Best of Wednesday 10/21: Rick Carlisle returns + Colts/Chargers fallout & their place in the AFC!

00:00 – 22:16 – Colts-Chargers thoughts, can the Colts get better defensively via trade, Packers-Steelers on Sunday Night and Marc wants Aaron Rodgers to get beat up

22:17 – 44:42 – Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle joins us and discusses the extension for Aaron Nesmith, why Nesmith earned it and what he brings to the team, point guard depth, Kam Jones’ arrest, Taelon Peter, the by committee approach at positions this year, the center position, figuring out where everyone fits on the roster, the Starting 5 Netflix documentary, will they raise an Eastern Conference finals banner?, attending a sorority formal

44:43 – 1:02:14 - IndyStar Colts reporter Joel A. Erickson joins us as the Brewers troll begins, thoughts on the Colts -6-1 start, the more pressing need as the trade deadline nears, his love for DeForest Buckner, Rigoberto Sanchez, his conversations with the Irsay daughters, Nathan Brown joining the beat, Colts being two touchdown favorites against the Titans

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.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Good Tuesday morning, Welcome into the Fan Morning Show.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Rick Carlisle coming your way at eight o'clock. The guys
will have a conversation with him about the upcoming NBA season.
We'll check out some of the texts that people are
sending in on this Tuesday morning. This is an anonymous one.
I like this though, for both of you guys. Just
had an epiphany I haven't heard discussed. Why don't we
trade Alec Pearson, maybe either Quitty Pay or a lot

(00:33):
to as well, for a top five or ten edge
rusher that could be available. James, you wrote an article
in The Athletic today about going all in if you're
the cults. Are we starting to look or think about
things like that as we move forward?

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, that article was from yesterday, but it's something I
definitely want to revisit more this week, especially being two
weeks away from the trade headline. But I will say
this to that question, I immediately went deaf as soon as
you said Alec Pierce.

Speaker 4 (01:02):
He's not going anywhere. He is arguably their best receiver
this year.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
So I do think there is some players Adie Mitchell
or somebody else you can look at two package to
try to go get someone. But also if you're going
to get edge rusher at the deadline, I also don't
think it'll be like a top five guy at that
position because those guys won are huge contracts. You probably
want to try to get somebody who's, you know, mid

(01:27):
tier proven. Trey Henderson is somebody that obviously comes to
mind because he's an expiring contract. But I do think
that that big win for the Bengals last week maybe
changed things for their future at the deadline. So that's
kind of where I'm at with it. But Alec Pierce trade,
Oh no, absolutely not.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
The question remains though, do you think Chris Ballard would
possibly do something coming off an offseason where he was
very aggressive and here there are six and one scored
more points than anybody in the league. But defense seems
to be a problem. If you're looking long term and
you have big aspirations.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
What do you think that What do you think.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Happens, especially with new ownership.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Does it change the entire dynamic? Yeah, it's a great question.
I mean I think they should you know, Ballard obviously
changed his tune you know, back in free agency, very
much needed, and I think you're reaping some of the
benefits of that. Now. This is a little different. You know,
you obviously would be partying ways with another draft pick,
which you know, for Chris Ballard that's you know, a

(02:26):
little bit children like in how he likes to build.

Speaker 5 (02:30):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
But to your point, Jeff, they've never been in the
situation under him, and we know pass rush means a
lot to him as well, So I think you should.
You know, I probably am with James a little bit
more that that trade idea sounds a little bit more
Madden Video Gaming to me than anything. I think you
got to be realistic and kind of a middle round pick,

(02:51):
and you're probably not gonna get some dude that has,
you know, a slew of twelve SAX seasons on his resume,
But just offer some juice to a group that I
think really really needs it right now. If you look
at the last month, I want to say, opposing quarterbacks
are average at like three thirty against the Colts, three
to thirty five maybe against the Colts. If you go
back these last four games, it's the second worst mark

(03:14):
in the NFL this season if you look at any
four game stretch, so you know, I think you got
to live in reality with you know how the last
month has been for this passing defense, and for me,
your pass rush can impact that more than coverage you get.
Coverage wise, I think you can talk yourself into okay,
at your various ward's gonna come back at some point
this season. You know, we'll see if Jalen Jones ever happens.
I don't see any of those names though necessarily at

(03:36):
pass rusher popping up, so that's probably why I would
entertain it as well.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
I'm just curious how much of those big yardage numbers,
and those are huge yardage numbers, by the way, how
much of that is chalked up to a couple of
these games just garbage time where teams are just trying
to throw the ball over the field to keep up.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
I wouldn't put much stock into that at all.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Honestly, I thought the Chargers were in that game until
DeForest Buckner and got that set on their last drive
to kind of push them back, and then Zaia Franklin
made that great play down the middle of the field on
lab McConkey for the pass breakup, and they ultimately forced
turnover on downs. But if you look at what the
Charge were able to do in that second half, I
mean the Colts couldn't stop them at all, and in
a fourteen point loss. Now give credit where credit is due.

(04:18):
The defense forced two turnovers in the red zone. So
Grover Stewart and Nick Cross deserve a ton of praise
for that because ultimately, I think in this league turnovers
determined a lot of who wins and who loses. But no,
I am not convinced that this was just garbage time. No,
these teams are going out here and beating you. And
if you look back at the Arizona game, that wasn't
garbage time either. They went down the field and nearly

(04:39):
beat you on a fourth down, you know, last second pass.
So I think they definitely need to be much better
when it comes to pass defense.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
James, you bring up the Buckner play plays probably plural.
He so good ice the game, so good a play
that Jeff, you and I should have mentioned yesterday and
we did not, and was such a play that if
it goes the other way, fans are just ripping this player,
because I would argue he's the most ripped cult player

(05:06):
maybe not named Bady Mitchell. How about thirty yards down
the field in coverage Zia Franklin on Lad McConkie on
that third and twenty two. That was play number on
nineteen of the drive, twenty of the drive. Zara Franklin,
ein'ts something out? The dude plays every snap And yes,
has this season not been at the level that I

(05:27):
think maybe you would like it to be? Yeah, I
think that's fair. But what a big time play. I mean,
that is a dream for Justin Herbert. I get my
best white out on a linebacker thirty yards down the
field on a third and a million. I mean that
is a you couldn't have asked for a better matchup there.
And there's Franklin not panicking, not committee a penalty, looking

(05:48):
like a dB frankly and making a great play on
the ball to knock it away. And if they score
there one possession game, who knows three thirty to go?
Yeah to James's point. One score game, and they might
do the weird thing that teams sometimes do. They go
for two. Initially, they maybe try to cut it to
six there right there, and now the pressure is really

(06:08):
on the Colts. They still have had two timeouts the
Chargers and the two minute warning. Big time play from
Zire Franklin, and really a pretty unique play for a
linebacker to be that far down the field play nineteen
of the drive, play whatever seventy of the game, probably
for Zaire, and he just steps up and has a huge,
huge pass deflection.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, and that you're right. We didn't talk about that
a little bit yesterday. And that's a huge play for
a guy that has been criticized a lot this year.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
And it's funny.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
We'll hear some sound later on today. But I was
listening to Shane Steichen on Colts Round Table last night.
He kind of seems okay with where the defense and
the rush, if the pass rus is at this point
in time. He talked about all the pressures they got
and how that caused Justin Herbert to make some mistakes
in that football game.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
Well, I'll say this love shaying, but he says a
lot of things I would imagine differently behind closed doors.
And when is he he ever said anything that is
remotely controversial when it comes to his team or what
they might upgrade at. I was asking him yesterday about
the trade deadline. He gave the typical coach answer, Oh,
I'll leave that to the GM. You know, he always
going to get better. But yeah, I'm not surprised he
said that. But internally I would imagine the conversation between

