WEBVTT - Best of JMV 8/24/26

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<v Speaker 1>Meantime on the Andy Moore demon If Group Potline. He

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<v Speaker 1>is the voice of the Fever friend of this show,

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<v Speaker 1>Pat Boylan joins us, Hello, Pat, how are you John?

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to be with you?

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<v Speaker 1>What is the game? The performance individually? Speaking of Caitlyn

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<v Speaker 1>Clark last night, what does that rank and performances you've

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<v Speaker 1>seen from her prior?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah? Up there anecdotally top of my head, probably top five.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean when you consider look, I know, at face value,

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<v Speaker 2>you look at this game on Sunday and somebody who

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<v Speaker 2>maybe is a more casual fan m look at it

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<v Speaker 2>and say, well, they beat a non playoff team against

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<v Speaker 2>in Chicago. You know that doesn't jump off the page.

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<v Speaker 2>But if you look at the circumstances around this game.

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<v Speaker 2>This was the fifth game of Indiana's longest road trip

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<v Speaker 2>of the season. We know how difficult the final games

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<v Speaker 2>of road trips can be. The WNBA schedule makers did

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<v Speaker 2>not do them any favors by making that fifth game

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<v Speaker 2>a back to back. They played on Saturday and then

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<v Speaker 2>they played on Sunday. You don't have a Leah Boston,

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<v Speaker 2>one of your Big three. Chicago had won three in

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<v Speaker 2>a row going into that game, and of course you're

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<v Speaker 2>on the road, so all of those things considered. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I thought Sunday had the potential to be one of

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<v Speaker 2>those games that could be of the trap variety and

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<v Speaker 2>really really challenging. And without a Leah Boston, you're missing

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<v Speaker 2>so much frontcourt presence. You needed big games from both

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<v Speaker 2>of your guards to win. Now it turns out you've

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<v Speaker 2>got spectacular games. I don't know that you quite needed

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<v Speaker 2>thirty seven and ten and thirty. I mean, what what

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<v Speaker 2>Caitlyn Clark and Kelsey Mitchell did in the second half

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<v Speaker 2>was spectacular. It was It was maybe the best half

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<v Speaker 2>performance I've seen from those two combined. When you looked

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<v Speaker 2>at what they did and you know, missing one of

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<v Speaker 2>their all stars, those two stepped up in a big way. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 2>Caitlin was brilliant, not just with her shooting, but with

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<v Speaker 2>her passing as well. And on a night where you

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<v Speaker 2>have to step your game up a little bit at

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<v Speaker 2>the end of a road trip, tired legs could be

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<v Speaker 2>coming into play. The Fever looked the opposite, and in

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<v Speaker 2>their three back to backs this year, second half of

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<v Speaker 2>back to backs, they're three and zero in those games.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think a testament to mental toughness as well

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<v Speaker 2>as physical.

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<v Speaker 1>As Pat Boiler and the voice of the Fever on

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<v Speaker 1>the Andy Morri Automotive croupilin also a part of the

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<v Speaker 1>Pacer Radio and Television networks, in which we'll talk a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit about the content provider of that coming up

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit later on. But you look back at

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<v Speaker 1>the Fever and they were on top of a two

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<v Speaker 1>game losing skid, and really there were some situations, maybe

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<v Speaker 1>not late in Dallas, but at least in the second half,

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<v Speaker 1>but definitely late in that Brooklyn game to where it

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<v Speaker 1>came down to execution, and it was disappointing. The Fever

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<v Speaker 1>did not qualify in that category to execute at the

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<v Speaker 1>level in which it was necessary to win on the road.

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<v Speaker 1>So I think yesterday that was another reason why last

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<v Speaker 1>night that that game was so good, because as you

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<v Speaker 1>kind of wondered where they might have been at the

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<v Speaker 1>tail end of that road trip.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, no, I and again it had all the makings

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<v Speaker 2>of a game that whatever you want to describe at

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<v Speaker 2>trap game whatever, being way way more difficult than you

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<v Speaker 2>might appear it to be on the schedule. I mean, Chicago,

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<v Speaker 2>who came in on a night's rest just beat Golden

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<v Speaker 2>State in their previous game. Who currently is the two seeds,

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<v Speaker 2>So I mean it gives you an idea they're playing

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<v Speaker 2>at a higher level than the record suggests, and there

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<v Speaker 2>were so many factors that were going against them, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, frankly, it was a dog fight through three quarters.

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<v Speaker 2>Caitlin and Kelsey really started to emerge in that third quarter,

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<v Speaker 2>but you go to break and I think after the

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<v Speaker 2>third it was a four or five point game, and

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<v Speaker 2>I remember thinking, Wow, those two were just spectacular, but

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<v Speaker 2>you still have so much work to be done well

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<v Speaker 2>then those two and not just those two, by the way,

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<v Speaker 2>I thought Mikaela Timpson was really good again. Sophie Cunningham

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<v Speaker 2>knocked down some shots. Maybe Lexi Hull's best game of

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<v Speaker 2>the season and certainly her best in the last couple

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<v Speaker 2>of month. So all of that's significant. Two, but your

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<v Speaker 2>stars weren't just stars. They were playmakers down the stretch.

