator in
Indiana and then goes to UCLA in those same capacities.
You notice right there when he was complimenting the improvement
UCLA's made, he mentioned essentially every single aspect of their
football program, but the court, the passing game, attention to detail.

(01:23:14):
He knows the one little detail out of the eight
areas that he talked about, he made sure that he
didn't talk about if they made an improvement in the
one area, that would have been besmirching his guy. A
loyalty to his guy. But the other thing is this,
Kurt Signetti is a film guy more than any coach

(01:23:40):
Indiana's had in quite some time. And I don't necessarily
even mean in preparing for games and in knowing that
level of information about UCLA and knowing the nuance of
every aspect, every statistic, every strength and weakness of a
football team, but more so his own. Kurt Signetti, if

(01:24:01):
you are going to play it, Indiana, you are not
somebody that he looks at it and goes, we got
a four star out of such such high school that's
interested in the Let's go send him letters and let's
see if he wants to come here. Kurt Signetti spends
hours hours watching videotape, tendencies, background studies, and analysis of
every player Indiana's recruiting before he determines whether or not

(01:24:24):
they're a fit for Indiana football. Attention to detail, and
it's for that reason, that dedication, and that understanding the
hr of the people of his program past and present.
That's why Indiana right now may be the best team
in college football. Steven Holder is with ESPN dot Com.

(01:24:47):
He joins us on the Java House Peel and Poor
Guest line, and of course has been out at the
Colts Complex. Steven, I'm going to begin with something that
we were just talking about earlier, and it's a little
off the beaten path, perhaps maybe even ahead of the game,
but thinking about aaron Ne Smith and the Pacers announcing,
you know, his extension within their franchise. I look at

(01:25:09):
Alec Pierce and he is clearly becoming a piece that
the Colts are going to want to maintain. Then you
get into the financials of it, that's probably well beyond
our pay grade. But do you believe that it's possible
there are players on the roster that will agree to
restructure in order to make things like that possible.

Speaker 7 (01:25:32):
That's an interesting question. I think it would. It would
kind of depend on on where they're at, you know,
with with Daniel Jones after the season and what that
contract looks like, because I mean, at this point, right
we're working under the assumption that that that's going to
happen unless Daniel Jones for some reason wants to go

(01:25:54):
somewhere else, Right, But I think that's going to be
the big piece of the puzzle. And and then how
many of these veteran players from this cores they intend
to keep next year, which is an impossible question to answer,
and all that, But I think the problem with Alec Parris,
and it's not a problem, it's just a reality, right.
The reality with Alec Pearce is that it is going

(01:26:17):
to be expensive, probably more than people realize. All Right,
Right now, Michael Pittman Junior is around what twenty one
twenty two million a year. I think he in terms
of this particular season, he might have the biggest cap
number on the team. Even so, I'm not saying Alex
Pearis is going to be the same sort of money,

(01:26:39):
but I think we're getting to that point where he's
going to be in the ballpark of that range, and
or at least potentially. So if that's the case, then
it becomes this is the reality. How much money are
you spending at wide receivers? And I don't know what
the right answer is, but I'm just telling you that

(01:26:59):
that has to be part of the equation. I will
tell you when they thought they had something in a
d Mitchell, and they still might we're talking about a
year from now. They were very much of the opinion
that they were moving on from alex Paris after this year.
No disrespected him, just the reality. What I wonder is
whether that's changed with the ad Mitchell dynamics.

Speaker 2 (01:27:21):
Steven, When you guys talk to Chris Ballard about different things,
free agency, money, franchise tag, it's always will work through
that and we'll use the franchise tag as a tool. Potentially.
If you had to guess, would you say that the
franchise tag will be used this offseason, whether that's on
Alan Hears, Daniel Jones, Nick Cross, Braden Smith, or whomever.

Speaker 7 (01:27:43):
I think you have to hold on to it. For
Jones in particular, I think elsewhere you probably roll the dice.
I don't know that they are going to have been
over backwards to do it with anyone else or feel
the necessity. I think you have to hold on to
it though. Up until the last minute as a tool

(01:28:05):
with the Daniel Jones negotiation, because if that deal is
not done by the time you get depending on where
you sit and depending on how you feel about those negotiations,
I think you have to do it.

Speaker 1 (01:28:25):
I just do.

Speaker 7 (01:28:26):
I think you have to assign a tag. You can
always pull it back, right, you pull it back, you
do the deal when you're reach an agreement, and then
everybody walks away happy. It may it may end up
working out like that. And it's no like it's nothing personal.
If they hit you with the tag, it's really just
it's to give the team flexibility. It is. It is

(01:28:46):
an advantage for the team and a disadvantage for the player,
There's no question about that. But it's also not like,
you know, it's not the end of the world if
they do tag you, if in fact they're trying to
legitimately do a deal with you in good faith. And
I think that will be the case with Daniel Jones.
I think it may come to that, And that's what
I would set it aside for is for.

Speaker 1 (01:29:06):
Jones, Stephen, where do we stand for the Colts right
now on this? And I realized it's a Tuesday, so
perhaps it's early to know, But where do we stand
health wise in terms of those that we still might
be waiting on or those that we would expect to
be seeing now here against Tennessee.

Speaker 7 (01:29:26):
Well, let's see. I mean the big question, I guess,
is this what we're talking about Sampson that Ebbucom. I
do think now that the Colts haven't said this, but
the indications are that he will miss some time at
least this week. Beyond that. Yes, an mcl spraying, I

(01:29:47):
guess is what we're thinking. It is what the word is.
And here's why that's problematic. It's not that Sampson Edbucom
is prime, you know, von Miller or anything. It's just
that the depth on the defensive line, on defense in general,
the depth on defense generally, it's really poor right now
because of injuries, and you know, you can only hold

(01:30:10):
on so long because and this is compounded by the
loss of Taekwon Lewis. He's got a groin strain. I
don't know what his status is. I takes the matter
the game, and he said he just couldn't push through it.
He tried. He just said, you know, those are painful,
you know, he just kind of one of those things
you kind of get split apart there, and you know

(01:30:33):
a lot of groin strings in this town this year, right,
So it's it's tough. It's really tough to maneuver into
and to change direction and things like things like that.
So I don't know what his status is, but I
think those two guys are big questions for me, as
I said, because I think they are core pieces of
the rotation, and if they are gone now you are

(01:30:55):
digging deeper into the depth chart as you are already
doing in the defensive backfield, and that has had consequences obviously.
So defensive depth is my question right now? How are
they doing?

Speaker 2 (01:31:07):
They're not great?

Speaker 1 (01:31:08):
Okay, what about defensive pass rush? Are they going to
make a move before the trade deadline?

