Best of Thursday 9/4: NFL kicks off TONIGHT!, Colts predictions + I GOTTA KNOW!

00:00 – 22:40 – Computers simulated the NFL season, Colts fans rank dead last in fan optimism heading into the season according to a poll in The Athletic, is the lack of optimism justified?, Daniel Jones’ personality, are fans overreacting?

22:41 – 37:30 – Zak Keefer of The Athletic joins us as the NFL kicks off tonight, his all-time favorite NFL theme, his latest article on why young QBs fail, the Ballard quote in the article and when the Colts SHOULD have drafted a QB in Ballard’s tenure, regret on the Buckner trade?, was it QB or bust in the Richardson draft for the Colts, what is NFL purgatory

37:31 - 49:14 - We play an NFL version of I GOTTA KNOW 

49:15 - 1:00:09 – WIBC’s Jason Hammer joins us in-studio to give us some plays for tonight’s NFL season opener, the Cowboys being +8.5 points against the Eagles, getting burned by Devonta Smith year in and year out, college bets, fake college IDs, Colts bets

Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the best of the Fan Morning Show
on ninety three five and one oh seven five The Fan.
You were listening to the Fan Morning Show on Sports
Radio ninety three to five and one oh seven five

(00:22):
The Fan.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Ah, Good morning and welcome to NFL season. Tonight Cowboys
Eagles kick it off. It'll be the Colts and the
Dolphins on Sunday afternoon over at Lucas Oil Stadium. Good morning,
and welcome into the Fan Morning Show with Kevin Bowen,
James Boyd, I'm jeff Rickard, Mark Dyton on the ones
and twos over there and on the eve of this season,
the ESPN simulator ran thousands and thousands of seasons in

(00:47):
kind of PUU altogether, and the biggest shock of all
of them it says both Super Bowl teams from last year,
Kansas City and Philadelphia missed the playoffs. I can't even
see that happening, regardless of what a computer says.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
I can't see that.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
By the way, that is my favorite intro of the
four stations that are a great, full tall game. So
Mark Dyton, thank you for kind of leading us off
with that. So what is this one out of a
thousand simulations as the Chiefs and the Eagles missing the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
He says, we're detailing the story of a single simulation
from ESPN's Football Power Index, which normally uses ten thousand
simulations to build its projections. To be clear, it's not
this person's prediction or ESPN analytics prediction. It's it's just
what a simulation said. The most interesting simulation they had
with both Super Bowl teams missing the play the.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
Colts winning the Super Bowl in that simulation.

Speaker 3 (01:39):
No, they did not have the Colts winning the Super
Bowl in that situation. The biggest thing I saw yesterday
from actual real you know poll. It was on your site,
James the Athletic. They did the optimism poll in every market.
Did you see that? How I did see this? How
optimistic teams are or fans are about their team moving forward.

(02:02):
Turns out people in Denver are wildly optimistic, way probably
overly so about their chance, but dead last thirty two
people in Indianapolis are not optimistic or hopeful about this
season at all. Dead last thirty two.

Speaker 4 (02:19):
Yeah, I think we've talked about this for the last
few months now. It's easily the most apathy I have
felt from the outside fan base if you want to
point to some tangible stuff, you know, crowds at Grand Park.
I think we're very very down TV ratings in the preseason,
very very down. So yes, in general, I think that's
where it's at. It was kind of sad, frankly. You know,

(02:41):
I posted a story yesterday from the Colts Complex of
you know, here we are Week one, and you know,
Wednesday news cycle in the NFL is usually one of
the busier days of the week, so it's always kind
of a preview piece for me and what's coming up
on Sunday. And the first response I got to that
story was beginning of the end starts on Sunday. And

(03:05):
you know, when you see that comment, obviously I'm like, damn,
that's the first response, Like isn't this supposed to be
like the most optimistic time of the year for anybody?
But you know, when I look at it and think
of myself, well, is it the beginning of the end,
there's probably some merit behind that sort of thought there. So, yeah,
you can change so much in the short term of
the win on Sunday, but yeah, headed end of the year,

(03:26):
I cannot recall the time.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
There's just this much. Yeah, here we go.

Speaker 4 (03:33):
Let's see what happens and see if carl Er, say
Gordon finally puts her hammer down it.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
And like I said, it's just you know, they call
it the NFL Hopometer, and they just pull a bunch
of fans in every market trying to figure out what's
going on. So, you know, like everything else, kind of
take it for what it's worth. But man, on the
optimism scale you had, you are you optimistic or pessimistic
about your season? Only seven percent of Colts fans in

(04:00):
this poll we're optimistic ninety three percent of them. James Boyd,
We're like, nah, it's not gonna go. Well, it's ninety You.

Speaker 5 (04:09):
Have to show them something to believe in. I mean
get it, it's rough, but I understand completely. We had
the listener I believe last week Jeff That texted the
station and said, I did not renew my season tickets
for the first time in over twenty years because this franchise,
in essence, has given me nothing to believe in. And
that is what they are fighting right now. And we

(04:32):
can talk about the x's and o's and the onfield
execution because that ultimately will determine how much fan interest
there is. But leading up to it, apathy is probably
the right feeling to have about a team that just
benched their quarterback that they drafted two years ago, who
by the way, had not played well. I mean, I
can't argue he set up here and say he should
not haven benched any capacity. But at the same time,

(04:53):
the guy you replaced him with got bench at his
lass stop. So there, I mean, it was kind of
a lesser of two evils.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
Well, and I go back to a week go today,
James and we are rec capin Chris Boward's press conference,
and you know, I think I said to you, guys,
I'm not overly like walking into that room expecting these
grand answers from Chris Ballard. There's only so much he
can say. Go back to the combine when he sat
down with us, why are you getting in the ninth year,
what's your greatest accomplishment so far as an NFLGM. The

(05:19):
answers are so sad and met with such hollow nature
of like, wait, that's I mean, I guess he's right,
but those are the answers. And you know, he said it,
I thought very succinctly last Wednesday. But very accurately when
continually asked about you know, hey, why should fans believe?

(05:39):
Why should fans believe? You know, he pretty much just said,
label they believe when you win, and if you don't,
they don't. And if you're not winning, you have to
have the young quarterback carrot. And right now you don't
even have the young quarterback carrot. So if if you're
gonna struggle, if you're gonna be three and thirteen and
nineteen ninety eight, you have the young quarterback at hand

(05:59):
new it this obviously this season doesn't have that right
here right now.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, it's hard to even see if they're gonna be
good two, three years from ten years.

Speaker 5 (06:09):
We're just looking at tomorrow ten years that division title.

Speaker 4 (06:13):
And I think there is just a general frustration of
people out there, specifically with ballad of if I did
that in my job, I wouldn't be here if those
results were in my job, you know. And again equating
NFL work to like your own work, probably a little
bit of not apples to apples the thing.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
But I always say, it's not like there are active
people at your office that are like smacking up side
the head to try and stop you from doing your job.

Speaker 5 (06:41):
No, I keep my hands out sales, you know, with
on furnits and moving up in here.

Speaker 6 (06:44):
No HR meeting, no H.