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<v Speaker 2>They executed down the stretch, and you're right, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I thought for eight thirty of that fourth quarter against

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<v Speaker 2>New York the Fever played extremely well and were riding

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<v Speaker 2>a momentum wave that I thought was going to carry

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<v Speaker 2>them across the finish line. After Kelsey Mitchell hit that

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<v Speaker 2>three to tie the game with about ninety seconds left,

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<v Speaker 2>it kind of felt like one of those games that

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<v Speaker 2>the Fever might just steal a little bit like the

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<v Speaker 2>Atlanta game in game one of the trip. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I give New York a lot of credit. They immediately

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<v Speaker 2>got a bucket, they immediately got to stop, and then

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<v Speaker 2>a foul and the execution in the final ninety seconds

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<v Speaker 2>wasn't there. But look, if you don't get that Chicago

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<v Speaker 2>game on Sunday, I think you're viewing this from a

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<v Speaker 2>very different prism because you know, you're you're coming off

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<v Speaker 2>a three game losing streak, which really you haven't had

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<v Speaker 2>any significant stumbles really since mid jud or so for

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<v Speaker 2>this team, So it would have probably felt like the

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<v Speaker 2>first stumble as at least as it relates to a

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<v Speaker 2>potential three game losing streak, and you're you're all of

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<v Speaker 2>a sudden a game behind Atlanta and you're just barely

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<v Speaker 2>holding off New York. I think they'd only be a

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<v Speaker 2>half game ahead of New York had they lost it.

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<v Speaker 2>So it was significant, and really I can't ever remember

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<v Speaker 2>the WNBA like this in terms of this competitive as

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<v Speaker 2>it relates to the top eight. I mean, Dallas right

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<v Speaker 2>now is the eight seed, and they could easily be

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<v Speaker 2>a top three or four team, and frankly work for

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of the years. So all of these teams

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<v Speaker 2>that are in the top eight are very very close

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<v Speaker 2>to each other. They're all very good, they're all very competitive,

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<v Speaker 2>and so each of these games down the stretch I

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<v Speaker 2>would argue mean more than at any point in the

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<v Speaker 2>history of the WNBA, just because I can't remember it

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<v Speaker 2>ever being this competitive one through eight, and the difference

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<v Speaker 2>between being, you know, a two seed and a seventh

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<v Speaker 2>seed is obviously massive. And right now the Fever are

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<v Speaker 2>in a virtual tie for fifth or for fourth. Excuse me,

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<v Speaker 2>they're in fifth because they played two more games one

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<v Speaker 2>to one, lost one on Atlanta, and that right now,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, the tie breaker is still up in the

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<v Speaker 2>air on who would have it between the Fever and

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<v Speaker 2>the Dream, But right now, that's the difference between home

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<v Speaker 2>court advantage and not. And so these final handful of

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<v Speaker 2>games down the stretch for both of these teams are

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<v Speaker 2>going to be absolutely massive. They're going to feel like

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<v Speaker 2>playoff games. And frankly, these games for the last couple

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<v Speaker 2>of weeks have felt like playoff games.

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<v Speaker 1>Pat boylan joins us I thought the front court step

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<v Speaker 1>up of some folks last night was big in that

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<v Speaker 1>absence of a Leeah Boston.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean Mikayla Timpson. What more? First of all,

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<v Speaker 2>I'll start Eric, can you say about her? This is

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<v Speaker 2>a player that was a second round draft pick, went

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<v Speaker 2>mid second round. You know, those players are very rarely

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<v Speaker 2>starting in year number two, and she wasn't for most

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<v Speaker 2>of the year. But she brings something that the Fever

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<v Speaker 2>otherwise don't really have, and there's not a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>players like her around the league, just in terms of

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<v Speaker 2>her sheer lengths and disrupt of ability on the defensive end.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, if you look at wind Shares for that

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<v Speaker 2>draft class of twenty twenty five, it was loaded at

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<v Speaker 2>the top. It was Paige Becker's and Dominique Maloga and

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<v Speaker 2>Sony Citron and Keiki aria Fin and all four of

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<v Speaker 2>those are going to be perennial All Stars. And then

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<v Speaker 2>by win Shares, the fifth best player in the twenty

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<v Speaker 2>twenty five draft has been Mikayla Timpson, who then went

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<v Speaker 2>thirteen picks later. So that's looking like a fantastic find.