(07:16):
him and lu and Roumo is different.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
Yeah, he occasionally does this where publicly James he downplays things.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, which he should. I mean I wouldn't go out
there like, oh ma am I past re stake.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
No, I mean I think you can walk a little
bit of a line of hey, we need to get
better there, you know, something along those lines where you
don't have to call individually call out guys. But you'd
be naive to think that right now, with the Colts
are getting defensively from that area, is playoff worthy or
however you want to view it. As you play some
better quarterbacks on the schedule, there and actions will speak

(07:45):
louder than those words and actions will happen, you know what,
two weeks from today or within the next two weeks,
I should say, NFL trade deadline fourteen days away.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
So they've got some time and maybe they look and
they see what's going on against Tennessee and maybe they
want to see it. Don Look, if there's ever a
team to dominate, there's a reason they're a fourteen and
a half point favorite. This might be the time to
pen years back and go for it and see what
you can really do.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, but I feel like we had the conversation last
week with the Chargers hits every week.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
I mean they had.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
No offensive linemen that were I mean they had down
several starters, down several backups, and I believe in the
first series of the game, Kevin one of their line
went down then, So to not have more pressure on
Justin Herbert throughout that game, I think it's a bit concerning. Now,
I will say to Forest Buckner was absolutely dominant, but
I feel like he's been the only consistent guy who's

(08:34):
able to get pressure on the quarterback. And as you
look at some of the advanced numbers or just use
your general eyes, he gets double more than anybody. And
I think you do that because one he's a great player,
but two you're not worry about anybody else getting the quarterback.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
I would like the pass rush to get better.

Speaker 6 (08:48):
I would like to get better in a hurry, especially
with the Week nine opponent coming off. I would like
the Colts to tee off on their quarterback.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Who I will not name. Who's Week nine? Mark the
Pittsburgh Steelers. What'd you say Sunday Night football? This week?

Speaker 6 (09:01):
Sunday Night Football is it is going to be the uh.

Speaker 7 (09:07):
Steelers.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
That's a dream matchup for you. It's a dream match.
We talked about it yesterday. That's the meteor game.

Speaker 4 (09:19):
For a tie.

Speaker 6 (09:20):
I've never been more of a mark more the button
for the meteorologist. I'm like, do we have any like meteorites,
comets coming through? Can we have a dinosaur situation?

Speaker 2 (09:31):
Happened over that man? Man at least the velociraptor.

Speaker 1 (09:38):
You realized I had to actually say the names of
the teams. He was not going to say the names
of those teams.

Speaker 6 (09:42):
That's a disgusting I mean, it is going to be
a hate watch. I'm going to be not rooting for
both teams to lose. I don't even want to tie.
I just want them to both get losses somehow, no ties.

Speaker 1 (09:54):
Uh the Steelers. If you're wondering your home underdogs against
the Packers right now.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
That's fine.

Speaker 6 (10:00):
So Michael Parsons, you got paid all this money, go
go go get that guy.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
But if it takes Aaron Rodgers to have like a
two hundred and ninety yard three touchdown game, Marks.

Speaker 6 (10:12):
Broken okay with the I'm okay with whatever I would
like I would like. I mean, I would like the
Steelers to win, obviously, but I like it to be
on the running game and Aaron Rodgers throws like four
picks in eighty yards.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
Mark wants the guy the Green Bay Packers lineman to
Michael Parsons going his back like his own teammate did
last week, which.

Speaker 4 (10:32):
Is hilarious by the way.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, what a.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
Colt Lyman jumped on Daniel Jones like that. I feel
like Shane Stikeen would like I.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
Thought Rogers would lose it. Yeah, when he first went down,
got some.

Speaker 6 (10:46):
Sciatica going on or something. That's Mark Sword of the
day sciatica. Ah, that's cold weather. My shoulders hurting like
Rodney Dangerfield didn't catch like, oh my arm, it's broken.

Speaker 1 (10:57):
Another guy who's not your problem anymore is Bustin Field's
done as the quarterback of the Jets.

Speaker 6 (11:01):
Al righty Jets stink. Aaron Glenn might be a one
year coach because that that looks like a complete train wreck.

Speaker 1 (11:08):
But We'll always have him sprinding down the sidelines, though,
won't we to September?

Speaker 2 (11:12):
That was Whoever matched that up was great. And to
James's point, Cincinnati plays the Jets this week, so you know,
the Bengals could win another game, which would whatever keep
I feel like everyone is sending me, hey, Hendrick, send
this or you know, Cincinnati defender that. It's like, well,
if they keep winning and they didn't trade for Joe
Flacco to go tank, they tried to save their season,
so it's gonna have to take I would say two

(11:34):
straight losses for them to all of a sudden be
sellers of the deadline.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
If that, well, they are only three and four, but
check this out. All three of their wins have come
within the conference, So not only a game and a
half behind Pittsburgh, who's already had a bye week, but
they've got games still to play, a game still to
play against Pittsburgh, and they're three and one in conference play,
which you know when it comes down to wildcard spots,

(11:59):
that's what's gonna make a difference right there. So if
I'm the Cincinnati Bengals, I'm sitting there going, hey, if
we can just play even five hundred or one game
over five hundredun til Joe Burrow gets back, We're right
where we need to be.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
James, when's the last time he played pick up?

Speaker 3 (12:12):
It's been a few weeks. Because of the schedule, usually
play with jam V on Sundays. Looking forward to hopefully
getting a run in this upcoming Sunday because of the
four pm or four thirty ish kickoff.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Pacers might need you for some backup PG clock coming
up Thursday.

Speaker 4 (12:26):
Well, I imagine they're trying to win the game, so no,
they'll need me.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
I literally have no idea who their backup point guard
will be Thursday night.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
That is very interesting, especially because the waiver I think
the waiver deadline kind of passed, so you have to
figure out, you know, what other avenues he might go
through to get somebody in there.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
But and just to go over everything, yeah, obviously out
I know his situation. Andrew Nemhart is your starter. TJ
McConnell injures his hamstring and the preseason opener he's going
to be out at least a couple weeks into the
regular season. They bring in Well, first it was gonna
be the line right right, and then whatever the physical
doesn't clear.

Speaker 4 (13:00):
No, No, was it at Morris?

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Oh yeah, Monte Morris, if you go back, yes, thank
you for that. That doesn't work out. And then the
lone Wright situation. How long did that last?

Speaker 4 (13:10):
That can cuss in that game with how Wave, the
same game.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
That McConnell got hurt, right, Yeah, so then he's gone.
They bring in Cameron Payne. They clearly don't like what
they saw from Cameron Payne for a couple of games.
Amidst all of this, Quinton Jackson, who we've seen, you know,
be on a two way contract and actually I think
when he's gotten a little bit of clock with the
n team, Yeah, he gives you a little gives you
a little energy. He hurts his hamstring. It sounds like

(13:34):
he won't be ready for Thursday night. So if you're
looking at healthy point guards, I guess it's Ray J. Dennis.
But do you have Jerris Walker point forward it with
the second unit?

Speaker 3 (13:46):
That's a great question to ask for Carlisle, because I
have I don't know. It's tough. I almost want to
be like Matherin. You're a ball handler, kN you bring
it up a couple of times, I know it's not
your nature, you're more of a score slash slasher. But
I mean you're looking at at this point, how many
bodies do we have just to throw out there too,
hopefully alleviate some pressure on Andrew Nimphah, which is or

(14:08):
we were kind of worried about coming into the season.
Now I already had questions before the injuries, and now
I have more because you're putting so much on the
plate of Nimhart's off the season. And I get it,
this is what I'm sure he welcomes, but not to
this degree right out the gate.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
This is crazy too.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
I mean, yesterday was everybody who was making their preseason
predictions on how the NBA season is going to go,
and and most Vialuable Player and Nikola Yoki's getting a
lot of love for that, and I get all that,
but they came to over unders again on a lot
of these sites, and I just picked one here at
cbssports dot com. Indiana Pacers under thirty seven and a
half wins. I get it, with all the injuries even

(14:43):
starting the season off, I get it. The two of
your five guys are are gone from the starting lineup
last year. I just feel like this team is going
to find a way to win their share of games
in the forty to forty.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
Two to forty three range.