Speaker 3 (06:48):
I got this email. I think all of you got it,
but I wanted to point it out. Listener Jeff sent
us an email yesterday said, good morning. I wanted to
reach out and confirm the talk on the Morning show
about Colt's apathy. I was a Bills fan growing up,
and the Colts moved to to Indianapolis the year after
I graduated high school. I went to a game that
first year, in nineteen eighty four. I've been a fan
ever since. The last ten years under Ballard have been pathetic,

(07:11):
so I gravitated back to the Bills. My wife and
I recently retired. We moved to Florida. For my sixtieth birthday.
We purchased vib tickets in the second row in Buffalo
for a game this month. Between flights, tickets, hotel, etc.
It's a three thousand dollars weekend. We could have done
the same for a game in Indy for half the price.
But I'm so tired of hearing Ballard's blather. I've just
given up on them. I've met some other transplants here

(07:32):
in Florida who are basically the same mindset. I hope,
for the benefit of Indy that Jim's daughters understand. Once
fans get beyond anger at their team, apathy sets in
and they go somewhere else to route. I enjoy listening
to the show each morning, but there are a lot
of people that are like, to your point, guys, show
me something anything to you. You were just saying a
second ago, James, forget about three years from now, what's

(07:56):
Sunday going to look like.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
The best thing? In the realist thing I thought Chris
Baalor said in his post fifty three man roster cut
day news conference, which was about two guys that were
sow on the team ironically, was we have to win
people to believe. If we don't win, they won't believe.
It's as simple as that. You can try to sell
this plan, but your track record isn't great, so there

(08:20):
is no reason to take you at your word, especially
because you keep flip flopping your decision making. So ultimately
it comes down to wins and losses, and they will
certainly be judged by that. I think this year more
than any ever because you've put so many eggs in
the Daniel Jones basket. And again Anthony has struggled. He
is not someone I can sit up here and say, oh,
he was wronged by everyone, and you know this is

(08:41):
all somebody else's fault. No, he is ultimately the player
and ultimately falls on him why he didn't perform to
a higher level. But to bet on Daniel Jones is
a big risk. It's certainly a questionable decision, and now
you have to live with that if things go you know, awry.
Hopefully they go well in their case.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
And Kevin, I think a lot of people are just
the cults are stuck in purgatory. It's not like they're
going two in fifteen. It's not like they're going one
in sixteen. They're not in the top. They had the
fourth overall pick not that long ago, and to James point,
it hasn't worked out all that well. But it feels
to a lot of people like, great, we're just gonna
be seven and ten, eight and nine and picking fourteenth,

(09:19):
fifteenth or sixteenth every year.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
Yeah, and again We've probably beaten this drum for the
past X amount of months.

Speaker 5 (09:27):
And I'm going to beat it again.

Speaker 4 (09:29):
I'm joking, and the Colts haven't given us any reason
obviously in recent years to change that storyline. But you know,
there is a part of me it's like, all right,
tonight's opening night. Let's get to Sunday. You know, yes,
there is apathy with the twenty twenty five Colts. I
guess maybe that's breaking news, maybe it's not. But what
a Sunday look like? Because again, you have a golden

(09:50):
opportunity here at home the first two weeks. You're gonna
be favored in four of your first six. This is
probably the best skill group you've had in quite some time.
You have, I think, change the defensive system at least
to a point where you're giving yourself a better chance
on that side of the ball. How does it all
come together? And I guess let's start with Daniel Jones

(10:10):
for me. And you know, I think so much of
Shane Stikeen's thinking now is you know, the baseball analogy
we've used quite often has changed. It's no longer the
home runs and the self creation. It's the singles, the doubles,
the methodical passing game.

Speaker 3 (10:26):
James.

Speaker 4 (10:26):
I can't tell you how many times yesterday Shane Steikin
said in that press conference. Find completions, Yeah, find completions.
That is exactly what he said, probably four or five
different times about Daniel Jones, and it is you know,
there was one point he goes know where to throw it,
when to throw it, and how to throw it, And
it's just I actually thought he gave a little bit

(10:48):
more Daniel Jones color than we have gotten in prior
press conferences. It's not going to be flashy. I think
you have to take some shots down the field. That's
just my general thought. Obviously, the are going to have
to be very calculated. You're gonna have to Alex Pearce
is too good of a weapon not to use down
the field, you know whatever seven man sort of you know,

(11:09):
blocking schemes to try and take those shots by all means.
But this is going to be more of your dink
dunk hit guys in stride, hope they make plays after
the catch, stay ahead of the chains and see what happens.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
I'll take that stay ahead of the chains would be
a vast improvement from what we've seen in the last
couple of years, because teams that stay ahead of the
chains make a lot of first downs at the very least,
they make a lot of field goals and most of
the time they turn those into touchdowns. You stay ahead
of the change. You just keep moving, as Hank used
to say, matriculate right down the field. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (11:41):
I tell you, when I think there's a fine line
in the NFL between thinking you can grind out twelve
play eighty r drives four or five times a game,
I think that's pretty rare. I think you have to
sprinkle in some of the big playmaking. And honestly, and
I obviously speak out of this from a fan venom standpoint,
but I watch notre Name operating off and Sunday night
that was Horizontal's hell, that is going to be so

(12:03):
key for the Colts. You can't live in horizontal football.
Not there name through from more yard side to side
than they did up and down on Sunday Night. That
is a question I have for the Colts. How horizontal
is this passing game going to be? How many checkdowns
can you live with? Because it takes one drop, it
takes one little whatever Aaron throw and now all of

(12:23):
a sudden you're living in third and seven.

Speaker 3 (12:25):
And that's what I mean when I said, yeah, how
do you play off? Of that. And that's what I
mean when I stay stay ahead of the chains. Teams
that stay ahead of the chains are always in second
and two, second, three as opposed to second eight to nine.
They're in third and one as opposed to third and
nine all the time. That's staying ahead of the chains.

Speaker 5 (12:43):
Yeah, And to piggyback that point, I think the Cults
are not built to come from behind, whether that is
no chain wise or score wise. They're not a team
that I would trust to. If you fall in a
ten hole, can you come back and win that game?
I mean it was a running joke for me last
year every time they fell behind by more than one

(13:07):
score so and in that case it will be nine
points and more, I was like, oh, it might be
over and it could be the first quarter. Obviously the
fourth quarter wouldn't help you. But that's what they're up against.
I don't picture them being some super high powered offense
that can always kind of bring you back. You know,
we saw last year, even with that disastrous playoff game
for the Lions, there was still like some hope there

(13:27):
when they kept turning the ball over because I mean,
Ben Johnson was cooking, by the way, I know Mark,
you must be excited thinking about that, you know game,
because I was like, man, these guys have turned it
over three or four times, yet they're still scoring. They're
still in this game. It's not over just yet. That
is not the case for the Colts. They cannot get
in that position, and I expect them again to lean
on Daniel Jones to be the And I think the
line I use in one of my stories recently, or

(13:49):
I mean dropping here in the they or so they
chose Daniel's like the simplicity over the special. We will
take the you know, reliable simplicity over the sometimes spectacular.
And here is what it is.

Speaker 7 (14:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (14:03):
A couple other Jones questions I have how much will
they use his legs? He can definitely run, he can
definitely scoot a bit, but he has not been the
runner since the torn acl in twenty twenty three, twenty
twenty two, the season the Colts often point to is
a big reason why they gave him fourteen million and
are believing in him. He ran it a lot, and again,

(14:24):
what does that element of the offense look like. He's
not Anthony Richardson, but he certainly isn't Matt Ryan or
Joe Flacco. And then one thing that change staking has
done quite often and I think usually with pretty good success,
and I think it's a way to kind of counter
a defense. I would expect the Colts to use a
lot of tempo.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
You know.

Speaker 4 (14:43):
The Colts have definitely been a team that they love
to hurry up within a possession they get a big play.
In particular, they love to jump on a defense with
quick tempo. There, So are those some ways they can
counter maybe the lack of an explosive in nature. I
did have I have to. If you didn't laugh, you're
gonna cry. Yesterday in the locker room, James, I don't

(15:04):
know if you caught this, but you know, quarterbacks speak
on Wednesdays. The Colts try to divide it up, like
today's to Forest Buckner and Jonathan Taylor's day Wednesday, it's
usually quarterbacks. I think Zaia Franklin's usually a Wednesday guy,
Kenny Moore usually a Wednesday guy. And in past years
I feel like for the most part, Richardson and Flacco
they would speak pretty much right as the locker room
availability is opening up. It's open for about thirty forty minutes.