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<v Speaker 2>By the front office, and when you don't have a

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<v Speaker 2>Leah Boston, you know, it's a massive hole in the

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<v Speaker 2>middle that you're just trying to fill. Timpson twelve points,

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<v Speaker 2>nine rebounds, three assists, some really solid defense. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>it wasn't a standout game for Mobillings, but I thought

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<v Speaker 2>she held her own down there and then and then

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<v Speaker 2>I thought Maiosha Heinz Allen did so as well. And

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<v Speaker 2>Mercedes Russell played fourteen minutes. And this is a player

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<v Speaker 2>that wasn't even on the roster a few weeks ago,

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<v Speaker 2>and she's probably not going to be the game changer

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<v Speaker 2>type player. But was really jumping out to me watching

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<v Speaker 2>her is you know, the Fever run a fairly sophisticated

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<v Speaker 2>and elaborate offense. There's a ton of movement. You have

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<v Speaker 2>to know where everybody is at all times, and it

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<v Speaker 2>felt like she's really well ingrained in all of that,

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<v Speaker 2>just kind of watching her go through her reads. And

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<v Speaker 2>the Fever offense asked their front court to do a

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<v Speaker 2>lot in terms of passing and dribble handoffs and screening

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<v Speaker 2>and all of that, and so I've been really impressed

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<v Speaker 2>at her ability to pick things up quickly and immerse

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<v Speaker 2>herself quickly, and hopefully this is the last time you

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<v Speaker 2>and I are talking about a Leah Boston not playing.

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<v Speaker 2>She didn't play in both ends of the back to

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<v Speaker 2>backs in all three this year. There's no more back

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<v Speaker 2>to backs for the rest of the season, so knock

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<v Speaker 2>on wood if she stays healthy. This is a conversation

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<v Speaker 2>that we won't be having anymore, hopefully. But you had

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<v Speaker 2>to have it on Sunday, and you had to have

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<v Speaker 2>some players step up. The back court of Caitlyn Clark

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<v Speaker 2>and Kelsey Mitchell I think most notable, But the front

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<v Speaker 2>court players that did step up and hold their own

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<v Speaker 2>against a decent Chicago front court as well, certainly noteworthy,

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<v Speaker 2>certainly impactful in getting a key late season win Pat.

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<v Speaker 1>Boiler joh and Andy bore on a mother group Polong.

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<v Speaker 1>You get one more game August the twenty eighth, that's

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<v Speaker 1>on Friday against Connecticut, and then you've got a significant

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<v Speaker 1>break for the Fever games. Now, for a team like

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<v Speaker 1>the Fever that is up tempo, pushing the ball and

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<v Speaker 1>maybe doesn't rely slowing it down in half court and

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<v Speaker 1>relying on defense, how impactful do you believe that could be?

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<v Speaker 1>With that layoff for this team.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's an interesting question. I guess I hadn't really

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<v Speaker 2>thought about it in that prism. You know, maybe it

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<v Speaker 2>allows you to get your legs underneath you a little bit. Also,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it's a team that's based on timing and reads,

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<v Speaker 2>so that's you know, you could probably go either direction

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<v Speaker 2>with that. Caitlin Clark Elia Boston will be busy and

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<v Speaker 2>certainly staying basketball active, so I think it will be

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<v Speaker 2>key for the other players that are not a part

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<v Speaker 2>of Team USA. Of course, Stephanie White has the great

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<v Speaker 2>honor of being one of the coaches of that team,

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<v Speaker 2>and the Fever are extremely well represented. But for those

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<v Speaker 2>players that aren't staying in basketball shape, not losing a

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<v Speaker 2>beat from a conditioning standpoint, and then the timing thing,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, you hear about it all the time. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 2>when teams clinch a week or two the number one spot,

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<v Speaker 2>the number two spot in the standings, they have a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of weeks where they don't feel like they played

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred percent and then take some time off just

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<v Speaker 2>to make sure everybody's healthy. Then that first playoff game

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<v Speaker 2>can sometimes be a challenge. Well, I think everybody in

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<v Speaker 2>the league is going to be facing that once we

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<v Speaker 2>get into late September, and so who deals with that

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<v Speaker 2>the best will be a significant storyline. That said, it's

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<v Speaker 2>not a new storyline for players that have been in

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<v Speaker 2>the league for a while. The league does this essentially

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<v Speaker 2>for the Olympics every four years and then oftentimes the

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<v Speaker 2>World Cup as well. Now, in previous iterations of the

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<v Speaker 2>World Cup, the league will actually has actually finished its

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<v Speaker 2>entire season before the World Cup even begins. That's not

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<v Speaker 2>possible now that they're playing forty four games. So that

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<v Speaker 2>is a wrinkle into all of this. But look, I

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<v Speaker 2>think when we're talking in three weeks from now, how

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<v Speaker 2>quickly the Fever and everybody else around the WNBA can

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<v Speaker 2>pick back up will be a massive storyline. Teams that

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<v Speaker 2>take a lot of momentum into the fever break do

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<v Speaker 2>they still have it coming out of the fever break?

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<v Speaker 1>Now?

0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:18.000
<v Speaker 2>I think the Fever have done an excellent job when

0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:21.200
<v Speaker 2>they've been faced with similar situations. This year, they had

0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:24.000
<v Speaker 2>a seven day off period where if you really look

0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:26.839
<v Speaker 2>at the turning point of the season, you might label that.