Speaker 7 (01:31:17):
I predict they probably won't, just because I don't think
those those deals are are necessarily as as plentiful as
people think. They're just not now. And then the other
factor I should say is that that has not been
Chris Ballard's m ever, right. If anything, he's a seller,

(01:31:38):
not a not a buyer. However, I think this is
a such a unique year. They have such an opportunity
here and they've never been here. They're the best record
in the NFL. I mean, when have we been able
to say that through seven weeks? They have they have
such a good team, they have the best record.

Speaker 6 (01:31:57):
In the league.

Speaker 7 (01:31:58):
They have. This is a I guess, a situation where
history kind of doesn't matter, meaning like Chris Ballard's history,
you know, his tendencies and all that. I don't know
that they matter at this point because this is a
unique situation, an unprecedented situation for him. So I say
all that to say, I think it's still a possibility,

(01:32:22):
if not a likelihood, I think it's more likely than usual.
I still don't think it's necessarily likely. If that makes
any sense.

Speaker 1 (01:32:30):
Yeah, it does. Stephen Holder, our guest ESPN dot comies
on the Java House Pilamport guest line. Stephen, the you know,
offensively speaking, what the cults are doing, and this really
is remarkable. What they are doing is nearly historic. I
mean of the last twenty five years, their points per possession,

(01:32:51):
their offensive efficiency, their ability in so many different ways
to move the football with all of that to me,
and I want you to tell me if you think
this is almost by design. It's great that they score
a lot of points, but more so, they are controlling
the football. They're not turning it over. But they have

(01:33:14):
big strike capability. But is it somewhat by design of
Shane Steichen to just chew clock and keep other teams
at bay and not allowing opposition to get in rhythm.

Speaker 7 (01:33:27):
So I don't think it's necessarily a tactic. I think
what you're seeing is happening by default because of something
you just said, because of their efficiency.

Speaker 1 (01:33:37):
So what do I.

Speaker 7 (01:33:38):
Mean It means they don't have a lot of turnovers
on downs, Well, they get a lot of first downs, right,
I think they leave the NFL in first downs, so
they convert. They also they sustain drives just generally because
they're not turning it over. So all of the things
that kill drives, penalties, all that stuff, turnovers, drops, all

(01:34:02):
of that, all the things that kill drives, those are
the things they've managed to avoid. So if you do that,
you are going to possess the football and you are
going to have eight, nine, ten, eleven play drives because
that's the way most drives, and up most scoring drives
end up happening that way. The problem is most most

(01:34:23):
drives get killed for a number of reasons.

Speaker 1 (01:34:26):
The Colts.

Speaker 7 (01:34:27):
For whatever reason, they've avoided all of those pitfalls much
better than other teams. And that's why I kind of
think this is sustainable. I mean that becomes something of
an identity of who you are. You're you're the team
that doesn't screw it up. It's weekly.

Speaker 1 (01:34:46):
Go ahead.

Speaker 7 (01:34:47):
I'm sorry, No, No, that's it. I think that's the answer.
It's not intentional, but it's it's a product of who
they are and how they're playing.

Speaker 1 (01:34:55):
Okay, lastly, in short, with Tennessee here at home at
no disrespect to the Titans, but with an opponent at
home that inferior, does that in any way, shape or
form impact the rapidity with which guys may come back
from injury or does it give them, in the back
of their mind the flexibility of holding guys out to

(01:35:17):
be cautious.

Speaker 7 (01:35:19):
So they haven't operated that way generally this year. I
think they're taking the long view with their injuries. You know,
look at the Kenny Moore situation, like they they gave
him a full three weeks and he was able to
come back and be effective. Could he have rushed maybe?
I don't think they look at it that way. I
think they're looking at it just in terms of the
long view, and that is the right way to look

(01:35:41):
at it. I think forget the opponent. It's really about
having these guys down the stretch and whatever it takes
to do that, that's what they should do.

Speaker 1 (01:35:49):
Stevenholder, ESPN dot Com, Java House, Peel and poor guests one.
Steven appreciate it as always. Man, all right, you got it.
Are a busy day for Steven Holder and appreciate working
as Sam will come back. Scott Agnes, little pacer talk.
Bobby Marks is well, two o'clock hour. Here a querying
company on a Tuesday. Scott agnesfield House files in just

(01:36:09):
a second, will be joining us. But before he does so,
Eddie Garrison, do you happen to have the breaking news sounder?
This just end for you fans of college basketball and
notably fans of the Indiana Hoosiers and Darren Devreese. Anthony

(01:36:32):
Thompson not the guy that should have won the nineteen
eighty nine Heisman Trophy, even though Andre Ware won it
after Anthony Thompson had returned to kickoff against Purdue down
to nearly the goal line and winning the game in
the Scott Bandamaus the field goal, and Anthony Thompson unfortunately
didn't win the Heisman. I'm not blaming it on Scott Banal,
but I still remember it vividly. Anthony Thompson, who is
a top fifteen college basketball recruit if you follow such things,

(01:36:55):
a five star player announcing today his college basketball choice
between North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, and Texas.
You Indiana fans saw the pictures of him at assembly
Hall with his candy striped pants. He is an Ohio
State Buckeye, announcing that today. At least that's where he

(01:37:17):
announced he's going. Now that means he could reopen his
recruitment at any time. When he starts to realize that
all of his classmates are getting lots of attention for
the cap dance and he has been left in the
cold because everybody knows where he's going and they're not
talking about him anymore, and then all of a sudden,
he sends a tweet that says, I've decided, after a
lot of thought, to open up my recruitment. Please respect
my decision. I'm not saying this kid will do that.

(01:37:38):
I'm saying there is certainly pattern of precedent, But I
now return to my non cynical fifty three year old ways,
joining us now in the job ass peel and poor
guest line. He is with field House File Scott Agnes.
Scott will be in with the big news, and that
is I thought, really good news for Indiana extending aaron
Ne Smith. And what's funny is feel free to tell

(01:37:58):
me that I'm wrong. Even in nearly doubling his salary
aaron NEI Smith, I think is still a bargain your thoughts.

Speaker 3 (01:38:05):
Yeah, good afternoon, Jake, no question. I mean, especially as
we're going to continue to see the salary cap rise
as expected roughly ten percent annually. It feels like in
NBA terms, this is going to feel like in a
couple of years like a four million dollar guy, which
is like an extreme bargain. So for Aaron he gets
the stability, the guarantees, the know how that he's going

(01:38:27):
to be under contract for the next four years, and
from the pacers side, it also gives them clarity knowing
the guys that they have under contract. This one ties
him with Tyrese Haliburton for four more years as well,
and so it's a good thing all around.

Speaker 1 (01:38:43):
Where did things stand in pardon my asking this, Scott
with nim Hard, I can't remember if he was recently
extended or he is up soon, do you recall?