(15:26):
Daniel Jones was not talking right away, so you know,
the media is making their way around the locker room,
and at one point Zaara Franklin shout out to Zia Franklin,
by the way, you once again will be raising forty
four dollars for every tackle he has. This is going
to go to the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis
here this year, Coca Cola is going to match that.
I think last year they raised over sixteen thousand. So
a great work by Ziah Franklin with that. But at

(15:48):
one point early in the Zire Franklin press conference, you
all of a sudden had Daniel Jones walk in, So
all of a sudden you got you know this wrong
of media making their way from Ziah Franklin over to
Daniel Jones. And James thought about Ziah Franklin on his
podcast last year make a joke about wanting to play
Daniel Jones and the New York Giants.

Speaker 5 (16:09):
Yes, and the clip someone actually tagged me in it
last week is a fellow captain with Daniel Jones, and
he is the quarterback.

Speaker 3 (16:18):
Zire Franklin like, it's amazing that this is happening.

Speaker 5 (16:24):
So you think that that is the first thing you say, hey, man,
you know, I'm sorry about what I said.

Speaker 3 (16:28):
I mean, don't you have to.

Speaker 5 (16:31):
No, I don't know if you have to, I might
just keep moving.

Speaker 6 (16:35):
I don't know he's moving.

Speaker 5 (16:36):
Daniel Jones, Well, he asks with us. I don't know
if he's even seen the clip, So maybe you just
take that to the grave a little bit. But I
am curious to see how Zaier's media appearances go this year.
I know he's just joined the five to twenty podcast
with Jeff Tigue another uh, well, I can't say another
because Zayer will tell you he's from Philly, but another

(16:59):
Indianapolis based athlete, you know, Jeff Tigue, a former pacer.
But that weekly appearance.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
They don't hold back on that podcast.

Speaker 5 (17:07):
But I know, and I'm thinking, just whatever you do,
you can't us in all seriousness, we truly can't. Yeah,
I don't know. So Mark's gonna have to hit the
dumb button a couple of times playing those clips. But
in all seriousness, some of the drama we saw last
year with Zaire and Pat McAfee and Zaire in the
comments putting his foot in his mouth a few times,

(17:27):
that can't happen again. That can be a conversation you're
having for a guy who is a team captain for
I believe the fifth and sixth time in his career.

Speaker 4 (17:33):
I do want to share this from Brad. Brad chimes
in here on the text line he goes, this is
the best roster ballots put together in his tenure. Fans
are just pissy because Richardson wasn't picked as the starter,
which was the right decision. If are On's a job
and he's get better and earn it, I'm optimistic about
this season. I do think there is some truth in
Brad's statement of you know, we can continue to do
what we did for the first ten minutes right there

(17:54):
and talk about the apathy like, yes, we're breaking news.
There is apathy about this cult season. It's probably more
big picture apathy than anything. But if you do want
to live in the short term bubble, I think there
are some things on this roster that you can point
to and have optimism about. And again, you play in
the AFC South and you know you've won eight nine
games the last two years. So if you're a little

(18:17):
bit better at catching the football, if you're a little
bit better at quarterback, and you're a little bit better
on defense and field goals does eight and yeah, sure,
field goals it does eight, nine become you know ten.

Speaker 3 (18:28):
Now, of course, don't say that. Mark will have you
saying twelve wins by a week and a half from now.

Speaker 4 (18:34):
Now. Of course, the flip side of that is and James,
you pointed this out earlier in the week. All your
wins last year by one score. And the last time
this team beat quality quarterback, you know, James Boyd was
still in Champagne. So that is an act.

Speaker 5 (18:49):
No, no, this is this is Chiefs a razor. My
first year on the beat, they got him at home.
I remember that game.

Speaker 4 (18:55):
I mean, if you look at it full tires, you know,
Lamar Jackson week three of the twenty twenty three season.
You look at the quarterbacks they've beaten since then, it's
one of the more pathetic lists you'll see. So I
get it, and you know there is some reason to say,
you know what, Tyler Warren, Okay, oh wow, they finally
invest in the secondary. Oh okay, the defense isn't going
to be an elementary ish type scheme. I understand that.

(19:16):
Big picture though, Where is that light at the end
of the tunnel?

Speaker 5 (19:20):
Also, how tough will you be that has been a
big factor for Shane Stychen and want to create more
of an edge. You mentioned having four hundred more plays,
you know, with team periods throughout training camp that he
had the year before. Will that help you finish? Because
I think that is one of the things that we
haven't seen from this team, especially as of you know,

(19:42):
the more recent years. They can't finish games and they
can't finish seasons. Every year they're right there and it's like, Okay,
what's going to go wrong this time? How are you
going to beat yourself? How are you gonna let some
team that shouldn't you know, have a chance to beat
you embarrass you? I mean last year with the Giants game, Yeah,
they want the brink and they're probably gonna missed the
playoffs anyway at that point. But you cannot have a

(20:03):
performance like that when everyone knows if we lose this game,
it's over, and you go out there and let Drew
Locke look like prime Eli Manning or something like that.
So that that, to me is one of the things
I'm very curious to see. Is all of us talk
about toughness, tenacity, edge, Will it transfer to you winning
and not just winning, but winning in perhaps like ugly ways,

(20:23):
you know what I mean, Like it doesn't have to
be pretty. You just got to get up, you know,
one more point the other team?

Speaker 3 (20:27):
Two through nine, ten, seventy is the text line sus
number calling if you want to be a part of
the show. And Harrison from the South Side has a
question for everyone. Is it possible the Colts will be
a top ten offense and a bottom ten defense. Best
skilled position group in a long time, but secondary is
banged up and long in the tooth in some places.

Speaker 5 (20:47):
He's just carrying them to such a funny phrase, everybody's
over twenty nine, Little dentsher is coming too. I don't
think that that bad, is it? But I can't I
really probably can't see either one. I mean, the defense
has been bottom ten the last couple of years. Actually
I want to say there might have been bottom ten
every year when it comes to points allowed per game

(21:09):
during the Gust Bradley three year era. But I can't
see them in a top ten offense.

Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yeah, I mean, Taylor would probably have to lead the
league in rushing. It was something he would have to
ball out. He'd have to be like all Pro in
my opinion, and you know, that aspect, I think is
one that you look to and okay, can that be
an elite element? I mean last year Taylor was damn
good in this three games, so you know.

Speaker 5 (21:29):
But Denver happened and now people don't care anymore. But yeah,
sure I agree with you. He was batling pure numbers.
Oh absolutely, you know are there for this team. We
did get a text here at James I forget was
carl orce Gordon. Was she on the sidelines during the preseason.
That's a great question. I did not think to check that.

Speaker 3 (21:46):
I know she was up in the booth in the
last game because she was doing her interview there.

Speaker 4 (21:49):
But I on the sideline, and I think she had
told I don't know, maybe it's JJ's tinkab, it's from
the Colts. I think she had said at some point
she probably won't be on the sideline. I don't know
if that's already to be here week one. But again,
her father and the ring of honor coming up on
Sunday for those in attendance, you will get for the
boss T shirts and it sounds like the Colts will

(22:10):
honor Jimmersey in a couple other ways. To be announced
here before Sunday at one o'clock.

Speaker 3 (22:14):
All right, looking forward to all that coming up. At
a moment, we'll take a look ahead to week one
in the National Football League, just outside even what the
culture doing, what are the other divisional opponents doing? And
some other key games as well. We've got I've got
a note today, a special one at football related. What
do we got Mark today?

Speaker 6 (22:30):
Not spoiling it now?

Speaker 3 (22:31):
Okay, thanks too, all right, I was gonna cheat a
little bit there and see where you're headed. But it's
all straight ahead here as we continue on ninety three
to five and one seven five the f I know
it's Thursday night, Mark Dyton, but this is the one
for me, and this is the soundtrack of the NFL

(22:51):
and my youth on Monday and night, everybody cleared their schedule.
It did met if you had homework, you got that
thing done and out of the way, and my mom
and dad, god bless him, would let me stay up
to watch all of Monday night football as a kid.

Speaker 5 (23:07):
Loris, this does give me goose bumps.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
Though. It was awesome every time. And they went away
for a while and then they finally brought it back
and those were lean Monday Night football years when they
went away from but they were doing crazy things. Remember
the Dennis Miller experiment and all that kind of stuff.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
But any Hornheiser on there.