0:11:27.200 --> 0:11:30.040
<v Speaker 2>I remember thinking when the Fever went into the All

0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.960
<v Speaker 2>Star break they were red hot, and thinking Hopefully this

0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:35.240
<v Speaker 2>All Star break is not coming at a bad time.

0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.560
<v Speaker 2>Six days off, the Fever picked up right where they

0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:41.000
<v Speaker 2>left off. So they've done a good job with gaps

0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:43.679
<v Speaker 2>in the calendar this year, but there is no gap

0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:46.839
<v Speaker 2>quite like the one that's coming up here very very soon.

0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:51.280
<v Speaker 2>So it's a fascinating twist into all of the storylines.

0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:54.960
<v Speaker 2>Is what version of these teams are coming back three

0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:57.440
<v Speaker 2>weeks later? And I think the answer to that question

0:11:57.800 --> 0:11:59.880
<v Speaker 2>could go a long way and determining not just where

0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:02.520
<v Speaker 2>the Fever end up at the end of the regular

0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:05.560
<v Speaker 2>season and into the playoffs, but you know who potentially

0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:07.080
<v Speaker 2>even the eventual champion is.

0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:09.400
<v Speaker 1>He is the voice of the Fever. He is Pat

0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:12.000
<v Speaker 1>Boyle and he's on the Andy More Automotive Group, Pilne.

0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:16.520
<v Speaker 1>This is getting to the point of contract buy out chase,

0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:22.040
<v Speaker 1>a championship type of year. Season wise timing, we saw

0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:26.440
<v Speaker 1>where former Fever player Dewana Bonner is now a member

0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:28.800
<v Speaker 1>in that particular category. Right, No, and she's not coming

0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:31.720
<v Speaker 1>back here, I'm sure, But what do you think she

0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:36.960
<v Speaker 1>may land that could have significant impact as we approach

0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:37.720
<v Speaker 1>the postseason.

0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:42.040
<v Speaker 2>It's a good question. You know, oftentimes buyouts like that

0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:48.200
<v Speaker 2>don't happen unless there's already some known interests behind the

0:12:48.240 --> 0:12:51.439
<v Speaker 2>scenes that another team might be interested, which is, of course,

0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:53.280
<v Speaker 2>is a fine line you always have to tell in

0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:57.160
<v Speaker 2>terms of tampering and all of that. But it's a

0:12:57.160 --> 0:13:00.320
<v Speaker 2>good question, you know, where she ends up. You know,

0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:02.800
<v Speaker 2>off the top of my head, Las Vegas hasn't been

0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:05.640
<v Speaker 2>afraid to, you know, kind of swing in terms of

0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:10.080
<v Speaker 2>bringing in players. They did that with Kennedy Carter. You know,

0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:13.200
<v Speaker 2>is she somebody that could fit in there? It would

0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:16.240
<v Speaker 2>just be hypothetical at this point. I would guess though,

0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:19.240
<v Speaker 2>the fact that the buyout happens suggests that there is

0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:23.200
<v Speaker 2>a team that is wanting to make this move and

0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:26.520
<v Speaker 2>that there could perhaps be news relatively quickly. You know,

0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:31.640
<v Speaker 2>the next question becomes how valuable is de Wanna Bonner

0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:35.240
<v Speaker 2>or any potential contract buyout player at this time of

0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:39.320
<v Speaker 2>the year. History tells you. In the WNBA and in

0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:44.680
<v Speaker 2>the NBA, oftentimes these contract buyouts are can be bigger names,

0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:47.480
<v Speaker 2>but they don't tend to have the massive impact that

0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:51.200
<v Speaker 2>you might think when they happen. She's a veteran player

0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:54.679
<v Speaker 2>with a ton of experience, and any team going into

0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:58.080
<v Speaker 2>the playoff needs that at the same time, you know,

0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:02.400
<v Speaker 2>the best days of Dewana Bonner were probably you know,

0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:05.679
<v Speaker 2>two plus years ago, so you know, how she fits

0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:07.240
<v Speaker 2>in on that end of the floor will be a

0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:10.760
<v Speaker 2>really interesting question. And again, all of these teams are

0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:13.240
<v Speaker 2>so close. And look, I don't want to disrespect Minnesota,

0:14:13.280 --> 0:14:15.880
<v Speaker 2>who's actually kind of checking out on everybody because they've

0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:20.000
<v Speaker 2>had a spectacular season, But everybody from two through eight

0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:22.640
<v Speaker 2>is within a few games of each other. And I

0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:25.760
<v Speaker 2>don't think Minnesota is the type of team that's unbeatable.

0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:27.640
<v Speaker 2>If you told me they want a championship, of course

0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:30.840
<v Speaker 2>I wouldn't be shocked. But I think numerous teams, including

0:14:30.840 --> 0:14:33.720
<v Speaker 2>the Fever, could take down the Links in a longer series.

0:14:33.760 --> 0:14:36.040
<v Speaker 2>And as we were talking, you know, last week before

0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:39.520
<v Speaker 2>the Fever games, I think the Fever's more scary playoff

0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.920
<v Speaker 2>series is the first one because that's only best of three.