Speaker 3 (01:38:52):
Yeah, So it was last summer the Pacers. He was
one of the guys that the Pacers were able to
do a deal with. It was a three year extension
last year. He was like one of six guys that
got paid after that run to the conference finals. He
was able to do it the previous year because he
was not a first round pick, so his contract was
a little bit different. Bring that to present terms, Benedict

(01:39:14):
Matheren was here recently eligible for a contract extension that
has now expired. So he'll play this year out on
the final year of his rookie deal, and he will
become the big question going into next summer, much like
it was kind of at this time of year. It
was probably Isaiah Jackson coming off his rookie deal.

Speaker 1 (01:39:31):
Okay. So that means if I'm writing this down, okay,
if we're looking at let's say, you know this year,
we know the realities of this year. Next year you
have Halliburton back in the mix, okay, and then let's
say the year after that, so Halliburton now has had
one full year of playing, you know, so, in other words,

(01:39:52):
in two seasons, Nie Smith is locked in for that year. Correct, Yes,
ty Reese is locked in for the that year. Would
that be the final year of Siakam or to Siakam
is next season, Siakam's last year.

Speaker 3 (01:40:08):
Siakam has two more years after this one.

Speaker 1 (01:40:11):
Okay, so you Seakam for that and then Nim you said,
Nim Hart. Okay, Nie Smith? Now what about there are
two others here, Obi Toppin.

Speaker 3 (01:40:25):
Obi Toppin re signed the last summer that will run
through the twenty twenty seven twenty twenty eight seasons. So
you can see the similar timeline here.

Speaker 1 (01:40:34):
I mean, they're aligning all of this right now. The
question becomes do you believe Scott? And we didn't mention
this earlier, and perhaps I should have. If you look
at Benedictmaden and the decision by the Pacers to still wait,
is that partially because perhaps they want to see where
Jeris Walker and Johnny Furfey are, or even Ben Shephard,

(01:40:56):
to see how they want to distribute, maybe even trying
to lock in say two of those guys as opposed
to just one with Matheren, who you think is gonna
be big ticket or is that me way over thinking
the math.

Speaker 3 (01:41:09):
I think that's a factor, but I'd probably put it
down the list just a couple. I think first of all,
it's at this time of year right now, on a
rookie year contract, rookie scale contract, it's in favor of
the teams. So that's why you see a Nie Smith
bargain type deal getting done. If you're Benedict Mathern, you
see what's ahead of you, Jake, you see a greater

(01:41:30):
role being in the starting lineup, the team needing him
to do more at both ends of the floor. If
you're a guy that doesn't is not desperate for that
stability and is willing to bet on yourself. As we know, Bennedict,
probably more than any other Pacer player is is able
to do that because he's a restrictive free agent. So
from a team standpoint, the Pacers win with his upside

(01:41:52):
if he grows and his incredible as an All Star,
the Pacers can still match any offer out there. But
on the other side of it, I think the number
one factor in all this, and Nie Smith helps provide
some of that clarity for this front office is to
understand at what point does this how expensive does this
team get and do they need to go into the
luxury tax and at what level there? So I think

(01:42:15):
with Matherin, there's no reason unless you have a deal
uh that suits both sides to get it done right now,
because the Pacers have that option coming next summer where
you're only going to have a handful of teams probably
that will have enough money to compete with you at
that juncture.

Speaker 1 (01:42:32):
Scott Agnes is our guest here is on the Java
House Peel and Port guest line Jake twenty five Jaka
E two five Jake twenty five five percent off at
Java house dot com. Scott, when you look at this season,
and maybe this goes once we get into the year,
but in your anticipation and the work that you've done

(01:42:54):
for Fieldhouse Files and reading about it and just analyzing
where the Pacers are, do you believe that this year
for Rick Carlisle, for Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, do you
think they are going into this saying we are doing
everything we can to sustain and maintain our replacement amongst

(01:43:15):
the top or do you think they're saying, this is
a year that we now have been blessed with this
opportunity to get minutes and analysis of guys that otherwise
we might not have been able to do with.

Speaker 3 (01:43:30):
Yeh, Jake, my sense, it's the first one within reason,
within their capabilities. They want to compete at the highest
level and continue to show that everybody's wrong. Like I
was stunned, I don't know about you, Like the fact
that Vegas last time I looked, had the Pacers at
thirty six and a half wins. I see this team
bearing injury to be well above that, certainly north of

(01:43:51):
forty and in the playoffs, is my mind. Now, things
can can go a ride just based off injuries like
we saw at the beginning of last season. But this
team is by no means just happy to be here
going through the motions. And you're using a term I
used several years ago, a year of discovery, right in
reference to Johnny Furfree Walker, et cetera. I don't think

(01:44:13):
that's at all the case, is what I'm gathering.

Speaker 1 (01:44:16):
I'm gonna give you a couple of players, and I
want you to tell me whether you believe. And this
is assuming that they're healthy. Okay, so win healthy. I'm
gonna give you some players and I want you to
tell me the minutes that they see this year, whether
you think it is more than last year, fewer than
last year, or the same. Okay, Jaris Walker, I would

(01:44:40):
say more. Okay, Ben Sheppard.

Speaker 3 (01:44:45):
About the same except the start of the season, I think,
but about the same.

Speaker 1 (01:44:50):
Johnny Furfey more interesting. Okay. TJ McConnell about the same.
And then after that you get into Okay, Obie Toppin,
I think definitely more. Yeah, because top and they use,
they will use in a couple different ways, will they not.

Speaker 3 (01:45:12):
That's that's the thought here right now. With center being
among your biggest concerns. I know it's a blimp. We
only saw you know, handful of preseason games, but that
seemingly was their most effective center was Obi and then
running small at the other positions.

Speaker 1 (01:45:26):
Okay, starting center will be Isaiah Jackson to start the season,
and you believe Isaiah Jackson will be essentially a rebounding
and defensive center or a guy that becomes a staple
within their offense as well. No, I think that.

Speaker 3 (01:45:43):
I think that position will be the fifth option offensively. Yeah, yeah, Yeah,
there's there's a lot he still has to grow into
from a development standpoint, But the thing I highlight most
about him is his rim running ability and get out
and transition in that versatility. That's a little bit different
dynamic than we saw from Miles Turner.

Speaker 2 (01:46:05):
To Scott To kind of connect the two conversations the
Benedict Mathery not getting any extension in the future of
him with the franchise in the current center position. Could
the aspect of the Pacers not wanting to sign him
now also be because they're looking to potentially spend money
to get a center that is paired that pairs well
with Tyry's Haliburton.