Speaker 3 (23:24):
Yeah, they were trying everybody everywhere. We have somebody rock
solid though, that we're happy to join. Have joined us
all the time. Zach Keifer, terrific writer from The Athletic,
kind enough to spend a few minutes with us this
morning here on the Fan Morning Show on the Payless
Liquors Hotline. Your all time favorite NFL theme, Zach Kiefer.

Speaker 7 (23:42):
Is I just heard it.

Speaker 6 (23:45):
Yeah, I'm with you.

Speaker 7 (23:46):
That's the one man.

Speaker 3 (23:48):
There we go. I knew I like Zach Keifer.

Speaker 4 (23:53):
Zach, excellent work on your piece in The Athletic of
why and I should probably look up the exact title,
but basically why young quarterbacks fail in the leagues, particularly
high picks. The amount of voices you got, the gravitaze
of those voices I thought really stood out to me.
Honestly my favorite anecdote. And boy I tried to say

(24:13):
it to Jeff and James yesterday and they both looked
at me like I was an idiot. I love the
Matt Hasselbeck builders and realtors. Analogy from yesterday that you shared.
It kind of compared to scouts and coaches of you
know sometimes, yeah, they're in the same business, but they've
got different sorts of agendas and what they want to
look for in a particular player. Was there a particular

(24:36):
anecdote or an analogy that you heard, because there are
a ton of them throughout. Peyton Manning had one as
well that you really enjoyed in your piece.

Speaker 7 (24:44):
Yeah, I mean I didn't know. I mean Peyton, I
almost felt like Peyton's therapist at times, and I certainly
felt like Alex Smith's therapist. If you read the story,
he kind of details how dark it was his first
couple of years in San Francisco. Seven coordinators in seven years.
He had to yell towards the side line as a
rookie to ask the coaches if he could get into shotgun.

(25:04):
He was watching film alone. He was basically a huge
imposter syndrome, just waiting for the team to realize they'd
made a huge mistake. But the signature moment for me
in this entire project, it obviously started with a Kevin
O'Connell quote. The Vikings coach said last year on the
Rich Eisen Show, organizations fail young quarterbacks before, organizations before,

(25:24):
young quarterbacks fail organizations. Right, So that's how it started.
So I asked a bunch of quarterbacks about what it's
really like as a rookie. In my mind, Andrew look
was as good as I've ever seen a rookie quarterback play.

Speaker 2 (25:37):
Right.

Speaker 7 (25:38):
J Strod was excellent two years ago. Jay Daniels was excellent.
It doesn't matter. They were all really really good. It's
very rare. And Andrew paused for a long time after
I asked him that question what it was really like
in twenty twelve, and he said, you know, it was
everything you think it was in terms of the stress
and the pressure, and then you pour some gasoline on it.
And I told that to Kevin O'Connell and he was

(26:00):
silent for a couple seconds, and he said, that validates
everything I've ever thought about the position. If that guy
who was as ready, as polished, as prolific as any
rookie quarterback coming in the league we've seen in twenty years,
if that guy thinks it was really hard and he
was swimming above water, then imagine how hard it is
for the rest of them.

Speaker 5 (26:21):
So you know me Zach as the resident hater. I'm
looking at Kevin O'Connell like, Okay, you've talked all this
big game JJ McCarthy bet, and i's think this year,
I'm have questions about this whole process. But no, I
do wonder though he's talked the big game, and obviously
we've seen some of his work more recently, obviously with
Sam Darnold. But that is a question I have, is, Okay,
what does it look like now when you have to

(26:43):
start over to a degree this year? But looking at
it from an organizational standpoint, you know, what was it
like to get so many players to open up from
that perspective and kind of reveal why they believe it
wasn't just their fault, Because I think that's the easy
route right even right now, Indianapoli is a lot of it,
and I still think the majority of the probably falls

(27:03):
on Anthony Richardson. But it's so easy to say it's
his fall because he didn't perform.

Speaker 7 (27:08):
Yeah, let's go back to the combine and I think
I was sitting next to you in the stands at
Lucas Oil, James. This was two years ago when the
Colts had the number of four overall pick. We were
about twenty twenty five rows up from the field and
I remember seeing Shane stiking down there with Jim Bob
Cooter his OC saying had just been hired. Everybody knew
they were picking a quarterback. As I wrote in the story,
it was basically an ultimative. So what happened that day

(27:30):
at the combine? Anthony Richardson stole the show right. He
threw at seventy five yards, He did a backfliff afterwards,
the crowd was going crazy. He won the Underwear Olympics.
What was the other thing that happened that day that
was way more impressive? DJ Strad was the best quarterback
on the field. I remember this was way more accurate.
And I remember walking out of there and all people

(27:52):
were talking about was Richardson, and I remember being like,
did you see the throws? Like the throws matter? And
so you know, that scene stuck to me and you're right,
like a lot of this is on the quarterback, and
I'm not gonna omit the quarterback, and I don't want
my piece to sort of excuse the blame. And that's
something Matt Ryan said. He also apologized to the ball
State fans for taking a shot and the story. But

(28:16):
you know, Matt was like, the first thing he said
was like, well, wait a minute, it's on the quarterback too,
and a lot of these guys just don't know it.
But I think there is certainly a level of responsibility
with the organization from the minute they get into town
to help them develop as a quarterback. The thing that
bugs me and that bothers me, and that really surprises
me is that I've had this conversation with Chris Ballard

(28:37):
four years, four years before they even drafted a quarterback,
on the fact that it's not just drafting the dude,
it's having a plan once they get into town. And
the Colt have still screwed this up royally, leading us
to this moment now where essentially they're hitting the reset
button with their twenty three year old quarterback.

Speaker 4 (28:56):
It's why you, frankly have an athletic subscription. The Bust
files How NFL teams break young quarterbacks. Wonderful, wonderful job
by Zach Kiefer on this piece. He's with us here
on the payloss Slickers hotline. Zach the Chris Ballard quote
and there are multiple ones in there, but I thought
one that stood out because I don't recall him saying
this about it's easier to find one being a young quarterback.

(29:19):
It's easier to find one when you've got one. He
referenced Alex Smith Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. He referenced
Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson and Baltimore. Those are back
to back drafts. When do you think the Colts could
have done that or should have done that? And I
know I'm asking you to put on some twenty twenty
hindsight glasses.

Speaker 7 (29:39):
So this is the one I always go back to
TV and it doesn't add up, and it probably couldn't
have happened, but this is what they should have done.
They should not have traded the first round pick in
twenty twenty to the San Francisco forty nine ers to
get to Forest Buckner, who has been a terrific player.
They should have tried to move up and go get
Justin Herbert that year, and it would have taken a

(30:01):
little bit. I think he went number six overall, right
behind Tua, but that's when you do it. They wanted
to lean on patients, They wanted to go get Philip
Rivers for a year. They probably thought two and that
was fine, and Rivers was really good. He's been the
best of the post luck quarterbacks, I think. But the
reality is they were too patient. They were too patient,
too patient, and they didn't have one. And that quote

(30:23):
is I never heard Balance say that either. That was
so fascinating to me. That's what you would tell Ersay.
It's easier to find one when you've got one. And
you guys know this from being in those conversations with
Ballard and Ersay for years. The pressure ratcheted up. I'll
never forget being on Ersay's balcony in Arizona at the
owners meetings and we were asking about Lamar Jackson, who

(30:44):
wanted out of Baltimore at this time, and it didn't
seem like a logical thing that we ever going to
go get Lamar, and Ursay said, I want my own.
He wanted his own. He wanted to draft one. The
decision was made they were going to draft one at four.
And the crazy part is if they didn't get Richardson.
You remember they said they were going to draft Richardson
number one overall. If they had that pick, Now, maybe

(31:06):
that's just exaggeration, and maybe that's just something you say
after the draft, but that's a ridiculous consideration at this
point in time. But secondly, Ersay said after the draft, well,
if Richardson wasn't there, we would have just gone Levis.
It was quarterback or else. And that is a bad
way of doing things because Richardson has already been benched twice.
Levis has been benched. And honestly, if they're going to

(31:29):
have great futures in this league, chances are they're not
going to come with a team that drafted them.