Speaker 1 (14:56):
I can't get past that feeling. I think they're just
gonna win a bunch of games when teams are are
a little bit down and a little bit tired, and
they're just gonna outlast a lot of these teams.

Speaker 3 (15:08):
I don't know, Jeff, I'm skeptic call already, just because
of the injuries. It's hard just miss how hurt they
are going into the year. And I think a lot
of folks as much as they love the rest of
the group, and I find myself doing this to a
degree when I look at the Pacers. It's like, I
don't want to discredit how great of a player Tyre's
Halliburton is, and he might be worth ten wins himself outright.

(15:29):
So you look at what they did last year when
they finished, and you take the best player, one of
the best point guards in the world off of that team,
it's hard to absorb that. And like you said, you're also,
you know, kind of just figuring out what you're gonna
do at center because you are notably worse there too.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
I get it.

Speaker 3 (15:46):
Myles Turner left you might have a traja and he'll
get boom and he comes back all those things, but
that doesn't change the fact that he was a much
better option at center than what they have right now.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
You know, a huge reason why I've been so bullish
on the Pacers in recent years is because of the grind.
I feel like they're built depth wise. Since your point, Jeff,
outlast teams to handle back to backs better to Hey,
we're going to run you into the ground here for
forty eight minutes and you better get on your track
shoes or you know it's not going to go well
for you. Is that still a superpower? That's a great question.

Speaker 1 (16:21):
It'd be tough right off the bat, with all the
problems you just talked about in the bench, there's no question.

Speaker 4 (16:24):
Is that still?

Speaker 2 (16:25):
And if you just played the game? Is probably what
a lot of national people do, if you just played
the game, Because what do you see in all these
little preseason you know, graphics on these websites. You know,
they they trig it down to what three sentences on
each team they throw in last year's record, And the
other thing they probably throw in is additions, subtractions. Right,
who's new, who's left? Okay, subtractions, Tyres Halliburton, Miles Turner,

(16:51):
who are the additions?

Speaker 1 (16:52):
Well, and to drill down on that, the CBS article
is talking about what's their identity without Halliburton or.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
Who are the additions?

Speaker 3 (17:00):
Like yeah, yeah, like Jay Huff, right, I mean so, no,
I'm serious, wasn't trolling? I mean Ja Huff is an addition.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
All the additions are internal hope and growth of Matherin jump.

Speaker 4 (17:11):
Walker, Jackson healthy healthy. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (17:15):
And again I'm still bullish on North of forty. But
I get why there are some people out there they
just look at it of hey, you know, thirty teams
across the league. I think the Pacers and I know
it's a dangerous game to play it. I think they've
largely earned benefit of the doubt. And again, I know
that's a little bit of like, oh boy, okay, you know,
is that true true belief? But That's where I'm at

(17:36):
on it. But you know, if you look at it
and say, all right, you're taking one of the best
point guards in the world, You're taking away a you know,
ten year guy at center who's been a pretty reliable
player for you. I get why there's a little bit
of possible.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, they say their margin for injuries is minimal. There's
even an argument to trade some of the older players.

Speaker 8 (17:54):
TJ.

Speaker 1 (17:54):
McConnell will be thirty five when the twenty seven playoffs
roll around. Probably makes more sense for him to participate
in the twenty twenty six postseason on a team that
plans to compete in those And he's not the only
pacer that fits that description. Indiana, like the Boston Celtics,
has a rare chance to add cheap labor with a
top draft pick. If they're on the borderline, they'll surely

(18:15):
be tempted to take it. Interesting. Interesting stuff. So we'll
talk to Rick Carla about all that stuff coming up
at a minute again. The NBA season kicks off tonight
with a couple of games. They will be a doubleheader
on NBC. Was last time we saw prime time outside
of the playoffs basketball on network television? Kevin, NBC's got
basketball back. It's kind of their their big tip off

(18:37):
for the season tonight. That's we haven't seen that much.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
Is Grady on the call for one of these games.
He's with NBC right amongst a couple of other He's
gonna wear this year. I would assume Mike Turrico is
probably doing the first game, right.

Speaker 3 (18:52):
Yeah, it isn't Michael Jordan doing something? Is that with
Prime or was that with NBC? I think it's NBC,
but I don't know exactly. I mean, like it's Jordan
gonna be like in the like.

Speaker 1 (19:01):
I don't know, commenting on second quarter back in.

Speaker 2 (19:04):
The studio here and Michael Jordan.

Speaker 4 (19:06):
Yeah, I don't expect to that, but I'm curious to
hear from them.

Speaker 3 (19:09):
Like he's the best player ever, so you know, what
does he have to say about today's stars, in the
state of the league and things of that nature.

Speaker 4 (19:14):
I mean, we really hear from him.

Speaker 2 (19:16):
Well, the Pacers raise a Eastern Conference banner Thursday night.
Will they do anything Thursday night?

Speaker 4 (19:22):
That's a good question. I don't know, if you If
I attune, they probably should.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
I'm trying to think, and I don't know.

Speaker 4 (19:27):
I have to trying to picture like the Raptors in
my head.

Speaker 2 (19:30):
I'm literally trying to picture the Raptors. I swear there's
an Eastern Conference champions banner, is there not?

Speaker 4 (19:36):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
I feel like my mine always, my eyes always goes
towards the jerseys and like you know, thinking that Nancy
Leonard should be up there as well. I would imagine
at some point. But yeah, that's a good question. And
I don't say this is like a joke either. I
feel like, if you make it to the conference finals,
it's fine. He's there, Like, this isn't this is not
wild participate exactly? Whatever Mark thought the language was on that?

Speaker 2 (19:56):
What do you say? What do you think it was
on it? Mark said it again. Do you think it
said wild card participant? Yes, wild or AFC final.

Speaker 6 (20:05):
I forget what it said exactly, Yeah, wild card participant
or wild card crazy. There's no way it said participant
on I have to I have to find it. Took
a picture on like six phones ago.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
That side by side. There's no way you know Addison's
soccer ribbons she got from the end of the season.

Speaker 6 (20:21):
Hey, if you got to I mean you filled some space.
He put out whatever he can. I need to find
that picture.

Speaker 2 (20:30):
I'm totally go to the Eastern Conference final. Banner. Wait,
we got a text here about kin tail and Peter
bring up the ball, Ben Shephard.

Speaker 4 (20:37):
You know what I did, like what I saw from Taylor,
I like, this.

Speaker 2 (20:41):
Is the second round pick out of what liberty right. Yes,
the analytics guy that you know defied all these crazy
analytics as a shooter and a dunker in college, and
I thought he showed a little bit more that I
was unfamiliar with this game would be the best way
to put it. And I got familiarized pretty quick.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
And I kind of like what I saw, so KB
with the shack refference, I wasn't familiar with your game.

Speaker 2 (21:03):
Slightly different tone of voice with that.

Speaker 6 (21:06):
Uh, it was twenty it was twenty fourteen AFC finalist,
That's what it said.

Speaker 3 (21:12):
Yeah, see the finalist part like ah, but but it
would be different, this would be you won.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
You want a conference conference? Yeah, I don't have a
problem with it.