Speaker 3 (01:46:26):
So from a fit standpoint, I think the number one
thing in all this is just you couldn't agree to
terms like Matherin you assume thinks highly of himself. I
want a type of a max deal. I want a
big money offer. Pacers on the other side have to
account for all those different contracts, say of on their books.
He's been a role player, has not emerged at just

(01:46:47):
Jet in that starting role. But yes, you're one hundred
percent right to me, that would be the secondary piece
in all this, after the money is does he fit
with this team, does he allow Haliburton to play his game?
How does he surround the rest of the guys. Is
it just a good fit, because at least initially, as
we all know, the first couple of years, it was
somewhat of a mismatch a little bit right just in

(01:47:09):
desired playing styles. But Matherin is locked in more than
any player I've heard about in camp right now. So
I'm intrigued to see how he plays and how he
he settles in now as a more mature, confident player
within Rick Carlisle's system.

Speaker 1 (01:47:23):
Yeah, I just I feel bad for Matherin because you know,
he's kind of in this stuck place. Scott, can you
tell me if you disagree with this. If he has
a year this year where he averages twenty one game,
I think he's probably more like eighteen, but you know whatever,
then they're gonna and one would think in the NBA

(01:47:44):
that means you get a big payday. But there are
gonna be people that are gonna say, well, he got
that because he was in a place where you know,
he was the designated score because somebody had to score
while they hold serve. And then on the other side
of that, if he thinks that Indiana is the play
that will pay him because of that production. There still
is an element of the fact that it kind of

(01:48:08):
feels like he's a really nice sports car that is
sleek and fun, but the Pacers are living in Montana
where you can't go over forty five because the roads
are too hilly, you know what I mean? It just
it just doesn't It just feels like. I don't know
why I say this about Matheren because I like him.

(01:48:30):
I don't know him as a guy, but he seems
like a nice guy. He has been at times a
really fun player to watch, and he's been a very
reliable player at times. But it does feel like he
is the one player that his game, when flourishing, it
comes at the cost of the motion or the style

(01:48:53):
that Indiana most thrives on. Would you agree with that?

Speaker 3 (01:48:57):
Yeah, I think that's absolutely fair. But I do think
he's done a good job. And you know, second part
of last season in particular, is what it stood out
to me of adapting more and leaning more in and
and doing exactly what the coaching staff was seemingly asking
of him. And so I go back go into this
season thinking, look, if he can thrive this year, and
I think he'll probably be the second leading score. I

(01:49:19):
see probably a Siakam at twenty three points in Matherin
at twenty one. It seems most likely to me right now.
But just think you throw Haliburton back into that and
that opens things up for everybody else. So that means
in large part it could be even more open for
him come following seasons. But look, you're always gonna have

(01:49:40):
change within the NBA, and with Tyree's coming back, then
what does it mean for Matherin? Doesn't mean Nemhart's back
in the starting line, stays in the starting line. Like,
There's so many different levels to all of this. But
you're right, that's why I think from a individual standpoint,
Mathern is the most interesting character in this upcoming season.

Speaker 1 (01:49:57):
Yeah, and Scott, we both should point out, and fairness
to Scott, to Benedic mather and Scott Agnes our guest
from field House Files on the Java House appeling for
guest line, there is none of this is in any way,
shape or form an indictment on the person or the
teammate of Benedict Matherin. There is zero evidence of that
being an issue at all.

Speaker 3 (01:50:17):
Right, Yeah, no, No, you're completely leaning into stylistically and
how do you maximize the player's best traits and does
it align with the team's best traits? I think is
That's what I'm gathering. That's totally been the conversation with
Matherin always do you.

Speaker 1 (01:50:32):
Think lastly, Scott, I mean it's been It doesn't seem
long ago that we're sitting here doing weekly chats with
Austin Kroscher, you know, in the playoffs talking about the
possibility of how close it is to a title and
Achilles and Halliburton and all of it doesn't seem long
ago at all. It wasn't long ago. It was the
shortest postseason we've ever seen. Obviously, does that change the

(01:50:58):
way the Pacers it to be the beginning of the
year play or Look, that's a very good question.

Speaker 3 (01:51:05):
The other one I would add to that that I
would like to ask Jacob is how did it impact
training camp because the usage rate and in terms of
how much these players to wear and tear. Look, tomorrow
will mark four months from that last finals game. That
is not a short turnaround at all. I mean, most
of these players, Jake will take a month, month and

(01:51:25):
a half and do nothing substantial, maybe just weight room
and that's about it. Then get into their off season.
And so the other big thing in all this that
I don't have the answer to is how did all
these players off season training change their regimen to adapt
to that longer season. With all this now, how I
would guess and all this is they're going to try

(01:51:46):
to ease into this first month of the season from
a minute standpoint and take it a little bit more
cautious viewpoint. Get at the same time, you can't hold
these players back a ton, but I would keep a
stern eye on your your guys coming back from an Achilles,
like Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman. You don't want them
playing significant minutes or maybe long runs. Maybe it's five

(01:52:09):
minutes seven minute bursts out there, but that's where you
trust your medical staff. The Pacers have five athletic trainers
and you got to lean into that.

Speaker 2 (01:52:16):
Who's the favorite in the Eastern Conference? Is it Cleveland?

Speaker 3 (01:52:20):
I think by default Eddiot's got to be Cleveland, just
given what they did during the regular season. Knowing how
they're leaning highly into this roster. They got the largest
tax bill and obviously they have an AXT grind after
really struggling there in that postseason. But I mean after that,
and I think it's it's a toss up. Maybe other

(01:52:40):
than New York. I think it's easily Cleveland and New
York one two. Who could be this year's Indiana? Oh
maybe Orlando in the Eastern Conference. Orlando's the team that
I really like or buy into.

Speaker 2 (01:52:54):
What about Atlanta?

Speaker 3 (01:52:57):
I think I need to give it another year. I mean, look,
you're still dealing with the Trey Young down there, and
I'm not a big believer in building around him, just
like Philly. For Philly, it's believe it when once I
see it with him. We've been talking about them being
contenders for ten years and nothing's come to fruition there.

Speaker 1 (01:53:15):
So trust the process. Philly. You're fifteen of the process,
right and it never got him to the final. I
know Scott will have all of the coverage field House
Files Pacer season getting underway Thursday night with Oak City.
Appreciate it, Scott. All right, thanks guys, Scott Agnes joining
us field house House. By the way, Before we get
to Bobby Marks, I have a question here. I have

(01:53:37):
a call for the people of Indianapolis. Okay, we have
with Indy Car we have This isn't the case anymore.
But we had a period there where we got travel bags,
really nice suitcases. I think, I don't know how you
pronounced the name of the brand. Is it ausio og Io?