Speaker 5 (31:35):
Zach, I do want to clarify this point. I know
you mentioned the story that Ersay pushed for Anthony rich
Is going to play earlier, and I guess the clarity
I'm looking for is some of the reaction is, oh
my gosh, why is he saying that now? Reporting this now,
you know, it makes it seem like Jim Ersay was
the one calling all the shots. But how involved was

(31:56):
he in that decision? And also how much did the
other players in that party have a chance to maybe
voice their opinion, i e. Shane psych and Chris Ballard.

Speaker 7 (32:07):
Yeah, I mean this, we reported this that first A
didn't order them to play Anthony Richardson by any means,
he wanted to see the kid play. He's on the
record saying he's got to play. He was in the
camp of, yeah, he only played thirteen college games. How
do you grow? You grow by playing right? And that
was a lot of people what they thought at the time.

(32:28):
I think I was in the pretty strong minority thinking
he needed to fit because he just didn't have enough
college experience. I mean, Peyton Manning stunk as a rookie,
thought he was going to get bench six quarters into
his career and that dude played forty eight college games.

Speaker 6 (32:43):
Forty eight.

Speaker 7 (32:44):
And the other part of this that I talked abaat
about this is Richardson did not grow up like a
lot of these quarterbacks grow up. I'm not saying it's
right or wrong, but you know, he wasn't in all
the camps and he wasn't like a top prospect growing
up despite all of his physical talent. So there was
a maturation process that's going to need to happen once
he gets to the pros. And it's just studdying to

(33:05):
me because Shane Steichen threw him in there after one
preseason game. They named him the starter and Ballard let
it happen. And I think both of them, if they
could go back in time, would alter that decision and
have him sit beside behind Gardner Minshew. And it's just
it's easy to say it now, but you know that's
kind of what Ballard was saying was the hardest thing

(33:26):
is oftentimes the right thing is often the hardest thing
to do in the moment. And they cowered. Really like,
the hardest thing to do at that moment is to
tell the fans wait, this guy needs to wait, he
needs to sit. I know you're going to be mad.
I know we're going to have this Lamborghini on the
sideline that we're not going to get out there, but
we need to wait. And Ballard, which is he had
done that, but he said, look like the only way

(33:48):
you learn these lessons is by going through it. And
so we'll see if they can get it right now.
I don't think it's too late. Richardson's still twenty three,
But this was not simply an urs A decision to
play him in twenty twenty three.

Speaker 5 (34:00):
Why don't you think it's too late, because I think
it is to a degree. You've benched him twice now
through the first three years and there's no clear plan
for his future here. I know they keep saying they
believe in him, but on the flip side, he also
has to believe in them.

Speaker 7 (34:17):
Good question, James. I thought your story detailed where his
hat is at pretty well yesterday. Because this has been
a roller coaster, right, This has been a roller coaster
for him. It'll be interesting to see how he responds.
But sometimes young quarterbacks need this. Sometimes they need this,
they need a humbling, They need to sit and watch.
I honestly believe the Colts think to get Anthony Richardson

(34:40):
close to his ceiling if he ever gets there in
this league. I think the Colts and by that I
mean Shane Styken and Chris Ballard believe he gets there
if he sits this season, if he sits and watches.
I just think it'll be the best thing. They think
they'll be the best thing for the long term prospects
of his career. Who's the Colts quarterback next, Like, I

(35:01):
don't have a clue. It could be anybody. It could
be Jones, it could be Richardson, it could be Riley Leonard,
it could be anybody. That's that's the that's the unknown
right now. And I think Richardson plays this season at
some point based on the last couple of years and
how they've gone. They've played multiple quarterbacks every year since
I can remember, except maybe going back to the Carson

(35:21):
Wentz year, and so I think that's where we're at
right now with him. Is this team is the future
is very murky, and there's very much an open door
at that position. And I think there's no reason why
Richardson won't be competing for the starting job next year
unless Daniel Jones just balls out all season, which I
don't think very many people in Indianapolis outside the Colts
building think is going to happen.

Speaker 3 (35:44):
What happens if this team goes nine to eight and
Daniel Jones is okay and maybe in a few games
Anthony Richardson plays and he's okay.

Speaker 5 (35:53):
Now what?

Speaker 7 (35:56):
Yeah, man, that's Jeff. Is that not the worst situation
for this team? Right?

Speaker 4 (36:01):
Like?

Speaker 7 (36:01):
Do you run it back? Do you? Like, remember you
got a GM on the hot seat? Depending on what
Carl Ersay thinks you've got to coach? Maybe in the
same realm, I'm not so sure on him, Like do
you run it back? Is mediocre okay, Carl Ersay's words,
mediocre is not okay. They're tired of running in circles.

(36:24):
This team is tired of being mediocre in a mediocre
division and missing out on the playoffs. I think a
home playoff game would matter a lot. I think that
would matter a lot. That would mean a division championship,
that would mean that streak is over, and a home
playoff game was very important to jim Ercay. That's how
he measured the barometer of like success, Like that's the

(36:46):
first thing. If you want to have a successful season,
the first step is to host a home playoff game.
You do that by winning the division. If this team
does that, I think suddenly the door opens to running
it back. Maybe that's not the long term play they
but I just feel like, considering they've come short of
that so many times doing things the other way the

(37:07):
last couple of years, I feel like that would finally
feel like some momentum in January instead of the last
couple of years, Whi's been utter disappointment, confusion, and failure.

Speaker 3 (37:19):
Always good to talk to you, Zach. Keep working hard.
I'm glad the athletic lets you do your thing. Man,
We appreciate it. We always like reading it and thanks
for coming on.

Speaker 7 (37:27):
Great work exactly on a good note. Thanks guys.

Speaker 1 (37:39):
As you were listening to a fan morning show on
Sports Radio ninety three to five and one oh seven
five the Fan fairly.

Speaker 3 (37:47):
New and this is Amazon Mark.

Speaker 8 (37:49):
Yeah, I was gonna say this is the newest of
the bunch. This is thursdayight football on Amazon Prime.

Speaker 3 (37:53):
But not tonight because it's the season.

Speaker 6 (37:55):
Open, right, there's confusion.

Speaker 8 (37:57):
Yes, it is on NBC and then tomorrow night this
game will be on YouTube and YouTube TV.

Speaker 3 (38:02):
There you go to figure.

Speaker 6 (38:04):
That all out.

Speaker 3 (38:04):
Now you're updates. I might be just as well. I'll
probably be dual screening it with the fevered of mind
because I do need to win that basketball game. We'll
talk more about that later. Kevin, you were mentioning trade.

Speaker 5 (38:16):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (38:16):
I don't even know what we'd call it, just talk
about Anthony Richardson, if something might happen in the future
or whatever. What were you referring to.

Speaker 4 (38:22):
Yeah, So ESPN's Jeremy Fowler Dan Grasiano had this report
and kind of a week one buzzying news update, if
you will. Derek Jackson, Richardson's agent, did meet in person
with Chris Boward again. We had heard from Stephen Holder
that there are just some questions about, you know, a
question of trust from the Richardson camp with the cult organization.

(38:46):
But they met in person last week with Chris Boward
to clear the air. Jackson again he is. Richardson's agent
called the meeting very constructive and just a chance for
the sides to let feelings be known. Though a trade
was not requested, the topic was broached in the meeting.
Ballad reinforced Indy has no plans to trade Richardson still
believes in the quarterback. Richardson isn't making any ways. He

(39:07):
will remain professional, backing up Jones and maintaining his readiness.
A part of the camp's frustration is that all parties
acknowledge patients would be required when Richardson was drafted. So
that update from ESPN Jeremy Faller, Dan Graziano, all.

Speaker 3 (39:22):
Right, well keep an eye on all that. Mark. In
the meantime, I know you've as always you got You're
wondering about a lot of things all the time. We're
here to help you out.