Speaker 1 (21:22):
The top two play by play guys for NBC, although
I'm not finding tonight's assignments, Mike Tarka and Noah Eagle.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
Yeah, Crawford. I want to say, there's a lot of
who that did.

Speaker 3 (21:33):
Like the whole Amazon thing, and I think it's Grady
not a part of that. I think he's a part
of the Amazon crew, but I think both.

Speaker 7 (21:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yeah, I think by the Grady's got very proud of money.

Speaker 2 (21:43):
And by the way, the Pacers they got the thunder Thursday,
and then they go on the road. The Pacers schedule
first like seven and is tough. Yeah, and they go
out here it was like welcome, like a three game
road trip right after. And then if I'm not mistaken,
I think the Miles Turner return game is early in
the sea. I want to say that it's a Monday
in November. So yeah, it's a very challenging slate, I

(22:04):
think out of the gate all right, A lot to
talk about.

Speaker 1 (22:07):
NBA season kicks off tonight, the Pacers get rolling at
home Thursday night. The head coach of the Indiana Pacers,
Rick Carlisle, stops by for his Tuesday chat next on
ninety three to five and one to seven.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
Let's head of the Payloffstickers hotline right now, and he
is the head coach of the Indiana Pacers joining us.
Coach Carlisle, Good morning to you. How are you sure well?

Speaker 7 (22:28):
How are you?

Speaker 2 (22:29):
We are wonderful, Thank you again for the time this
season obviously a ton to get to. Let's start with
the news item for those that maybe went to bed
early last night. Reportedly a two year extension for Aaron E. Smith.
It brought it up earlier coach. You know, to me,
I look back on the playoffs last year and you know,
his put back dunk against Cleveland Spearhead that comeback obviously,

(22:50):
the flurry of threes he hit in MSG to kind
of Spearhead that comeback as well. I just think he's
such a valuable cog to what you guys are all about.
What what has he meant to you? And how have
you seen him grow in your time with him here?

Speaker 5 (23:06):
Well, it's been great to see and be a part of.
I think the bottom line is he's a he's a
proven starter for us, and uh, 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

(23:27):
the organization.

Speaker 7 (23:29):
Certainly.

Speaker 5 (23:30):
I think he's he's very happy about it, and there's
been a lot of growth. You know, here's a kid
that barely got in the games when he was with
the Celtics, and uh, you know, a lot of that
had to do with the guys that were ahead of him,
a lot of them were great players, et cetera. But
this has been an amazing opportunity for him, and he's

(23:50):
taken advantage of it and he's really helped us rare cooms.

Speaker 3 (23:53):
Do you think the success that Aaron Smith has had
the change the scenery here in Indiana can have a
trickle down effect on other players just seeing like you said,
he didn't, you know, perhaps have the opportunity you wanted
early on, but kept grinding the way and now he's
looked at as one of the best two way players
in the league.

Speaker 5 (24:10):
Well, I think the organization looked at his situation and
basically said, this is a guy that any team in
the entire league would love to have. He's versatile, he
is skilled, he's shooting is you know, we we've seen
what he's he's able to be shooting the ball, and

(24:33):
it just made too much sense to uh to figure
out a way to get this thing done. And yes,
I do think that this was one of the things,
you know, his development.

Speaker 7 (24:44):
That has made the.

Speaker 5 (24:46):
Pacers you know, more of a more of a destination
in terms of the conversation of you know, free agency
and things like that, and so a lot of a
lot of very powerful reasons to get it done, and
obviously everyone's very happy.

Speaker 2 (25:03):
Pages back to practice today, again Thursday night. They will
open up the season with the thunder Rick Carlisle with
us here on the Payless Slickers hotline coaches of now
you know, on paper, you know Andrew Nemhart and then
who knows behind him? From a point guard standpoint, do
you kind of view this as a by committee approach
until TJ. McConnell returns or how are you looking at

(25:24):
point guard particularly the depth there heading end of the
season opener?

Speaker 5 (25:29):
Yeah, I mean there's gonna be a lot of bi
committee stuff going on with the point guard position, with
the center commit position, and that's that's okay.

Speaker 7 (25:40):
I mean there's great opportunity there. We had a we've
had a.

Speaker 5 (25:45):
Three week training camp to look at and evaluate a
lot of these guys.

Speaker 7 (25:52):
But an NBA season is so long, it's six months
and three weeks. You learn so things.

Speaker 5 (26:00):
But you know, certainly as we get into the heat
of the year, and you know, the schedule at the
beginning of the year.

Speaker 7 (26:06):
Is no joke.

Speaker 5 (26:07):
I mean there's just you know, a lot of great teams,
a lot of road games. You know, there'll be a
lot of challenges and under those circumstances you find out
even more.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
I know, he currently is sidelined from an injury standpoint.
I don't know if he would have been involved in
your point guard conversation, but we did see the news
yesterday with rookie cam Jones arrests that I believe the
preliminary charges were reckless driving resisting law enforcement. Any further
info you can provide or just the status on cam

(26:40):
Jones here, Yeah, talked.

Speaker 7 (26:44):
To him yesterday.

Speaker 5 (26:44):
He came in and he's very very contrite, you know
about the situation of being pulled over. You know, this
is a kid with exemplary character, going back to his
entire career at Marquette. After hearing the details of this,

(27:05):
I think, I think in the in the end, this
is going to end up being a speeding ticket. You know,
a lot a lot of times things that are on
the on the police.

Speaker 7 (27:15):
Blodder are overblown.

Speaker 5 (27:18):
You know, this is a kid that was was driving,
driving a little faster than he should have been, trying
to get to his uh, his his workout and rehab thing.
He's running a few minutes behind, and so you know,
he got pulled over and and uh, you know, the
thing ended up, the thing ended up in the in
you know, the news, So Uh, I think in the

(27:40):
end it's gonna be a speeding ticket probably, And you know,
he's going through a thing right now where he's got
a back situation that is only gonna heal with time.
Time in the hyper bear chamber, can't do can't do
too much much moving around. You know, it's a very

(28:03):
it's got to be a very difficult thing to go through,
particularly given our.

Speaker 7 (28:07):
Point guard situation for him.

Speaker 5 (28:08):
And yes, he would have been one of the guys
in the conversation, so you know, I said a couple.

Speaker 7 (28:14):
A few days ago that you know, we would revisit,
you know.

Speaker 5 (28:18):
Conversation about where he's at, probably at November ninth, when
we were gonna do the same thing with TJ mcconnelld
that'll be one month after TJ's injury, and then we'll
see what's on from there. But uh, you know, cams
Cam's doing fine, and uh, you know, and this is
this is gonna be a blip on the radar screen.

Speaker 3 (28:38):
Can we have Rick Carl head coach and a pacer
is joining us on the Pailslica hot line right now? Rick,
speaking of your other rookie guard, Taylor Peter, what's impressed
you the most about his ability to adapt to the
NBA game, particularly perhaps on the defensive end, is what
I've been looking at myself.

Speaker 7 (28:57):
Yeah, he's just you know, this is a this is
a kid.

Speaker 5 (29:01):
Is another Kevin Pritchard home run, you know in the
second round. I mean, tough, tough, minded, a little bigger
than people think, strong, physical.

Speaker 7 (29:17):
NBA skill with his shooting. You know, right now we've
got the guy.

Speaker 5 (29:23):
Taking reps at point guard, which he's never played in
his life, you know, up until the last preseason game.
But that's the that's kind of the bind wearing right
now with t J out, with with Quintin Jackson out
and with Cam Jones out, So you know, there's a
lot of adjusting that's going on from a team standpoint.