0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:44.960
<v Speaker 2>I think this Fever team's going to be really hard

0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:47.320
<v Speaker 2>to beat if they can get into a best of

0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:50.360
<v Speaker 2>five or a best of seven situation, which is round

0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:53.640
<v Speaker 2>two and then the finals, respectively, because beating Caitlin Clark

0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:56.880
<v Speaker 2>and Kelsey Mitchell and Elijah Boston three or four times

0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.600
<v Speaker 2>is going to be a really, really difficult task. So

0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:06.360
<v Speaker 2>everybody's looking for any type of slight advantage when things

0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:09.760
<v Speaker 2>are this close, and it'll certainly be interesting to see

0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:12.800
<v Speaker 2>a where she ends up and b if she has

0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:16.520
<v Speaker 2>that significant type of impact considering how close everybody is.

0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:20.280
<v Speaker 3>Pat Caleb here, good to talk to you. I have

0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:22.480
<v Speaker 3>a question with this because when you were on the

0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:25.120
<v Speaker 3>Fever Takeover a few weeks ago, you talked about how

0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:28.880
<v Speaker 3>Stephanie White her teams usually get better as the season

0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.360
<v Speaker 3>goes on, and I think we've seen that play out

0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:33.480
<v Speaker 3>here over the last couple of weeks. But one thing

0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:36.040
<v Speaker 3>player wise that I think has improved as well as

0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:39.800
<v Speaker 3>Mikayla Timpson, just like, what have you seen, especially since

0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:42.160
<v Speaker 3>she got inserted in the starting lineup, Like last night

0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:45.160
<v Speaker 3>she had that left handed block which was insane. What

0:15:45.200 --> 0:15:48.200
<v Speaker 3>have you seen from her that's really helped this team?

0:15:48.240 --> 0:15:51.080
<v Speaker 3>And do you think it's elevated their ceiling a little bit?

0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:54.600
<v Speaker 2>I do, I absolutely do, Caleb. You know a couple moments,

0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:59.200
<v Speaker 2>first of all, stand out. She's had two significant stretches

0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:01.680
<v Speaker 2>late in game this year that you almost could point

0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:05.960
<v Speaker 2>to her individual play or sequence of plays as the

0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:09.160
<v Speaker 2>reason the Fever won. They're down by ten with five

0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:12.080
<v Speaker 2>minutes to go at Phoenix back in mid July. They

0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:15.600
<v Speaker 2>win that game, and I believe they are down ten

0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:18.920
<v Speaker 2>when Mikhayla Timpson pins the ball off the backboard and

0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:21.520
<v Speaker 2>the Fever get a three out of it, And it

0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:24.640
<v Speaker 2>was the momentum changer in that game. And as you know,

0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:26.680
<v Speaker 2>I think so many said at the time, including myself,

0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:29.600
<v Speaker 2>I've never seen anything like that in the WNBA, a

0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:33.040
<v Speaker 2>pin off the backboard like that. So she has this

0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:38.080
<v Speaker 2>skill set that just you so rarely see in terms

0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:41.240
<v Speaker 2>of her length and her athleticism defensively and the problems

0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:44.200
<v Speaker 2>that it can cause. And then in the Atlanta game

0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.560
<v Speaker 2>in the fourth quarter, she had three consecutive buckets down

0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:50.960
<v Speaker 2>the stretch in a massive game, one where the Fever

0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.200
<v Speaker 2>trailed almost to the whole way and then found a

0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:54.560
<v Speaker 2>way to get a win. So when I think of

0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:57.200
<v Speaker 2>her impact, I think of those two games and if

0:16:57.200 --> 0:16:59.120
<v Speaker 2>they go to the other direction where the Fever are

0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:03.240
<v Speaker 2>standing right now. But she just provides something defensively that

0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:06.800
<v Speaker 2>this team doesn't have in terms of that length. And

0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:09.880
<v Speaker 2>what impresses me about her defensively is oftentimes you'll see

0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.040
<v Speaker 2>Stephanie White like, you'll see her put her on the

0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:16.040
<v Speaker 2>point guard or the ball handler up top, and if

0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:20.080
<v Speaker 2>you're not watching intently, you might think, oh, that's a

0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:24.200
<v Speaker 2>switch or a mismatch. You know, the weaver didn't get

0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:27.920
<v Speaker 2>aligne defensively, and so therefore Mikayla Timpson is on a guard. No,

0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:31.920
<v Speaker 2>it's by design. It's because her length causes so much problems.