Speaker 1 (39:32):
He's got questions. How about a game they've got answers.
They I'm more of a you know, a corn hoole
man myself, sports music, movies, what high fashions be?

Speaker 5 (39:43):
Hands all so hot right now and.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
Everything in between. You're unders foot with four to two.

Speaker 1 (39:49):
It's time to get a glimpse into the mind of
Mark Dyke.

Speaker 5 (39:52):
Didn't stop it. You scaring me.

Speaker 3 (39:55):
It's time for I gotta know.

Speaker 5 (39:57):
Okay, you punk, I want a good clean fight. Let's
get it off.

Speaker 3 (40:04):
Well, Mark Teton, you are off and running here on
a Thursday morning, day one of the twenty twenty five
NFL season. What have you got?

Speaker 6 (40:12):
All right? Boys? Well we're talking all NFL. Look at
this little NFL theme going on here.

Speaker 8 (40:16):
All right, let's talk NFL. Let's go through it right now.
I need division winners in the AFC. Let's go around
the horn. Let's start the AFC North. I have the
Ravens winning the AFC North. Kevin, what about you?

Speaker 4 (40:28):
I'll go Bengals.

Speaker 3 (40:29):
Yeah, I'm gonna go Bengals as well. There's gonna be
a Joe Burrow type year.

Speaker 5 (40:35):
It's Joe Burrow type year every year and they still
do not win the division. Shout out to the Ravens
while I'm picking, don't have a defense.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
What are you doing? All right?

Speaker 8 (40:42):
AFC East Buffalo Bills. I see them still owning that division.

Speaker 3 (40:46):
They're the next iteration of the New England Patriots up
there is gonna be a while.

Speaker 5 (40:50):
Yeah, I can't pick against the Bills. That rest of
that division kind of thinks.

Speaker 6 (40:54):
Yeah, I am.

Speaker 4 (40:56):
Curious what New England will do with Drake May and
Mike Rable. You know, I thought showed some things late.

Speaker 3 (41:01):
They're the second best team in that division. Yeah, I
don't know.

Speaker 4 (41:04):
I don't know if I'm ready to write off Miami
just yet, but yes, I will go with Buffalo.

Speaker 6 (41:09):
Uh AFC South.

Speaker 8 (41:11):
I'm going to be you know, I'm gonna be late
to the party of the Colts finally get the division wins.

Speaker 6 (41:16):
I'm gonna say the Texans.

Speaker 4 (41:18):
Yes, indeed, Houston Texans for the third straight year.

Speaker 5 (41:22):
I gotta go Texans. Quarterback play has determined a lot
in the division last few years, and they had the
best quarterback. Simple as that.

Speaker 3 (41:31):
I've said ten wins Colts, No Boys go Alright, you're
part of that seven percent of ultimately pessimistic Colts fans
over there.

Speaker 5 (41:41):
No, I thought that was n I thought ninety three percent. Yeah,
you're what's your reasoning there, Jeff, give us some points
here that we should be using his optimism.

Speaker 3 (41:48):
I think the rest of the division sucks. I think
other than quarterback, it's a tur.

Speaker 6 (41:52):
I like that.

Speaker 3 (41:54):
I'm liking the look. I like what they've done on defense.

Speaker 4 (41:57):
Do you think Houston sucks? Really about to say?

Speaker 3 (41:59):
What? Okay?

Speaker 5 (42:02):
Hey, this is what you're saying?

Speaker 3 (42:04):
Okay? I would ask more of the why on why
does Houston suck? Versus Yeah they didn't. Did you see
him last year? They weren't burning out. Anything sucks is overboard,
But I don't I like the Colts to finally win
more games than they lose within the division. I do
think they'll start off too and one in the first

(42:25):
three weeks of this season. You can all laugh at
me later, but that's where I'm at.

Speaker 5 (42:29):
No, I don't mind the decision, but man, the reasoning. Brother,
this is like me giving like a speech when project.

Speaker 3 (42:36):
I'm trying to move it along. But if you want,
I love what they've done defensively. I like that they've
ad the draft pick that they made this year on
the edge. I know to step forward this year. I
believe that the offensive line is capable, and they have
one of the best running backs behind them. And I'll
say this about Daniel Jones, just don't screw it up.

Speaker 5 (42:56):
We go all right, up, those are receiving, don't.

Speaker 6 (43:01):
We know that? All right?

Speaker 5 (43:02):
AFC, AFC West.

Speaker 8 (43:04):
I'm saying the Chiefs until otherwise notified Chargers.

Speaker 6 (43:09):
Like that.

Speaker 5 (43:10):
If you think I will pick against Taylor Swift, You've
got another thing coming.

Speaker 4 (43:15):
Kelsey moved like me in the Super Bowl dision.

Speaker 3 (43:18):
How many division titles do you think Kansas City has
won in a row?

Speaker 4 (43:21):
Now, I'm gonna guess seven nine?

Speaker 5 (43:23):
Is it really ninefomes?

Speaker 7 (43:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (43:26):
Alex Smith, Baby.

Speaker 3 (43:28):
They have owned that division. I think Denver's and and
look the Chargers have gotten better too. I think both
teams have gotten better. But they're not Kansas City good yet.

Speaker 5 (43:36):
I'm they're picking against some Homes or again, Taylor Swift.

Speaker 6 (43:39):
All right, let's.

Speaker 8 (43:40):
Get three wild card teams in the a f C.
I'm going Bengals, Chargers, Broncos, Ravens.

Speaker 4 (43:52):
Got the Colts at nine and eight. Is nine and
eight enough In the a f C. You're gonna have
to win some tie breakers, Yeah, I think so, I'll
go Ravens, Broncos, Patriots.

Speaker 3 (44:04):
All right, I picked the Colts to win the division,
so I will go Broncos, Texans, Ravens.

Speaker 8 (44:12):
Those crappy Texans are making the playoffs.

Speaker 5 (44:15):
I'm gonna go Bengals, Broncos and maybe Dolphins.

Speaker 6 (44:24):
Okay, all right, that's interesting there. I like that. Like
Morgas board, we got there.

Speaker 5 (44:28):
I know that's a beautiful part of the NFL.

Speaker 3 (44:30):
Though they got too.

Speaker 5 (44:31):
If he can stay healthy, maybe they can do something.
We'll see, all right.

Speaker 8 (44:34):
NFC North, I've got the Detroit Lions. Despite all the
losses and the coaching staff, they still find a way.
They still have that offense humming with Jared Goff and
aman Ross, Saint Brown and all the engineer Gibbs and whatnot.
The Lions will still take the NFC North Packers, Kevin,
come on.

Speaker 4 (44:50):
Losing the coordinators for the Lions. I think it's a
very underrated element to it.

Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah, I agree with that one hundred percent, and I
like I think I think adding Micah Parsons puts that
defense on a different level. They were good anyway, puts
them on a completely different level. They can run the football.
We know that with Josh Jacobs. I like the draft
pick of Golden I like the Packers.

Speaker 6 (45:10):
How dare you? How dare all of you?

Speaker 5 (45:12):
The Bears?

Speaker 3 (45:13):
Williams, the two Shockingly, the two Illinois natives have picked
the Chicago shock.

Speaker 5 (45:19):
He didn't pick them. I didn't pick him. I picked
the Bears. I'm doing this for shock value more than
anything else. I have no valid reasoning other than Cayler
Williams be better than last year.

Speaker 3 (45:27):
Mark probably has the Bears going like two and fifteen.

Speaker 8 (45:31):
No, no, no, all right, NFC East, I've got the Eagles.
I think they take care of business night and they
just kind of cruised the NFC East once again.

Speaker 5 (45:39):
Or mean, what's a good one.

Speaker 4 (45:40):
Part of me wants to pick Washington, but yeah, I
will go with Philly.

Speaker 3 (45:44):
I'm gonna go with the Washington Commanders. I think both
those teams are really good. I could see both those
teams winning at least twelve games.