(01:54:00):
That was? We didn't get that brand. We had a
brand called shock Doctor, which is no longer. They no
longer make bags. But they're really nice bags and I
love them, and we have two. We had several of them.
But I have two size bags. Okay, one of the
bags and I know I said they're nice bags. But
one of the bags, the I mean, we've had them
a long time. The handle broke, Like the handle that

(01:54:23):
extends out from the bag broke. Okay, Bag number two.
The wheels on it are just like they're like grocery
cart wheels. Now it's like when I go through the airport,
it's a little embarrassing, right. So I'm like, okay, I
have these two bags. I took them today to a
place that says luggage repair, and I said, yeah, here's

(01:54:45):
the deal. This first bag. If you can repair the handle,
then fabulous, great and then I'll just need to order
a new set of wheels for the small bag. If
you can't repair the handle on the big bag, the
wheels are all this same size. If you can't repair
the handle on the big bag, then then that bag's

(01:55:06):
Nolan void. But you can just take the wheels off
that and transfer him to the little bag. The lady
was thoroughly confused, had no idea what I was talking about,
couldn't figure it out. And I said, I'll tell you what.
Just is the guy here that does that. I'll just
I'll explain to him. Maybe if I show him what
I mean, that'll help. And she says, well, no, but
we have an analysis fee to pay before we can

(01:55:26):
determine if we can fix the bags. And I said okay,
and she said it's ten bucks a bag and I said, okay,
no problem. And what time will he be in He'll
be hearing about six weeks. Excuse me, You'll leave your
bag for six weeks and then we'll take a look
at it. And I said, well, that seems like a
long time, and she said, well, these are specialty items.

(01:55:46):
I said, it says on your door luggage repair, like
I okay, And maybe it's because they weren't like fixing
the stitching. I don't know. So here is my question
and people can feel free to text me their answer. Yes,
I am utilizing the radio airways right now from my
own personal gain of this dilemma. But I don't know.

(01:56:06):
In twenty twenty five year, does anybody have a place
that they highly suggest and recommend that could do that
sort of a repair on luggage, one for the handle,
the other for the for the wheels. Right, it's more
like a yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that kind of wheel.

Speaker 2 (01:56:21):
You know, Jake, there's this fabulous website slash app that
may be able to help you. No, understood, But I
tried to huh YouTube? You tried YouTube? Well, no, so
you are live by the way on the YouTube. What's
that where you are live by the way on the
YouTube with my Blue Jays hat?

Speaker 1 (01:56:41):
No, I realize. And yes, I tried to myself, with
a person far hander than myself, tried myself to remove
the wheels. You know, I tried to do the wheel transfer. Yes,
as a matter of fact, the person I was with
pulled up a YouTube and he's like, you know what,
I don't think actually that I can do it. There's
a specific kind of tool you need okay, fine, So

(01:57:04):
so that said, though, I need like a luggage repair joint.
Does anybody know where you would go? But it's not
the stitching of it, it's the accentuation of the luggage
that needs repaired.

Speaker 2 (01:57:14):
I say, you have atage, you try to figure it
out yourself. Next thing, you know, you have that as
a side hustle.

Speaker 1 (01:57:20):
That'd be awesome, wouldn't it. Yeah? But how about here's
the thing. It's kind of like like when you're driving
down the street and you see, now, like there's a
joint up near where I grew up, there was a
vacuum cleaner repair shop, and I'm like, who's going in
twenty twenty five to the vacuum cleaner repair shop? Like,
aren't people now like you know what the vacuum cleaner.

Speaker 2 (01:57:37):
Calling That guy's in the vacuum cleaner repair shop, right.

Speaker 1 (01:57:43):
That's what that guy Instead of going to the vacuum
cleaner repair shop for fish, he decided to turn it
into an instrument, right, Because don't you just now go, yeah,
you know what, like the vacuum cleaner conked, get on
a website and buy a new one.

Speaker 2 (01:57:55):
Boom.

Speaker 1 (01:57:56):
I'm worried about this with I don't know if there's
a luggage repair.

Speaker 2 (01:57:59):
Play can tweet your suggestions recommendations to them at je
query or text them three point seven five two three
ninety two AB eight.

Speaker 1 (01:58:09):
That is correct. Did you get hold of Bobby by
the way, Yes, all right, I'll ask him if he
knows of luggage repair. Bobby Marx, NBA executive former and
still of course member of ESPN in terms of college
or excuse me, NBA basketball joins us next. Several people
have asked, fair question, Jake, wouldn't it be less expensive

(01:58:30):
just to replace the bags? Yes, but here's the thing, uh,
And I get that you can get this done. Both
of them were customized, which I like, but one of
them is and I've never I've looked everywhere, I've not
been able to find this. I love one of the
bags because it is the design of it is made

(01:58:50):
specifically to slope down to fit perfectly inside of an
overhead bind like. It literally is custom made to the
size of overhead bins on an airplane. Both of them
have It's embroidered within it, our names and the logo
for the radio network and everything else. Yes, Eddie, you're smiling.

Speaker 2 (01:59:05):
Yes, do you know what I just realized, Jake, this is.

Speaker 1 (01:59:10):
That's correct.

Speaker 2 (01:59:10):
In the song there's a rolling bog of yours from
the Alplanio travels.

Speaker 1 (01:59:14):
Yes, it is your. If I brought it in, you
would say to yourself, I get it. Boy, that's a
nice looking bag. Now, hey, Jake, we have a great
luggage repair shop. I thought, oh, this is excellent in
Russia Ohio, which I believe is pronounced Rusi, but nonetheless
it's Amish operated. I didn't know that they are Amish
in Russia, the Russian Amish. Right did you know about that? Okay, honestly,

(01:59:38):
did you know that? I had no idea.

Speaker 2 (01:59:42):
That's enough of that.

Speaker 1 (01:59:44):
Have you ever had that amased vodka? Now that let
me tell you something that's good living, Hey, Jake, I
go to the vacuum store. Really, okay again, I I
the vacuum repair joint. I mean, I listen, I want
any And that's the thing that's hard is the mom

(02:00:05):
and pop places. Now it's harder and harder to find them,
obviously understandably because people just like you mentioned, they go
on YouTube or they go wherever, and so I'm like, man,
it is hard to find a luggage repair place. Odd
as that may sound. And then but when they said
that six weeks before they can look at it, and

(02:00:26):
I thought, well, how many how many luggage pieces are
stacking up in this joint right? If it's a six
week delay, that seemed seemed lengthy to me. Big news
is the Pacers have given a contract extension to Aaron
Ni Smith. But that means Nie Smith in the mix

(02:00:46):
now in terms of when you're looking at Tyre's Haliburton
coming back, same too with Andren Mhardt, Pascal Siakam, and
you got to kind of align those things to talk
about that and more. He joins us now on the
Java House Peel and Poor Guests line. Of course you
see him on ESPN. He has been on this radio
show many a times. Has always appreciated NBA front office

(02:01:06):
insider for ESPN, Bobby Marks joining us, Bobby, I will
get first and foremost right to this meat of the matter,
and that is this Nie Smith deal. I think seems
even still like a bargain with him doubling his price
tag because I just think he's the kind of guy
that championship teams have a guy like a Nie Smith

(02:01:27):
that can Swiss army knife it a little bit but
it is a lot of money. Is it going to
be a deal by the time this deal is done.