0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.639
<v Speaker 2>And she has quick enough foot speed to be able

0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:38.639
<v Speaker 2>to guard players much smaller than her and then also

0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:42.359
<v Speaker 2>cause disruptions in the passing lane. And then for all

0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.680
<v Speaker 2>of that, you still need somebody who can be competent

0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.200
<v Speaker 2>on the offensive end. Because if you're a great defender

0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:52.520
<v Speaker 2>but you're not capable offensively, then this is a team

0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:54.840
<v Speaker 2>you know that you might not fit on. And while

0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:56.880
<v Speaker 2>she's probably not going to be the player that ever

0:17:56.960 --> 0:18:00.040
<v Speaker 2>leads the team in scoring and maybe even take a

0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:04.440
<v Speaker 2>three point shot, she's very very capable, smooth around the rim,

0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:08.600
<v Speaker 2>and you know she rarely misses when she's rolling downhill,

0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:11.919
<v Speaker 2>you know, when she's getting those passes off of Caitlin Clark.

0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:14.399
<v Speaker 2>And let's give players like Caitlin a lot of credit

0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:17.920
<v Speaker 2>for her as well, because her ability to find Timpson

0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.359
<v Speaker 2>in those spaces is absolutely massive. But you know, look,

0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.080
<v Speaker 2>if we're talking at the end of the season and

0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:27.240
<v Speaker 2>you know, the Fever are are celebrating a deep type

0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:30.000
<v Speaker 2>of playoff run, I don't think it would be too

0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:33.320
<v Speaker 2>shocking to look back at Mikayla Timpson's insertion into the

0:18:33.359 --> 0:18:36.520
<v Speaker 2>starting lineup as one of the big impetuses for that.

0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:39.480
<v Speaker 2>So I do think it raises this team ceiling and

0:18:39.480 --> 0:18:43.080
<v Speaker 2>again the conversation of the all these teams that are

0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.080
<v Speaker 2>so close to each other are just looking for the

0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:47.920
<v Speaker 2>tiniest edges. Well, some team might sign to want to

0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:50.800
<v Speaker 2>bonner and get that, but I think for the Fever,

0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:54.240
<v Speaker 2>you know, finding this role for Mikayla Timpson could very

0:18:54.240 --> 0:18:55.120
<v Speaker 2>well provide that as.

0:18:55.040 --> 0:18:57.560
<v Speaker 1>Well to Pat boiling with us also a part of

0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:01.520
<v Speaker 1>the paces both radio and TV. The Zone. What are

0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:03.520
<v Speaker 1>your thoughts on that that's going to be a new

0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:05.400
<v Speaker 1>home for you coming up this year.

0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:08.280
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, well, and you know, we're excited about it. And

0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:11.880
<v Speaker 2>you know, I think Mel Rains and our leadership group

0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:13.760
<v Speaker 2>have done a good job of detailing some of the

0:19:13.760 --> 0:19:17.879
<v Speaker 2>differences and the improvements, especially from a streaming perspective, that

0:19:17.960 --> 0:19:21.600
<v Speaker 2>will have based on last year. You know, if you

0:19:21.640 --> 0:19:23.320
<v Speaker 2>look at some of the deals that they've got going

0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:25.600
<v Speaker 2>on right now, you can you can get in on

0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:28.160
<v Speaker 2>this for you know, I think it's like right around

0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:30.680
<v Speaker 2>sixty bucks for the whole season. And we're all we're

0:19:30.680 --> 0:19:33.440
<v Speaker 2>all in an era of transition right now, and everybody's

0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:35.560
<v Speaker 2>trying to figure out, you know, the best way to

0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:38.239
<v Speaker 2>do this. I think an important aspect of it is

0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:43.119
<v Speaker 2>having a great local channel media presence. Now that's not

0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:46.600
<v Speaker 2>always the easiest thing to have, because we experienced this

0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:50.040
<v Speaker 2>on the Fever side. WTCHR is a wonderful partner. We're

0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:52.440
<v Speaker 2>so grateful to have them. They have all these other

0:19:52.520 --> 0:19:55.920
<v Speaker 2>commitments and at times there's a handful of Fever games

0:19:55.960 --> 0:19:59.160
<v Speaker 2>every year that Aaron walv because they have so many

0:19:59.160 --> 0:20:02.360
<v Speaker 2>network commitments and they can't bow out of everything even

0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:05.080
<v Speaker 2>if they would like to. But the opportunity to have

0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:07.760
<v Speaker 2>more than a handful of games on local TV, I

0:20:08.000 --> 0:20:10.040
<v Speaker 2>think is a real win as well. And this is

0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:15.119
<v Speaker 2>an evolving, you know, evolution of a distribution platform. Forever

0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:18.280
<v Speaker 2>it was simple, and then cord cutting happened, and now

0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:20.360
<v Speaker 2>you know, everybody's trying to figure out the best way

0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:21.960
<v Speaker 2>to do it. But you know, I think from a

0:20:21.960 --> 0:20:24.480
<v Speaker 2>bottom line perspective, you're going to be able to stream

0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:26.200
<v Speaker 2>the Pacers. I think you're going to be able to

0:20:26.200 --> 0:20:29.000
<v Speaker 2>stream them at a higher quality than you could previously.