Speaker 5 (45:53):
I will pick the Cowboys if Jerry Jones gave me
a kow while innerd deal, but that's on the table.
I'll go with the Eagles.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
They damn act together.

Speaker 5 (46:02):
Get the little side money there, you know, I'll row
what's Jared, But I need some incentives.

Speaker 8 (46:05):
All right, NFC East, I've got the Bucks, but it's
gonna be southet. I don't I don't know exactly what's
gonna happen with the Falcons, but I think it's a
two team race.

Speaker 6 (46:15):
I've got the Bucks prevailing.

Speaker 3 (46:16):
Yeah, that's probably pretty I'm gonna go with the Bucks
as well.

Speaker 5 (46:19):
Shout out to Mike Evans. He is one of my
favorite players of all time. I know he's kind of underrated.
I think he's only got one All Pro selection in
his career. Every year he gets like eight touchdowns in
the South Yards and he's probably going to be a
Hall of Famer someday.

Speaker 3 (46:32):
And the best thing to happen to him late in
his career is Baker Mayfield loves him some.

Speaker 5 (46:36):
Mike Evans, Yeah, well, also, areue the best thing to
happen to him with Tom Brady coming for a year?

Speaker 4 (46:41):
Yeah for two, I'll got Falcons. I think the Falcons
are a surprise team this year. I like Michael Pennix
Junior a lot. They were there until they kind of
bottom out late in the season. I love their skill group.
I will go with Raheem Morrise in the Falcons.

Speaker 8 (46:53):
All right, NFC West. I thought long and hard about
this one. I originally had the Rams. With matt Stafford's
back issue, his me concerned. So I'm gonna say the
forty nine ers get back to it. They are going
to be one of the teams that makes the playffs
that didn't make it last year.

Speaker 5 (47:07):
Okay, who's Seattle starting quarterback? Why I'm blaking on this?

Speaker 6 (47:09):
Donald Donald?

Speaker 5 (47:10):
Tim dam darn at the bag he did get?

Speaker 6 (47:12):
The bet Cup is there now too?

Speaker 5 (47:14):
Yeah, I gotta go with the Rams. I like Matthew Stafford.
I think he's honestly one of the most underrated quarterbacks
of this era and probably all time. I mean, he
spent a lot of years losing with Detroit. Lions were
not his fault. That guy can ball, So as long
as the back is intact, I'm rolling with him.

Speaker 4 (47:29):
Look at that.

Speaker 3 (47:30):
I'm gonna go with Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco
forty nine Ers. I like what he's done with brock Perdy.
He gets a little bit better each year. They got
to keep him healthy, and they got to keep Christian
McCaffrey healthy. That's the key for them. If Christian McCaffrey's healthy,
there's just no better weapon in the NFL. Jamar Gibbs,
I apologize, but man, Christian McCaffrey is n.

Speaker 4 (47:47):
I think I saw the only division that has all
four teams with they're over under. It's seven and a
half or higher like some people are hiring it Arizona.
So I do think this is one of the more
competitive one to four divisions in all of foot ball.
I will go with the Rams. I hear you out
Mark on the back. I do think Jimmy G's a
pretty quality backup if you do have to do that

(48:07):
for a month or so. I am not going to
bet against Sean McMath.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
To your point, though, real quickly get for the Cardinals though.
The reason people are starting to like them Kyler Murray's
Kyler Murray knny is what he is. He can play,
he does some really good things. But that skill group, now,
Marvin Harrison Junior is ready to explode this year. They've
got a terrific McBride is a fantastic tight end. Not
only they have one of the most consistent running backs
in James Connor, but they got a guy Benson pushing

(48:32):
him a little bit too. They got a really nice
skill group there. Right, we're up against it.

Speaker 8 (48:35):
So let's do NFC Wildcard real quick, and we always
circle back to this after a couple interviews and do
super Bowl picks and whatnot.

Speaker 5 (48:41):
NFC Wildcard.

Speaker 8 (48:41):
I've got Commanders, Packers, Bears, Yeah, Lions.

Speaker 5 (48:50):
Commanders, Cowboys, Commanders, Packers, Vikings.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
Well, since I picked Commanders to win that, and I
will go Eagles, Lions, and Rams.

Speaker 6 (49:05):
Okay, there you go.

Speaker 8 (49:07):
We can maybe get into Super Bowl picks after at
We've got Zach Keith for coming up next.

Speaker 6 (49:10):
All right, we'll talk to him.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
That's next. Ninety three five one seven five The Fan.

Speaker 5 (49:15):
He here we go.

Speaker 1 (49:26):
You were listening to the Fan Morning show on Sports
Radio ninety three five and one seven five The Fan.

Speaker 3 (49:33):
It's money making time at that time of year. NFL
starts tonight, Cowboys, Eagles, Colts will play their season open
on Sunday afternoon over at the Lucas Oil against the
Miami Dolphins. And joining us now in the Payless Liquors
Hotline in studio, a man who generally takes up residence
in the afternoons over at WIBC, part of Hammer and Nigel.

(49:53):
Jason Hammer is here to make us all a little
bit extra, a little bit extra coin. We're gonna dec forward, right,
we are going to try now, Mark and Kevin backed
me up here. Last year on Thursdays, we went on
a bit of a heater, right. Yes, we did very
well last year on Thursdays. So the old gambling adage

(50:14):
is water finds its level. So I'm doing to just stink.

Speaker 5 (50:17):
No, we don't want to ju we don't want to
hear that.

Speaker 3 (50:21):
We don't want to hear.

Speaker 9 (50:21):
That, Sampo and Lou Holtz right here, I'm setting the
expectations low so that way, when we have amazing success,
it looks like this huge successful story, such as the respect.

Speaker 3 (50:31):
For your expertise in this area. Kevin Bowen seated his
seat to you and is taking notes on everything you
say over in Mark Dyiten's.

Speaker 4 (50:40):
I would right now be in this studio if it
weren't for Jason Hammer's immense amount of money that he
sent to the Bowen family last year via these Thursday segments.
So Jason Hammer, thank you.

Speaker 9 (50:50):
The last time we all got together was the show
before the super Bowl, and if you recall, it was
a generational run. During that Super Bowl. We got first touchdown,
we got the last touchdown, which was I believe like
ten to one, and we made so much money.

Speaker 3 (51:06):
We were above the law. That's the goal, right, we
want to make so much money.

Speaker 9 (51:10):
If you get pulled over, you could get your gambling
ticket out and go.

Speaker 3 (51:13):
I think we know what's going on here. I feel
like I'm twenty seconds away from Jason busting out.

Speaker 5 (51:18):
I've got the game of the century. But you gotta
listen this afternoon to Hammer and Nigel.

Speaker 3 (51:23):
Right, I'm sunglasses indoors guy.

Speaker 5 (51:25):
Right, All right, all that aside. The NFL kicks off tonight.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
Dallas Cowboys are eight and a half point underdogs in
Philadelphia tonight.

Speaker 9 (51:35):
So this was six and a half before the Micah
Parsons trade.

Speaker 3 (51:40):
Now, with all due respect to Michael Parsons, who is.

Speaker 9 (51:42):
A bad man, two points for a linebacker trade in
a divisional game on Week one, that's absurd to me.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
That's a quarterback number.

Speaker 9 (51:52):
Like if we woke up this morning, take Kansas City,
for example, and found out Patrick Mahomes injured his ankle,
He's out of the lineup's two point drop, not a linebacker.
The market has overreacted in such a way to this.
I'm a leaning the Cowboys tonight. Now, I'm not gonna
tell you they're gonna sit here and win this thing tonight.
Philly probably does find a way to pull this off.

(52:15):
But Dak Prescott historically has played really well in Philly
his last four games. Didn't play last year due to
the injuries. But go back to December of twenty twenty
three two touchdowns, zero interceptions, December of twenty two, three touchdowns,
one pick, January twenty two, five touchdowns, zero pick, and

(52:37):
September of twenty one, three touchdowns, zero picks. Now, if
my Beach Grove High School education is correct here, that's
thirteen touchdowns to one interception at one of the most
hostile environments in the NFL. So Dak's not scared of
this kind of thing. Cowboys are down a little bit,
but again, we don't need him to win. We need
him to hang around. And eight and a half for

(53:00):
a divisional opponent, especially in Week one, that feels like
a big number to me, even on the road.