Speaker 6 (02:01:36):
Yeah, I mean it's still a value deal. I mean
he still has two years left at eleven million dollars
per year and then this this doesn't kick in until
twenty twenty seven to twenty eight. I think you have
to you have to remember as the salary cap grows
so to the numbers, you know, it's going to be
comparable to the non taxman level exception, which is basically

(02:01:57):
the average players salary here. So it's it's a great
deal right now, it will be the deal will be
fine when he when it comes to cuation two years
from now. Now they get him on the contract for
about four years.

Speaker 1 (02:02:10):
How big a challenge is it for teams too? You know?
In other words, I realized that that playing the rules
of the salary cap, that's one thing, right. But but
but managing as Indiana is doing, Bobby, And you tell
me if I'm off base here, But it seems as
though Indiana is being very strategic and making sure that
they are aligning contracts to get players in prime at

(02:02:34):
the same time already locked in and not having to
deal with it, right how rare is it to be
able to pull that off.

Speaker 6 (02:02:40):
That's a great point. I mean, I think you know,
it's funny when when these new rules came into play
a couple of years ago, you know, everyone had pointed
to as a team that if there was a blueprint how.

Speaker 7 (02:02:51):
To build a roster.

Speaker 6 (02:02:53):
So let's remove Oklahoma City from the equation a little bit,
but to build a roster where you have, yeah, your
two main guys with Hay recent Pascal, and then you
have everyone that kind of fills in. Now, the question
was going to be what happens when you had to
pay players, whether it be Benedict matherin a year from
now and when contract came up. And they've done a

(02:03:14):
they've done a really good job. I mean they've they've
been extra aggressive with extensions. When you look at Nie
Smith and them, Hart Halliburt and McConnell all signing deals.
And what the CBA does is prioritize your own players,
and there's kind of a pecking order from a salary perspective,
and they've done a good job from a from a

(02:03:35):
now standpoint, but also looking forward to, like in you know,
the next two to three.

Speaker 1 (02:03:40):
Years, Bobby as you look at it with the pacers,
and there are a couple of other players I had
questions about, but I wanted your thought on this, knowing
that Halliburton is out, knowing that Turner now is in Milwaukee.
If you were Indiana we were talking about this earlier,
would you take this year as look, we're still going
to try to just maintain same high level so that

(02:04:02):
there's not as much a drop off. Or do you
take advantage of this year by seeing what you have
on a Johnny Furphy, by analyzing furthermore where Jaris Walker is,
by getting more minutes from Ben Shepherd, et cetera.

Speaker 6 (02:04:17):
Yeah, I think you know, especially with Rick, I think
you're you're probably going to see a little bit of
a longer leash with with some of those younger players,
the bench players that maybe the opportunity wouldn't be there
if you still had mild and Tyrish was health here.
And I think that's that's the beauty of it. When
there's nobody that's really expecting much from you. I think

(02:04:39):
in the Eastern Conference, it allows, especially this year, that
it will allow you to stay in it and then
you can kind of evaluate where your roster is going
to be probably some time in January February here, But yeah,
I do think it's going to be an opportunity. I
think the one I would say my one concern would
be your your your your depth at the guard position,

(02:05:00):
especially with the McConnell injury. You know, somebody you relied
a lot on last year, and you know I was
looking at with them Hart. You know, he's never averaged
a year where he's averaged more than thirty minutes per game,
and I think there's gonna be a little bit of
a workload him.

Speaker 7 (02:05:15):
So your death is.

Speaker 6 (02:05:17):
Going to be important as far as you know, how
this team goes this year, especially at the guard position.

Speaker 1 (02:05:23):
Were you surprised they did not offer extension to Benedict
Madaren And do you believe he will be a coveted
player if he hits free agency?

Speaker 6 (02:05:33):
Yeah, I wasn't surprised. I think for if you're Indiana
and you're gonna see it this year, I mean it's
kind of you know, it's gonna go one way or another.
I think there's an expanded role for him with the injuries,
whether it be starting or play significant minutes coming off
the bench. So I wasn't I wasn't totally surprised that
there wasn't a deal. And you know, don I always

(02:05:54):
say Ricky extension is the hardest things because from from
the team perspective, you're not competing against anybody. It's just
the Monday late in the day here. So I think
when he gets into restricted free agency, we saw this
past year that became pretty daunting for where the Josh
Gitties and Quinton Grimes and Cam Thomas and Jonathan Kaminga.

(02:06:14):
The market does get a little bit better next year,
but we haven't seen you know, we haven't seen a
team come in with a significant offer sheet in like,
you know, three or four years here. That might change,
but we'll see, well, you know that's Indiana will have
to weigh that when he gets into restricted free agency.

Speaker 1 (02:06:33):
Jade and Ivy, were you surprised by the fact that
Detroit did not extend him.

Speaker 6 (02:06:38):
I wasn't because he's just had his knee scope. He
came when he's coming off that injury.

Speaker 1 (02:06:44):
Last year.

Speaker 6 (02:06:45):
He just had the knee scope here. I think you
know him and Dorian, you know, as far as two
guys at work extension eligible, here's a team that is
expecting a lot out of especially for what they did
last year. So no surprise with with the IVY no extension.

Speaker 1 (02:07:00):
Who could be this year's Indiana in the East?

Speaker 6 (02:07:03):
Ooh, that's a good question. You know, I'm pretty high
in Toronto. I think the Raptors are intriguing to me
just because they went out and got Brandon Ingram at
the deadline. We never we haven't seen Brandon Ingram since
the days and New Orleans and your returner roster that
has Scottie Barnes and r J Barrett and Emanuel quickly
that Jacob Parnell that hasn't been relatively healthy here. They've

(02:07:26):
got the talent. I don't want to say, you know
a team that can get to the Eastern Conference finals
or an NBA finals, but I do think they have
the talent that they can sneak up on teams.