0:20:29.040 --> 0:20:31.120
<v Speaker 2>I think you're going to be able to do so

0:20:31.400 --> 0:20:34.960
<v Speaker 2>at a at a cheaper price point than previously. So

0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:37.440
<v Speaker 2>I think all of those are wins. And I'm excited

0:20:37.480 --> 0:20:41.359
<v Speaker 2>not only to see this, but as mentioned, hopefully more

0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:44.840
<v Speaker 2>than a handful of games available over the air and

0:20:45.000 --> 0:20:47.840
<v Speaker 2>on local TV as well. And yeah, I mean it's

0:20:47.880 --> 0:20:49.800
<v Speaker 2>it's going to be a time where, you know, hopefully

0:20:49.840 --> 0:20:53.240
<v Speaker 2>we're talking about a deep Fever playoff run and because

0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:56.800
<v Speaker 2>in part of the Fever World Cup that's going to

0:20:56.880 --> 0:20:59.960
<v Speaker 2>run into hopefully for the Fever right into the pace

0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:02.960
<v Speaker 2>through season. So you and I've had so many discussions

0:21:03.000 --> 0:21:06.000
<v Speaker 2>of the Fever starting up while the Pacers were on

0:21:06.080 --> 0:21:07.880
<v Speaker 2>those playoff runs that they were in the last couple

0:21:07.920 --> 0:21:11.080
<v Speaker 2>of years. You know, hopefully we're talking about the Indiana

0:21:11.080 --> 0:21:15.000
<v Speaker 2>Fever and a deep playoff run alongside the Indiana Pacers

0:21:15.080 --> 0:21:18.680
<v Speaker 2>and the dezonne Era, which will the preseason will tip

0:21:18.720 --> 0:21:21.240
<v Speaker 2>off in early October and then the regular season back

0:21:21.280 --> 0:21:22.080
<v Speaker 2>in late October.

0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:25.480
<v Speaker 1>Pat Bolan he is with us. By the way, I

0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:29.040
<v Speaker 1>brought this up a little bit earlier, I'm assuming you expect,

0:21:29.160 --> 0:21:34.000
<v Speaker 1>much like I do, for those experts nationally, to completely

0:21:34.280 --> 0:21:38.480
<v Speaker 1>downplay the level of play that is expected out of

0:21:38.520 --> 0:21:40.959
<v Speaker 1>this Pacer team this season. Is that what you were

0:21:41.000 --> 0:21:41.560
<v Speaker 1>thinking too?

0:21:42.240 --> 0:21:46.280
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, no question. And look there, they've never really you know,

0:21:46.320 --> 0:21:49.399
<v Speaker 2>the Pacers have never really ever been a trendy pick.

0:21:49.480 --> 0:21:52.280
<v Speaker 2>And then you add in some of the offseason movement

0:21:52.560 --> 0:21:55.200
<v Speaker 2>and the the out of side out of my nature

0:21:55.240 --> 0:21:58.320
<v Speaker 2>of what happened last year, I can't say I'm shocked.

0:21:58.560 --> 0:22:00.600
<v Speaker 2>At the same time, I think the Paces kind of

0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:03.680
<v Speaker 2>tend to revel in moments like these. I think it's

0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:07.399
<v Speaker 2>potentially a good thing in terms of okay, you know,

0:22:07.560 --> 0:22:09.880
<v Speaker 2>put the chip on your shoulder right at the start

0:22:09.920 --> 0:22:11.840
<v Speaker 2>of the year. And I think at the beginning of

0:22:11.880 --> 0:22:15.359
<v Speaker 2>the year, the biggest question is going to be where

0:22:15.440 --> 0:22:19.000
<v Speaker 2>is Tyrese Halliburton. And I think for all intents and purposes,

0:22:19.400 --> 0:22:22.160
<v Speaker 2>he is about as good as you could ever hope

0:22:22.200 --> 0:22:24.480
<v Speaker 2>he would be at this point coming off of what

0:22:24.560 --> 0:22:27.240
<v Speaker 2>he came off of. But still he's going to have,

0:22:27.440 --> 0:22:29.720
<v Speaker 2>you know, sixteen months since the last time he's played

0:22:29.760 --> 0:22:32.879
<v Speaker 2>in a competitive basketball game, and there are all sorts

0:22:32.920 --> 0:22:36.600
<v Speaker 2>of boxes he's going to need to check early on mentally, physically.

0:22:37.119 --> 0:22:40.600
<v Speaker 2>And then Zubats in the middle a wonderful center. I

0:22:40.640 --> 0:22:43.639
<v Speaker 2>think an upgrade at center of what you had, you know,

0:22:43.960 --> 0:22:46.760
<v Speaker 2>even with Miles Turner, who you were a fan of,

0:22:46.920 --> 0:22:48.760
<v Speaker 2>I was a fan of, But I think he's going

0:22:48.800 --> 0:22:51.399
<v Speaker 2>to be an upgrade there. But there's certainly a feeling

0:22:51.440 --> 0:22:55.359
<v Speaker 2>out process and how everything fits together, and the puzzle

0:22:55.359 --> 0:22:57.800
<v Speaker 2>pieces fit a little bit differently with him in the middle.