Speaker 3 (53:06):
Yeah, I like it. I like it.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
I like eight and a half And shout out to
the Beech Grove Hornets and that education right there from
Jason Hammer. Okay, Individual player props. I know you always
throw a couple at us. What else do you like
here outside of just the eight and a half line?

Speaker 9 (53:19):
So let's look at Dak Prescott passing attempts. If the
Cowboys are going to either be in this game or
playing from behind, depending on how you want to look
at it, it ain't because of the running game. Thirty
six and a half is the number of attempts that
I see listed for Dak Prescott tonight. We're gonna ride

(53:41):
the lightning and we're gonna go over at thirty six
and a half passing attempts. And if you want some juice,
I always like to give you a plus number here.
You know, we don't want to be a bunch of
chalk eating weasels. So let's go with AJ Brown anytime
touchdown plus one twenty three has found the end zone
and a lot of games late with the Eagles, it's

(54:02):
got a good rapport going on. I'll take it anytime
touchdown by AJ Brown at plus money.

Speaker 3 (54:07):
Yeah, it's hard to take anytime touchdown for like Jalen
Hirsch or Sakwon Barkley because you can't even get plus
odds on those guys to score even the touchdown which
we got in the Super Bowl. Tush push.

Speaker 9 (54:19):
It's not the juice you would want for a first
touchdown because they get down to the goal line, you
know what's coming. So we're gonna go with AJ Brown here.
Anytime touchdown. I wish that number we're a little bit higher,
but plus one twenty three.

Speaker 3 (54:32):
So here's a sneaky one. I want to get your
opinion on this. I like anytime touchdown from a guy
who actually has got a better proportion of touchdowns to
receptions than AJ does. DeVante Smith, they find him in
the end zone.

Speaker 9 (54:46):
Yes, I've just been burned by him in the past,
and I'm petty and I'm spiteful, and.

Speaker 3 (54:51):
I appreciates that.

Speaker 9 (54:52):
Yeah, there are certain people that just beat me no
matter what I do. If I bet on Minnesota football,
I'm going to get beat ro the boat guy screws
me every time. And anytime I've bet a prop on
Devontae Smith. Oh, he's on a roll. He's got all
these touchdowns. He'll go out three catches eight yards like
that's just how it works for me.

Speaker 3 (55:11):
Hammer.

Speaker 4 (55:11):
This makes probably no logical sense, but I always like
to do the feel good bets. Early in college football season.
Hear me out on this. Okay, it's a week Week
two slate. I got a lot of marquee games coming
up here in week two.

Speaker 3 (55:25):
Chirp, chirp.

Speaker 4 (55:26):
Shout out to the ball State Cardinals. We know Matt
Ryan hates Muncie, but we do not. They are a
forty three and a half point underdog at Auburn coming
up on Saturday. Is there any sort of I don't know,
betting compass that you have where in the NFL. Sometimes
I say, if you're a double digit or if you're
a two touchdown underdog, I'm taking you forty three and

(55:48):
a half points. Do we not take ball State? Or
am I just an idiot and too much of a
local homer for that?

Speaker 3 (55:54):
Ball States? Thanks Kevin and listen. I went to ball State.

Speaker 9 (55:58):
I feel like I can say these things and one touched.

Speaker 5 (56:01):
My first fake ID.

Speaker 9 (56:03):
Is hanging up on the wall at the Muncie liquor
store that looks like you. At least my fake ID
had me listed as common McAtee twenty eight to fifty
Aspen Road, Lectington, Kentucky. I still remember the information. Yeah,
but boy, they're not very good. Here's what you can do,
because there is the chance with the back door cover there, right,

(56:24):
take a look at Auburn first half should be around
twenty four and a half ish. I haven't taken a look,
but if you're looking to bet that one, go Auburn
first half. Because I love my friends in Funcie. Yeah,
but my goodness, there are not very good all right.

Speaker 5 (56:40):
Amber, I'll go here the one from me. You know,
we're talking a lot of Colts lately on these airways. Okay,
what are you looking at? Colts wise? And did any
of your bets change with the quarterback change?

Speaker 3 (56:51):
No?

Speaker 9 (56:52):
This was a game that if I didn't live in Indianapolis,
I would avoid like the plague.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
Like, okay, so we feel like talked.

Speaker 5 (56:59):
About this to you, not one did you really want
to play?

Speaker 7 (57:02):
Right?

Speaker 9 (57:03):
I feel like the Dolphins have the better quarterback, but
talent wise, it's not that big of a discrepancy. The
Colts are at home. The line shifted. Originally Dolphins were
a one point favorite, then a couple of weeks ago,
Colts became a one point favorite. If I'm playing this one,
I'm looking at a player prop and this is one
I like a great deal, and I'm going to make

(57:24):
this bet as soon as we get off the air.
I think Danny Dimes is going to be Danny Dink
and Dunk, So give me the new Colts tight end
Warren over three and a half receptions that that that's
the one we're going to take to the band here.

Speaker 3 (57:37):
Not true. That's the name of the show.

Speaker 9 (57:39):
You have hammer that right, Degenerates next Door, that's our show.
We will better against our mothers if we think we
can win some money. We're not the good guys next door.
We're the Degenerates next Door. Myself, Rob Kendall, and two
local professional gamblers, Kenny Britton David Stephanoff. We do this
little podcast every Tuesday and Thursday.

Speaker 3 (57:58):
Moving Truck's going to show up at Jason in his
mom's house, and Jason's gonna get there at the same time.
He go my mom, sorry was a bad week, It
was a bad break. Sorry. I mean it picks six,
it coming and three and a half catches. That seems
like that seems like a no brainer to me.

Speaker 9 (58:15):
Yeah, and there's a little juice attached to it here.
It's the only number I see out there that I think.
It's like minus one fifty something it's a little juice
and a half. Honestly, I'm with you and mark your
Chicago Football Bears Monday Night football here home Divisional Dogs

(58:35):
in week one. Since two thousand and eight are barking
baby twenty four and seven home Divisional Dogs scoop him
up in week one. I'm on the Bears plus one
and a half. Bear down baby. I don't think JJ
is that dude. I think Chicago's a little better. They've
got a competent coach.

Speaker 3 (58:54):
Now.

Speaker 9 (58:54):
I don't know if they're making the playoffs, but I'll
take him at home in week one.

Speaker 8 (58:57):
Ben Johnson has faced you know, Brian Flora has plenty
of times and he's had his way with them.

Speaker 6 (59:02):
So I'm on Namur train. I like it.

Speaker 3 (59:05):
Can you produce a show because Tuesday morning he's gonna
be useless.

Speaker 9 (59:10):
Well, we were having a conversation before we came on
the air here because we're both cub fans. What's the
strategy of taking out a young pitcher with a no
hitter through five, with a pitch count of only seventy
five in a game that you kind of need to
keep pace with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Speaker 3 (59:26):
It's modern baseball with a bunch of number scrunchers running
it from the General Manager's office. Craig Council, I'll say,
nerds wrong, Nerds is when I heard right?

Speaker 8 (59:34):
Yeah, Craig Council overthinking and then sending in Ben Brown
to give up the lead.

Speaker 3 (59:39):
You think it's a Craig decision or a GM decision, Craig.

Speaker 6 (59:43):
Craig needs to get out of the computer, is what
he needs to do.

Speaker 3 (59:46):
Hey, thanks for coming by. We'll look forward to seeing
you next week. And when can we hear your betting
premress again one more time? Degenerates next Door podcast. Wherever
you get podcasts, find it and remember, when I win,
we all win. So if I have a winning night tonight,
if we hit two out of three, I'm bringing shots
around the board. Next uh, next week? Here we go. Yeah,

(01:00:08):
whoa