Speaker 1 (02:07:34):
Okay, Lastly, Bobby marks our guest ESPN. He's on the
Java House Peel and Port guest line. Lastly, Bobby Indiana.
At least from the Indiana standpoint, it felt like Rick
Carlisle's offense, the style that Indiana played and the pacing
and the wide open shooting ability they had suddenly became
like a like a game changer to the league. I

(02:07:56):
mean they were kind of a trendsetter in the pacing
in which they played. Can they sustain that and does
the rest of the league catch on to it?

Speaker 6 (02:08:05):
Yeah, I think you can sustain it. I think you
have an identity as far as certainly from from an
offensive standpoint here, the parts of the roster, of course
have changed. That's going to be the big question.

Speaker 7 (02:08:17):
As far as who you plug in.

Speaker 6 (02:08:18):
And I'm not talking about mem Hart or or Ben
Shepherd or you know players like that, but that that's
going to be the big thing is as far as
who who basically comes into an expanding role. Is going
today a bill to accept that different offensive responsibility.

Speaker 1 (02:08:38):
Bobby, appreciate the time as always, Man, it'll be here
before we know it Thursday night. From the Indiana standpoint,
Pacers and Thunder getting things underway, and then we will
be right into the thick of the NBA season. Appreciate
the time you got, Thanks, guys, Appreciate it. Bobby Mark's
joining us from ESPN on the Java House, Peel and
poor guest line. Interesting stuff there, especially Toronto. That one

(02:08:58):
surprised me a little bit.

Speaker 2 (02:08:59):
Yeah, I forgot what about them? Jane?

Speaker 1 (02:09:00):
You know a lot of people. Did you know why?
Caught in Blue Jays Mania? Like, I was up till
literally five am, five am. I don't know if i Eddie,
I didn't tell you this, but I have had a
bottle of.

Speaker 2 (02:09:16):
Scotch no wine or no, are you a wine guy?
I'm allergic to wine. Oh that's right, weird.

Speaker 1 (02:09:24):
I've had a bottle that I've been waiting to crack open,
and I was going to wait to the World Series.
But I did it last night. I did it last night, celebrating.
Was up late three forty eight in the morning, thought
to myself, pain, what not Champagne. I don't know if
you know, there's not but Champagne. Actually, no, no, Brandy.
Brandy is actually a certain kind of liqueur, but specific

(02:09:48):
to the Brandy region. I think that might Champagne might
be That might be true as well. Champagne is just
wine with bubbles, right, Isn't that right?

Speaker 2 (02:09:56):
Doesn't Champagne have to be from like Italy?

Speaker 1 (02:09:58):
I think Champagne has to be France, right from the
Champagne region. Actually, I think it's brandy that has to
be from the Brandy region. But nonetheless, I digress. So
last night, I've been waiting forever. I'm a diehard Blue
Jays fan. I have been for nearly eight weeks. I
loved him as a kid, loved the mid eighties teams,
loved the nineties teams. Don't call me bandwagon though, right,

(02:10:19):
And as you know, Eddie, I am partial to the
Roots clothing store. Unfortunately, I had a beautiful light blue
Roots T shirt that just says Roots Canada and that
didn't survive the great purge that I had five years ago.
So there's some guy walking around her a gal somewhere
wearing it, which is cool, right, I'm happy with that.

(02:10:40):
But last night, during my celebration by myself, mind you,
because no one else I know cares about the Blue Jays,
hold on worst bou bou was there, okay, but thickened
to the catnip okay. Oh yeah, so my statue on
the waist. So I'm celebrating right last night, And I've

(02:11:00):
had this bottle that I've been holding on to for years,
just specifically for a Blue Jays celebration, and I was
going to wait to the World Series, but I decided
to crack it open last night and half the I
went through half the bottle. Oh wow, half the bottle
pure maple syrup.

Speaker 2 (02:11:18):
Really, and let me tell you, is that why I
heard like the sticky noises coming over there when you're
trying to.

Speaker 1 (02:11:24):
Type of the well listen, now we're getting into some others,
but no here and here's the thing. Did have a
bit of a sugar crash, fell asleep for about an
hour and a half from that and then woke up
and stomach a little sensitive. But the maple syrup is fabulous,
and I mean literally just.

Speaker 2 (02:11:44):
Like Buddy the ELFs you put it on your chocolate
spaghetti with the.

Speaker 1 (02:11:49):
Fastest poor but it was great. Nonetheless, J ANDB is in.
I believe he's got a pretty awesome guest on the
program today speaking at college basketball and the Number one
and the Land. We will get the lowdown on his
show as we will hand it off to him as
part of the crossover, brought to you by the good
guys that love heating in air. Lovedash hvac dot com
is the website three one seven, three five three twenty

(02:12:11):
one forty one, over one hundred years in business and
official Hile Heating Cooling dealer. So now I'm super excited
because somebody points out that perhaps shock doctor, that those
bags were made by Ogo and therefore it could be
under warranty. I'm telling you, like, I'm a weird one
Eddie in the fact that.

Speaker 2 (02:12:31):
Well we already know if you're a weird one shake,
you don't have to have been that.

Speaker 1 (02:12:35):
If there's a product or like something that I like,
I'm all in and like, these bags are awesome, except
for like the material of the bag. I mean, it's awesome.
But my cousin and I when we were I was
rolling my bag through the airport and he was like, man,
I think you got a flat tire over there. And

(02:12:57):
literally I had the one wheel that was like and
once you hear that when you're pulling the bag through
like the marble floor of an airport, you never unhear it.

Speaker 2 (02:13:07):
Tell you what. We went grocery shopping on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (02:13:09):
Oh yeah, yeah, yea, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah.

Speaker 6 (02:13:11):
No.

Speaker 2 (02:13:12):
The quietest cart I think I've ever pushed, not a heap.

Speaker 1 (02:13:16):
You know they now have the carts with the magic
security wheel. You know about this, Oh yes, yes, it'll
it'll lock up on you. So I had recently I was.
I was shoplift, huh, but I had a huge item
on the bottom of the cart, and they checked to

(02:13:37):
make sure that you're not doing that. So as I was,
and I'm walking out, just humming along, and that bad boy.
So they have for those that are unfamiliar, they have
a camera up above. And then there's a guy. There's
a guy. And my understanding is, and I don't know
this for certain, but I've been told Judo, Alaska is

(02:13:57):
where this guy lives. And he's got a monitor all
around him and he does nothing that watches He's up
in the sky.

Speaker 2 (02:14:02):
Right, do you know that?

Speaker 1 (02:14:03):
What's that?

Speaker 2 (02:14:04):
Do you know that?

Speaker 1 (02:14:05):
But well played, it's the Capitol.

Speaker 2 (02:14:08):
Do you know that? I didn't know that.

Speaker 1 (02:14:09):
So at any rate, this fella is sitting there watching it.
And when you're leaving, if you have something on the
bottom of the cart, he radios down to the different
places around the globe. That's exactly right. He lets people
he talks too.