(29:45):
But but this kid is is resourceful, opportunistic. He's one
of the best shooters in the country last year, maybe
it may have even been the leading three point shooting
in the country when he's at Liberty last year. So
taking advantage of our coortunity here, high character, Our fans
love him already, the ones that have seen him in

(30:06):
preseason games. Heart playing dude, that's all about the team.

Speaker 2 (30:11):
Yeah, certainly been impressed by him here in the preseason slate.
It'll start for real coming up Thursday night, Pacers and
Thunder inside of gamebridge Field. That's right, Carlisle with us
here Tuesday at eight o'clock, coach. I was reading the
they do this annually on NBA dot com, like a
GM survey, and one of the things I was struck
by by the NBA gms that responded to this was

(30:34):
they asked, you know who runs or which head coach
runs the best offense in the league. You were the
overwhelming winner of that. I want to say it was
north of fifty percent, and second was like all the
way down at ten percent on that list just in
general with your offensive philosophy. I guess where did it start?

(30:56):
And how do you think maybe that side of the
ball has evolved for you over the years.

Speaker 5 (31:02):
Uh, it probably started when my when my NBA playing
career began in Boston. You know, we we were a
team that had a lot of great players. You know,
I think four or five Paul of Famers when I
first got there, and then we traded for Bill Walton.
I think he became the fifth or sixth, and so
you know, he had a simple plan offensively. It was

(31:24):
to play through the best players. Uh, we had plays,
but we didn't call a lot of plays. And that's
kind of how the game functions.

Speaker 7 (31:35):
And I told a story. I don't know if I
told on this show or not, but you know.

Speaker 5 (31:40):
When I went from Boston to the New York Knicks.
You know, Rick Bettina was the coach of the Knicks
and and Stuve Jackson was one of his assistants.

Speaker 7 (31:49):
And you know, these guys.

Speaker 5 (31:52):
Were meticulous game planners. You know, they were the best
of the best in terms of detail. And Stup came
to be with you know, three or four paid diagram
sheet pages of actions. He said, what are these calls?
And he had all these different things that were happening.

Speaker 7 (32:13):
And I said, uh, I.

Speaker 5 (32:15):
Said, Stude, they're just just playing. I mean, because these
aren't plays. I said, no, they're just they just they
just played the game. This is really a flowing kind
of freelance team. He's like, not, no, that can't be right,
you know. And so anyway, that was and you know,
we were finals three three out of three years.

Speaker 7 (32:37):
Won the championship in eighty six, and yeah, I just
became a strong believer.

Speaker 5 (32:43):
In that and that kind of player empowerment, et cetera.
And then you know, as I moved on and coaching,
you know, with as an assistant and then a head coach.
You know, I just was a was a believer in
this kind of approach.

Speaker 7 (33:02):
And you know I've said this also.

Speaker 5 (33:05):
You know, my my background with music, you know, I
you know, I learned how to play the piano and
and and I'm really I'm really drawn to improvisational jazz
because you listen to the same song, and every every
time you listen to it sounds a little different. And

(33:26):
when you get immersed in music, in music a certain way,
that's how you see it. And and that's music has
probably influenced my view of the of the of basketball
as well. You know, defenses are so sophisticated trying to
figure out how to guard situations, et cetera. You know,
I just always feel like the more we can make

(33:47):
the the game offensively look different every time down, the
more difficult it's going to be for the defense.

Speaker 7 (33:54):
And so, you know, all that stuff is has has
influenced me. You know, my my team's in.

Speaker 5 (34:00):
Alice, We're we're we're very good flow teams and we
had great players you know, we had we had Newitsky,
we had Kid, we had Jason Terry and and others,
and here, you know, it's been it's been Tyrese, you know,
Pascal and and TJ. McConnell has been a big part
of it. And of course Miles Turner was a part

(34:21):
of it. He's moved on. And so now now we've
got to change this recipe.

Speaker 7 (34:26):
To to the to the person that we have available.

Speaker 5 (34:28):
So this is gonna look different, and it'll be a
work in progress, you know, on certain on certain levels.
But I want our system to be a really fun
system to play in and for players to feel like
they have real influence on what happens out there.

Speaker 7 (34:48):
And so, uh, that's where we're at.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
To that point about your offense, we know a lot
of it will go through Andrew Nimhard in your core four,
But how do you view.

Speaker 4 (34:59):
The center position right right now?

Speaker 3 (35:00):
And I guess what are you hoping to get out
of the censor of by committee approach?

Speaker 5 (35:06):
Yeah, I'm not even sure who's going to start right
this second. You know, Isaiah Jackson started all four games,
so certainly there's a possibility that he could be the starter.
We've got to figure out, you know, who who fits where,
and there will be there will be challenges with this.

(35:27):
Uh you know, I've I've mentioned this before. I'm sure
if it's been on this show, but you know, I've
had a center bi committee situation one year in Dallas
when we we had a successful year and you know,
it took San Antonio to seven games in the first
round of the year they won at fourteen with with
guys that were, you know, not household names, but they

(35:49):
were guys that were very good at what they did. So,
you know, Sam Dallenbarr was a great shot blocker and defender.

Speaker 7 (35:56):
Dwan Blair was a.

Speaker 5 (35:58):
Guy that had great feel and he had a big
boy and he banged was with some of the bigger
centers and he's a great rebounder. And then Brandon Wright
was one of the best rim threats that I've ever
seen in the NBA and certainly ever coached. So it
was it was rare in a game that year and
we're in a playoff game that all three of them

(36:19):
didn't play some minutes.

Speaker 7 (36:22):
So I don't know if it's gonna look like that.
You know, we've got.

Speaker 5 (36:26):
Isaiah, We've got Jay Huff who we traded for. Who's
who's a stretch big. We've got Tony Bradley, who you
know was a very important player for us last year
in the playoffs, you know, matching up with guys like
Mitchell Robinson and and Jared Allen Young because he's a
great rebounder and has great feel and and James Wiseman

(36:48):
is in the mix too, and Wiseman has done some
very good things in preseasons. So and then and then
we have Obi Toppen, who played you know, a pretty
significant number of minutes at five.

Speaker 7 (37:00):
During the regular season as well as the playoffs last year.

Speaker 5 (37:03):
So you know, there's a lot of there's a lot
of options there and and so we'll have to see
how it all shakes out. But there's great opportunity and
the guys.

Speaker 7 (37:15):
That are working hard, so we'll see what's what.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Again, we have Rick Carlile, Indiana Pacers head coach, joining
us on the Pillow Scars hot line right now. And Rick,
a lot of us have tuned into the Starting five
Netflix documentary on Tyre's Halliburton The Feld the players in
the NBA. I know you mentioned throughout the playoffs how
much you loved or did not love the cameras being
around you at all moments of the day. But as

(37:38):
someone who experienced it firsthand, do you tune into those
types of series? Are you someone who's just like, you
know what, I have my fix living it out in
real life?

Speaker 5 (37:48):
Yeah? Right now, I've got other things that focusing on.
But I've heard it's very good, and I've heard that
it's it's it's very going.

Speaker 7 (38:00):
I mean, certainly certainly have certainly had a lot.

Speaker 5 (38:03):
Of footage to uh to choose from. And I know,
I know a lot of the vast majority of it
was not even around our facility or our team in
our you know, in the.

Speaker 7 (38:16):
Hotel and stuff like that.

Speaker 5 (38:17):
A lot of it was off site, you know, at
h at Tyres's home, you know, or with his mom
and dad, et cetera. So, you know, from a human
interest standpoint, I'm sure it's uh, I'm sure it's excellent.
And you know, now nowadays, the access for that kind
of stuff is.

Speaker 7 (38:36):
Uh, you know, it's it's.