Speaker 2 (02:14:25):
Him for sixty four and Indianapolis sent to your local
whatever on your thirty third street.

Speaker 1 (02:14:31):
That's correct. So I'm humming out, just walking along, cruising,
mind of my own business, right, just cruising along. Listen,
to my favorite tune. And he's gonna say, this package
on the bottom of his shopping cart. And here's the thing.
He has the ability to lock your wheel. And it's

(02:14:53):
just one of them. So all of a sudden, you're
moving along and then one wheel goes funny on you.
And I'm not kidding you, it's a health risk. I
almost went flying over the cart. I'm like, what in
the world could.

Speaker 2 (02:15:07):
You imagine if like this family of five, or a
family of four, let's say, for it's mom, dad, two kids.
They're letting one of the kids push it's like ten
years old, and you get in there. Yes, you know,
there's nobody in the.

Speaker 1 (02:15:16):
Talk it's a kid takes off. Yes, they need airbags
on these things. I mean I and I'm like, what
in the world. And then this this woman comes out
and says, the eye in the sky sees that you have.
I think it was Is it a bottled water? A
kitty litter?

Speaker 2 (02:15:34):
So hold on, we can get eye in the sky
for a local grocery store, but we can't get this
in the freaking NFL. What are we doing here? Yes,
what are we doing here?

Speaker 1 (02:15:43):
You can get you can get grocery carts with wheels
that are locked by a guy in Juno. But you
apparently can't find somebody that could fix my go funny
wheel on my luggage. That's my thing, right, Yeah? What's
on the big game plan for you tonight, Eddie?

Speaker 2 (02:15:58):
Today is two Tuesday?

Speaker 1 (02:16:00):
Right it is?

Speaker 2 (02:16:02):
I'm not entirely sure what I've got planned for tonight.
That sounds exciting. I'll probably watch the kickoff of the
NBA season if I'm not probably truthfully here, You've got
two games to night, both on Peacock.

Speaker 1 (02:16:13):
Okay, I'm gonna guess. I'm gonna guess the pairings that
they are giving us. You ready, yes, yes, yes, yes.
I will go with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaker 2 (02:16:23):
That is one of the four teams playing.

Speaker 1 (02:16:24):
Okay, I will go with the Golden State Warriors, that is.

Speaker 2 (02:16:27):
Two of the four teams that are playing tonight.

Speaker 1 (02:16:29):
I will go with the Boston Celtics.

Speaker 2 (02:16:33):
That is not one of the four teams playing tonight.

Speaker 1 (02:16:36):
Oklahoma City Thunder that is.

Speaker 2 (02:16:37):
Three of the four teams playing tonight.

Speaker 1 (02:16:41):
Memphis Grizzlies. Negative, is this a team that are these
all interconference games? They are all four Western Conference teams? Yes,
so I'm missing one I have. I'm guessing Golden State
plays the Lakers, right, that is correct, that is the nightcap,
and then Oklahoma City, I'm gonna say is playing the
Dallas Mavericks no Houston Rockets, that is correct. Okay, h

(02:17:06):
Dallas is going to be really good.

Speaker 2 (02:17:07):
By the way, that'll be a fun one. That'll be
a fun team to watch, especially when they get Kyrie
back into the mix.

Speaker 1 (02:17:12):
Cooper Flag gonna play point point flag. Honestly, that's that's
like the rumor, right, is that Jason Kidd is going
to go that route in terms of the point guard play.

Speaker 2 (02:17:21):
Yeah, I'm not sure if I want him being my
point guard. There were times last year at Duke where
he would have trouble handling the basketball fair and that
was against college kids.

Speaker 1 (02:17:29):
And I mean he's what is he night? Is he
twenty now?

Speaker 2 (02:17:33):
He's something around that age, Joe.

Speaker 1 (02:17:34):
I mean, that's pretty remarkable. His level of skill and
you know, what he can do is pretty remarkable and impressed.

Speaker 2 (02:17:41):
James is your host here? He was, Oh he was here?

Speaker 1 (02:17:46):
That mean he leave studio oh tomorrow on the program.
By the way. Elliott Bloom, who I believe is going
to or I know what he is, he's, you know,
with basketball ops for Purdue, gonna join us. I think
tomorrow Matt Painter is going to join John today. So
plenty of talk about Purdue, but that's what happens when
you are number one in the country. Ralph Reef will

(02:18:08):
be joining us on Thursday on the show and will
probably do more.

Speaker 2 (02:18:13):
Just here he comes, Heja.

Speaker 1 (02:18:15):
Celebration, talking more and more about my Blue Jays and
the thrill and excitement. John has arrived.

Speaker 2 (02:18:21):
John.

Speaker 1 (02:18:22):
What time for Coach Painter today? Five o'clock for Coach Painter.
You know, I think Eddie needs to start playing either
is it EPMD with the crossover? Yeah, a hip hop
song or Bone Thugs in Crossroads something like that when
we come on. If you could equal to get that
happening little production value. I am a fan by the way,

(02:18:43):
the EPMD me too. Eric Sermon was in studio with
me like I was going to get some more dead Presidents, really.

Speaker 9 (02:18:49):
With DJ the late great DJ Indiana Jones Broughdy men.

Speaker 1 (02:18:53):
Studio with me. I probably have told you this story
no fewer than five thousand times, but still one of
the more surreal moments of my life was my junior
year in high school when Rap City. Did you ever
watch Rap City with City on USA? Yeah? Oh no,
Rap City was on bt BT.

Speaker 6 (02:19:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:19:09):
So the mayor in Rap City did their show from
North Central High School with Big Daddy Kane and Third Base.
That's great. It was unbelievable walking out of school and
it's like I was like Spaccoli in the hospital, like
you staying at Why I am now and just sat
there and watched and they came out. The Third Base
came out and gave the principal the gas face. It

(02:19:30):
was very surreal. You know what EPMD means, uh is
an Erican parish making dollars? Right? Correct? Well done, Well done, Jake?

Speaker 2 (02:19:41):
Did I love it?

Speaker 5 (02:19:42):
No?

Speaker 9 (02:19:42):
Eric Seriman was in studio. That's Eric of Eric Parrish
making dollars. But I've had MC Search on the show
before Search. Great Pete Nice was on the show and
that's they didn't like one another at that time. I
did Willie d Once from the Ghetto Boys, that's awesome,
and he said on the air. Don't get me wrong,
I didn't blow anybody his house up, but I know
people that did. Ghetto Boys the most underrated hip hop

(02:20:05):
band of all time.

Speaker 1 (02:20:06):
He's great, great, all right, John's up next. We will
be back with you at noon tomorrow. And I think
you're listening to a Quarry and Company

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