Speaker 5 (38:39):
It's like it's it's like never before and and players
are very comfortable with cameras following them around and with
microphones on and stuff like that, and it's really it's
it's all become a part of this business, and coaching
is really not much different, you know, over the years,
you know, as I've been president of the Coaches Association

(39:02):
in the last twenty years and really in seven this
is when a lot of the real true access stuff.

Speaker 7 (39:10):
Came into the foe. You know, I've been I've been telling.

Speaker 5 (39:14):
Our coaches for for many years that, you know, coaching
the games and coaching developing players and all that is
going to be It's always going to be, you know,
the major part of it, uh, you know, being on
camera and you know, in some ways being a content creator.
I hate that word because it's one of the it's

(39:36):
one of the things that drives people, you know, nuts
in our profession, you know, the people that come out
with hot takes and all that kind of stuff. But
but in a way, it's really true. You know, you're
gonna have robotic cameras in the locker room, maybe be
a lot of different.

Speaker 7 (39:51):
Different approaches this year.

Speaker 5 (39:53):
You know, I think there's gonna be a a peacock
game every Monday night where there's gonna be two guys,
one guy sitting next right almost on the bench of
one team and another guy's gonna be on the bench
of another Austin Rivers and Robbie Hummel, and these guys
are gonna be trying to really get into the intimacies
of the game.

Speaker 7 (40:12):
And so.

Speaker 5 (40:15):
Things are very ambitious in the world of access, which
which I completely understand. And uh, you know, this year
with all the new broadcast partners, I mean, there's like
four or five different carriers of NBA basketball, and on
the one hand, it's seems like it might be a
bit confusing. On the other hand, I'm sure the network

(40:38):
is gonna make sure it's it's something that can be sorted.

Speaker 7 (40:40):
Up very easily.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
I get coach, there's probably a little bit of a hey,
we gotta, you know, move on from last year, But
will you guys do anything pre game? I don't to
honor I don't know full building in there to honor
last year's team. I don't know if it's raising a
banner for the Eastern Conference Championship or anything like that.
Thursday night.

Speaker 7 (41:00):
My understanding is that there will be.

Speaker 5 (41:04):
An acknowledgement of the Eastern Conference Championship banner.

Speaker 7 (41:08):
I don't know. I don't know that it's going to
be a long drawn out thing. I do think it's appropriate.
You know, we had our annual meeting with all of.

Speaker 5 (41:20):
Our doctors last night. We have a very really you know,
rare situation. We have specialists from virtually every aspect of
medicine that are available to our players.

Speaker 7 (41:37):
Coaches too, luckily, you know, really on.

Speaker 5 (41:41):
A moment's notice, and so every year we honor them.

Speaker 7 (41:44):
We bring them together with a dinner. And one of
the things that.

Speaker 5 (41:47):
We did last night was all the doctors that they
wanted to got a picture with me and Kevin Richard
and the U in the Eastern Conference Championship trophy, which
was kind of cool. It's a really nice trophy. It's
it's actually great, a bit nicer than the one they
gave us in twenty eleven.

Speaker 7 (42:03):
So that was cool.

Speaker 5 (42:05):
But but yeah, I know, it's hey, last year was
last year was really great and there was so much
about it that was moving and inspirational, et cetera. It
got our fans really going. But you know, once once
that acknowledgement happens, you know, we're into the realities of

(42:29):
this year and some of the challenges that we have
right off the bat, and we're playing the World champions
You know, with Oklahoma coming in the year, so there
was a lot going on, but a lot of challenges
that we're looking forward to.

Speaker 4 (42:42):
Last one, I'll let you get out of here.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
Rick.

Speaker 3 (42:44):
We saw you get dressed up for your daughter sorority
sorority formal, had the boat tie on. You used to
see a yen then you know, pull over something like
that Pacers version. So how awesome was that to just
get that slice of life, real life before you get
back to the grind.

Speaker 7 (43:01):
Yeah, it was. It was an amazing night. And uh
it's the Kapa.

Speaker 5 (43:06):
Kappa Gamma Sorority parents formal, and it was. It was wonderful, great,
a great night in Charlottesville.

Speaker 7 (43:15):
The weather, the weather.

Speaker 5 (43:16):
There over the last seven weeks it's been like mid
seventies and sunny and just a light breeze.

Speaker 7 (43:22):
It's just been unreal.

Speaker 5 (43:24):
It's it's one of the most bucolic places you're ever
gonna find in life.

Speaker 7 (43:29):
And uh, and getting to spend that that that evening
with her was really special.

Speaker 5 (43:34):
So very grateful to the organization for saying, yeah, that's
okay to do that and uh.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
Asking you more of a petting zoo party guy at
u v A or you more of a get dressed
up for the formal guy.

Speaker 7 (43:52):
Well, I don't know. I wouldn't even know begin to
know how to answer that question. I think for the
for the for the h.

Speaker 5 (44:01):
I think i'd have to say probably as little as
I like to get dressed up, probably a little more
of a a formal of a parent's formal person than
you know, what do they call it the sat petting
zou or whatever it was? You know, I ended up
at one of those parties last year, but you know

(44:23):
that's that's unlikely to happen in the future.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
Well, you look sharp and certainly looked like an awesome
moment for you guys. Over the weekend again, Pacers Thunder
starting Thursday night inside a game Bridgefield House, and we
are very very appreciative of Tuesday's eight o'clock with the
head coach of the Pacers, Rick Carlisle, coach. Thank you,
good luck and we'll talk to you next week.

Speaker 8 (44:43):
All right, guys, take care and out loud on the radio.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
Mark about Smashing Pumpkins.

Speaker 6 (44:47):
I love this song. Great song by Smashing Pumpkins. It's
called zero. For those of you who like to know
the names of the songs, it's called zero, and I believe.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Joel a Ericson of the Indie Stars is joining us
right now. Geez what this is a good song.

Speaker 1 (45:03):
He's just one of.

Speaker 2 (45:04):
My favorites on spots. Do you want me to your
team lose? It's a Joli Erickson's team.

Speaker 6 (45:11):
That's all ancient history at this point.

Speaker 2 (45:14):
Oh my god, this is pathetic by Mark. This is
worse than he was trying to complain about the officials
and the Bears gave up fifty song.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
I just know that your team is where Mark's team
went to die this year.

Speaker 2 (45:26):
That's all.

Speaker 8 (45:28):
Yeah, it's it's I don't know where Mark's going with
this one. It's it's pretty tough. Did they played my
team in the playoffs and lost?

Speaker 2 (45:37):
So I agree?

Speaker 8 (45:39):
James James James as the as the resident expert on
trash talk, what what's What's? Mark got a chance to
stand down here.

Speaker 6 (45:45):
So so here he hung the l flag and then
they won zero games from then out exactly.

Speaker 3 (45:50):
That that's where you're going to say, hey, we won
the same amount of games in the next series.

Speaker 8 (45:54):
So so, Mark, who has played like every cub song
possible when I come on the radio, is upset that
the Brewers trolled the Cubs after beating them.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
This is a new love Joe brother syndrome. That's all
it is. We're here scratching his back. Man, this is pathetic.
This I couldn't belive. I can't believe he stooped to
this level. Kevin suggested this song. Hell, no, good morning, Joe.
How are you doing today?

Speaker 8 (46:21):
I'm good, I'm good. Are you guys? Do it?

Speaker 2 (46:23):
We're great?

Speaker 1 (46:23):
Thanks for joining us. Is always on the Payless Liquors hotline.
Six and one in leading so many offensive categories and
number one ranked in the AFC. Like, it does not
appear like this train is gonna slow down. What do
you think so far of this this Colts team?

Speaker 8 (46:40):
Yeah, I mean I think I think we're kind of
at the point now where we should expect this Colts
offense to be great until they honestly, honestly, it's not
even just one performance anymore. It's got to be a
bunch of performances go wrong in a row. Before we
Readjust because you know that Chargers team coming in, there's

(47:01):
there passing stats for like this is the top five
pass defense. The Colts went out and Daniel Jones threw
for two hundred and eighty eight yards and they had
four hundred yards, and you know they it's there's there's
nothing to I know there's still people saying some stuff
about the schedule, but the Broncos are like a top
up until up until Sunday, were like a top two defense.

(47:24):
They're just really good on offense. They're really balanced. They've
got a good offensive line. They don't have to run
jat all the time, so when they do, it's more
it's even more effective. And they got a whole bunch
of different weapons. It's really hard to find a weakness
in the way the Colts have played offense so.

Speaker 2 (47:38):
Far, joellet's foreign for Chris Bauer to sit here at
this part of the season and be in the position
that they are. I tend to think he will be
looking at making a move now. Where exactly that happens, though,
I think is a pretty good debate, So I'll throw
it your way. You think cornerback or the you think
defensive end is more pressing right now, I.

Speaker 8 (47:58):
Think it's cornerback. I just think you know, they're they're
not getting as much edge rush as I think most
people would would like to see. It's still it's still
a DeForest Buckner heavy pass rush from the inside, but
they have players. You know, if if there were more
serious injuries to Ebicom and Taekwon Lewis, it doesn't sound

(48:19):
like those injuries are are long term. You know, I
think maybe you could make the edge edge rusher argument
a little bit better. The argument against corner to me,
is really just that there don't seem to be a
bunch of good ones out there on the market, but
the the situation they're in just in terms of depth

(48:41):
and injury and not knowing when people are going to
be back, Like if it was me, I go get
a corner. And I think the other thing is Chris
Ballor himself has signaled to us all offseason that this
defense needs cornerbacks. You know that they clearly don't have
answers too, because you know, they played Cameron Mitchell and
Jonathan Edwards about the same amount on Sunday. They need

(49:03):
to find somebody who they can feel like they can
play them with these guys on the injured reserve.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
Could you make the argument Javeri's Ward will be back
at some point and there's no Javari's Ward at defensive end.

Speaker 8 (49:16):
I think you could. I think you could. And you
could also make the argument that you know, at the
trade deadline you take what's available, and so if if
there's pass rushers available, you could you can do that.
I think you could make that argument. I just think
that we've seen games already. The Rams game is one
of them where they're getting pressure off the edge and

(49:37):
it doesn't matter because the corners can't hold up long
enough to uh to keep the quarter make the quarterback
hold the ball. So I just think they got to
have they got to have help at that cornerback position.

Speaker 3 (49:48):
And again we have Joel a Ericson joining us from
Indie Starr on the Paylofsticas hot line. And Joel, I
must admit, you might have the biggest man crush onto
four Orus Buckner.

Speaker 4 (50:01):
There is no greater appreciator.

Speaker 2 (50:03):
I think you're gonna say, Riego Sax.

Speaker 3 (50:04):
What I mean, there's a no first of all, joeys
a crush on anything that looks weird in football, that
looks old school in football, and that like hurts my
brain happen fourth down exactly Like he's the guy who
keeps up with all the weird intricacies. You know, you
were on the Zoom call a couple weeks ago, Kevin,
where we have special teams coordinator Brian Mason Joy and
he gives a Joel's shout out because he noticed some

(50:25):
weird thing in practice, and I'm like, of course Joel
noticed this. So getting back to the point, what how
would you describe the formans that the Forest Buckner put
on Sunday and the level he's playing at this season.

Speaker 8 (50:37):
It's he's The hard thing with Buckner is that with
pass rushers, everyone always looks at sacks, and I think
that's kind of what happened. What's happened to Butner is
just that from a national perspective, he doesn't get the
same credit that like a Chris Jones gets or some
of these other guys, just because honestly, the Colts haven't
been good. But I kind of do this thing during

(50:59):
games most the time where I try to watch the
line first and then and then and then move on
to where the ball is going. And Butner has just
faced so many double teams this year. If he if
you he said after the game on Sunday, he said
something about like I was able to win my one
on ones when I got him I went back and
watched his sacks. He didn't really get right on right,

(51:20):
but he got double teams where he beat one guy
first and then the next guy second, so he kind
of turned the double team into two one on ones.
He's a guy, that's he. I just don't think he's
probably appreciated enough nationally for how good he is. He's
right up there with those other defensive tackles, and it's

(51:40):
just it's just a matter of team success. A game
like the other day, it's not a great Chargers offensive line,
but he's got to fight through a double team on
like literally almost every snap.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
If there is someone who is If there is ever
a moment in the history of football where DeForest Buckner
is without fans, it is because Joey Erics something has
happened to him.

Speaker 4 (52:00):
I gotta go find it.

Speaker 3 (52:01):
What I was checking, my buddy, because that man gave
him his flowers and deservedly sow. The tape is unbelievable
from what we saw from the Forrest Buckner.

Speaker 2 (52:08):
Rego or buck.

Speaker 8 (52:11):
Oh man, I have to choose.

Speaker 2 (52:16):
The question. The father of three boys here is pausing.

Speaker 8 (52:21):
I don't I don't want to, I don't want to choose.
I might, I might. I might have to go rego
just to just to stay consistent.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Yeah, but Buckner's got enough people that's fair on his
boat and there there's the there's there's not enough.

Speaker 8 (52:34):
I might have to go with the witch. He's the
way the way the ball bounces on those plots like people.
People are really aren't appreciating it now because he's not
punning at all, which is great for the colts, but
you know, you gotta appreciate Rigo Sanchez when he's out there.

Speaker 2 (52:49):
Yeah, it's bad for your fandom and you're carrying the
flag for it. Joel A. Erickson from The Star with
U here Palistickers hotline Joey teased a little bit earlier.
Really enjoyed reading so far too, and feel free to tease,
uh when the Kaylin Jackson feature will be published. But
you've written on both the older Ursay daughters so far,
Carly and Casey. I think excellent reads, just great backgrounds,

(53:11):
particularly Casey, who was probably the least in the spotlight
from an organizational standpoint. And yes she is married to
a foight. Really really well done. Uh kind of how
did that idea start? And just any grand takeaways you've
had in chatting.

Speaker 8 (53:25):
With him, Well, I think I think it's something that
we've kind of wanted to do for a while. And
the idea was really not necessarily to write something that, uh,
you know, where we slam in on all of the
issues pertaining to the team and do all all and
you know, do the super newsy stuff. The idea was

(53:45):
to sort of introduce these three people to the city
of Indianapolis in in whatever way we could. Because we
we knew a ton about jim irsay and and his
likes and dislikes and how you know how like how
he thought and everything. We didn't know as much about
the people taking over for him, and so that's that's
kind of where the genesis of the story went. I

(54:07):
think one of the things that maybe is the biggest
takeaway is that I think when when they took over,
there was sort of this feeling or the way they were,
The way it was talked about was like, you know,
they're stepping into this new role that they haven't this
new role it's and it is new in terms of
them being the the three of them with with Karl

(54:27):
obviously being the principal owner, being the primary owners but
the thing I think sticks out to me is that
it's really not new for them. They've been doing this
stuff for a really, really long time, and the thing
that changed is just that they're officially in charge.

Speaker 2 (54:45):
Talking to Joeli Erickson and the Kalin one Ye is it?

Speaker 8 (54:49):
It should be? I was working on that last night,
and it will come down to when the right time
to publish it is from the Indie Star offices, so
that one, that one is coming soon. Don't know exactly when,
but it's coming soon.

Speaker 4 (55:01):
I'll tell him to keep a move on it.

Speaker 3 (55:03):
I trolled Joel with this after every game because we
were in LA last weekend. Obviously, all the other stories
that he does, and I tell him is Han'm a subscriber,
so I need those stories on time. And he certainly,
you know, feeds the beast. So I'm shouting to me, Star,
he's to be telling Mark to kiss his ass after
telling you to kiss his ass?

Speaker 4 (55:19):
Well, I mean, he knows. I feel like Joel just
kind of like the little brother.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
He just looks at me, he goes, yeah, I'm gonna
just tune this guy out for the moment and get
back to work, which usually is and I'd imagine that's
why he's so successful what he does.

Speaker 8 (55:33):
Yeah, well, I mean part of it. Part of it
is just the way the way it works with us
being the local paper. Like I, there's there's more that
needs to be written for me. And now you know,
now I I we have Nathan Brown on the beat too,
so I've got some help. But for the first seven
weeks of the season, it wasn't so like what James
is kind of referring to is uh Like on Sunday

(55:55):
we got to the press block and I was like, so,
there's eight things I could write, and like, I think
somebody else would have to make the decision. I think
I wrote five of them or six of them, depending
on when you want to to do that. And James
James is always like, hey, you got to have that
up before you get to the radio show, just in
case there's something I didn't know about there.

Speaker 4 (56:16):
You come serious.

Speaker 2 (56:17):
By the way, shout out to Nathan Brown. I know
that was announced yesterday on social but you know I
were in the For those unfamiliar, if you remember Nate Atkins,
Joel's sidekick covering the Colts here for the last couple
of years. He's now with the Rams. He's now a
colleague of James Boyd over at the Athletic covering the Rams.
Nathan Brown will slide over from the IndyCar Beat, which

(56:37):
I think the IndyCar Beat would be one of the
harder ones out there to cover. And I thought Nathan
did such a great job at the start. I worked
with him back of the IDs way back in the
day and was always very admiring frankly of his work ethic.
So looking forward to having him join the BA. It's
a loss for Indy Carr, but good news for Joeli
Ericson in his workload.

Speaker 8 (56:58):
I think I think think the coolest thing to see
was yesterday after Nathan you know, put his his I'm
headed to the Colt's feat message there on the social
media accounts. So seeing how many people are like the
in the Indie Star is where I go for IndyCar coverage,
and I live in Japan or you know, somewhere on
the West Coast or something like that, that that stuff

(57:19):
is really neat. It's an unique position that he's had
and now now he gets to come learn in the NFL,
which we've we've done this before where Jimi Elo was,
you know, he was covering IndyCar and then shifted over.
So yeah, it's it's exciting to have somebody else on
the beat and he gets to come along in a
really nice time. You know, he's not coming in where
they're you know, two and five or three and four,

(57:42):
and everyone's upset he's coming in the opposite way.

Speaker 1 (57:45):
Jill, I'm just curious. Fourteen and a half point spread
for the Colts and the Titans this coming weekend. We
know the NFL is in any given Sunday, but it
doesn't look good for the Titans right now. Is that
line more an indication of how good the Cults are
thought to be or how bad the Titans are a
little bit of both.

Speaker 8 (58:05):
Man, I'm I'm not the biggest betting expert for you.
I don't feel like you see lines like fourteen and
a half in the NFL very often that that feels
more like a like a good SEC team versus a
bad big twelve team type of line or something. I
don't know's it's I think it's probably both. I think
the answer is probably both. People are realizing that the

(58:26):
Colts just put up points. They just score points every week,
regardless of the matchup. And I think the other thing
is just this Titan team doesn't have a head coach.
They feel pretty rudderless at the moment, and that's how
you get one of the bigger lines you're going to
see in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
Joel the Colts. This would be the twelfth time, assuming
this holds, since two thousand, they've been a two touchdown favorite.
They are ten and one in such games. Can you
recall the one?

Speaker 8 (58:55):
I cannot? I'm bad with betting lines. I'm terrible.

Speaker 4 (58:59):
This had to be the that was Jacksonville?

Speaker 2 (59:00):
You joined the beat win.

Speaker 8 (59:03):
Twenty eighteen? Is it? Is it? It's twenty eighteen? So
is it the is it? The season op in twenty twenty.

Speaker 2 (59:14):
A Colts player who made a special teams tackle on
Sunday scored the first touchdown in this game for the opponent.

Speaker 8 (59:22):
Oh I know, okay, Oh it's Nike Hines.

Speaker 2 (59:27):
No, no, no, no, James Boyd.

Speaker 8 (59:30):
Yeah, I'm missing the game.

Speaker 4 (59:32):
Gonna say it's Lakwan Treadwell.

Speaker 2 (59:34):
Lakwan Treadwell, as is Jacksonville Jaguar the season finale in
twenty twenty one. That game is just cursed And yes,
indeed that was Jones.

Speaker 8 (59:49):
If Daniel Jones beats Jacksonville in Jacksonville? Does that does
that make him like, like, does that that make him
the ultimate?

Speaker 2 (59:57):
Oh? Yeah, I've said this for the Peyton Manning statue
goes to ship Heroes parking lot and Daniel Jones statue
goes out front.

Speaker 7 (01:00:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
I think Daniel Jones walks into the locker room after
the game Joel with an extension in hand and says,
you know I already signed. All I need to do
is ad a couple zeros and then you can sign.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
And is this right? The Colts were down twenty six
to three in that game with five minutes to go. God,
that is right.

Speaker 8 (01:00:21):
Yeah, that is right.

Speaker 2 (01:00:22):
And that was they had to win to get in right.

Speaker 8 (01:00:25):
I still think though that the most the more most
confusing one in the Jacksonville streak is when the twenty
eighteen right after I got in the beat, when the
twenty eighteen Colts were in the middle of running off
Penn wins in eleven games and the one game they
lost was to like Cody Keetsli Yeah six nothing in
Jacksonville and they scored no points. That one is the

(01:00:46):
one that I still can't like, I can't process.

Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
That one more so than Philip Rivers losing to was
it Urban Meyer. I'm trying to think of the head
coach would have been in twenty twenty. Then Jacksonville go
one and fifteen and their only win was over the Colts.

Speaker 8 (01:00:58):
They they did, but like some some of that you
just kind of go like a season opener.

Speaker 2 (01:01:03):
Yeah, covid year.

Speaker 8 (01:01:05):
That team didn't really hit its stride until after that
Rivers Cleveland Browns game, the Andrew Luck one. The other
thing is I think that there's also a personal element
to me. I had this story geared up on the
Colts offense and how they'd found balance, and we had
to push it back like a month because my editor
correctly was like, well, we can't run a story about

(01:01:25):
how good the offense is as they scored no points
in Jacksonville.

Speaker 2 (01:01:29):
Yeah, all I remember was a million red zone drives
and none of them working, and then like going forward
constantly on fourth down. Joel, thank you for the time,
and I will say, respectfully, Mark Dyighton kiss Joel's ass.

Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (01:01:43):
My thing is, why didn't they use the W flag?
Why'd they do the L flag? Because now you have
a meme for twenty years because your team lost, but
they but the Brewers won.

Speaker 2 (01:01:53):
Once you hang the W flag, we don't fly.

Speaker 8 (01:01:55):
We don't fly a flag. That's only a Chicago thing.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
You run brought worst down the outfield, all right, just
go nowhere, just.

Speaker 8 (01:02:02):
Saying that's better than a flag.

Speaker 4 (01:02:04):
Yeah, Joel, let me know if you want me to
punch him, I will.

Speaker 2 (01:02:06):
It sounds like two fourth graders. Just your mom, No,
your mom, thank you. We're gonna play POGs later