0:22:57.840 --> 0:23:01.119
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, you know, I hope got a deep fever

0:23:01.200 --> 0:23:03.880
<v Speaker 2>run to talk about. But once the Pacers come around,

0:23:04.040 --> 0:23:06.120
<v Speaker 2>you know, I think I think it's a really exciting

0:23:06.160 --> 0:23:08.560
<v Speaker 2>start of the season as well, not just because Haliburton

0:23:08.640 --> 0:23:12.359
<v Speaker 2>is back, but because they've absolutely got the type of

0:23:12.440 --> 0:23:16.560
<v Speaker 2>players around him to have another really deep run. That's

0:23:16.600 --> 0:23:19.959
<v Speaker 2>a conversation for months down the line. So I do

0:23:20.000 --> 0:23:22.560
<v Speaker 2>think it's important how they start and what the first

0:23:22.600 --> 0:23:25.000
<v Speaker 2>month looks like. At the same time, you know, if

0:23:25.000 --> 0:23:28.160
<v Speaker 2>it doesn't look perfect, hopefully there will be some understanding.

0:23:28.280 --> 0:23:32.040
<v Speaker 2>But yeah, the East, Honestly, I've been talking about this,

0:23:32.040 --> 0:23:35.040
<v Speaker 2>this crowded WNBA standings, but the East kind of looks

0:23:35.040 --> 0:23:37.280
<v Speaker 2>similar to me too. You know, I think there's probably

0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:41.119
<v Speaker 2>six seven eight teams that realistically feel like they could

0:23:41.160 --> 0:23:43.159
<v Speaker 2>and should win the conference, and I think the Pacers

0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:46.120
<v Speaker 2>are absolutely in that group. And fortunately for the Pacers,

0:23:46.160 --> 0:23:49.240
<v Speaker 2>unlike many of these teams, they've done that. They've experienced

0:23:49.280 --> 0:23:52.520
<v Speaker 2>two deep playoff runs. They've won the Eastern Conference from

0:23:52.560 --> 0:23:55.520
<v Speaker 2>a playoff perspective. So doing it is one thing from

0:23:55.520 --> 0:23:58.040
<v Speaker 2>feeling like you could do it, and the Pacers have

0:23:58.160 --> 0:24:01.359
<v Speaker 2>done that, and I expect no different, albeit you know,

0:24:01.480 --> 0:24:04.040
<v Speaker 2>maybe some some learning curves as things get started in

0:24:04.040 --> 0:24:05.600
<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty six, twenty seven.

0:24:05.520 --> 0:24:09.679
<v Speaker 1>Pat, I appreciate it today. Man, We'll we'll do it

0:24:09.680 --> 0:24:11.280
<v Speaker 1>a little bit later on too, and then we'll be

0:24:11.320 --> 0:24:15.040
<v Speaker 1>start starting to talk about the Pacers too. It's funny,

0:24:15.280 --> 0:24:17.919
<v Speaker 1>I want to have to share my stream on his

0:24:18.040 --> 0:24:21.160
<v Speaker 1>own with my mom not in Green County. I've tried

0:24:21.160 --> 0:24:24.000
<v Speaker 1>to explain this to her, so we're having to share now.

0:24:25.040 --> 0:24:28.879
<v Speaker 2>Well. I appreciate you helping educate everybody because obviously that

0:24:29.080 --> 0:24:30.439
<v Speaker 2>is you know, one of the things that we will

0:24:30.480 --> 0:24:32.440
<v Speaker 2>be looking to do is making sure everybody who got

0:24:32.480 --> 0:24:34.520
<v Speaker 2>it in a different manner is able to do so

0:24:34.680 --> 0:24:36.960
<v Speaker 2>as well. So that's very much a boots on the

0:24:36.960 --> 0:24:39.720
<v Speaker 2>ground operation. You appreciate you doing your part well.

0:24:39.760 --> 0:24:42.679
<v Speaker 1>Her favorite player is, as she calls him, ob tapping

0:24:43.119 --> 0:24:46.159
<v Speaker 1>so Obi tapping favorite player.

0:24:47.000 --> 0:24:47.840
<v Speaker 2>That's a good choice.

0:24:47.880 --> 0:24:48.800
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate you man.

0:24:49.280 --> 0:24:49.520
<v Speaker 2>Thanks.

0:24:49.560 --> 0:24:52.879
<v Speaker 1>Jean Pat Boyler, voice of the Fever from the Pacers

0:24:52.880 --> 0:24:57.480
<v Speaker 1>and Fever Radio and the Pacers Television Network, which is

0:24:58.520 --> 0:25:08.840
<v Speaker 1>now content as you know, the streaming service Dezone on

0:25:08.920 --> 0:25:12.639
<v Speaker 1>the Anymore Automotive Group plotline. He's from ESPN on ESPN

0:25:12.760 --> 0:25:17.280
<v Speaker 1>dot com. Uh. We both attended a matinee Saturday performance

0:25:17.400 --> 0:25:20.240
<v Speaker 1>regarding the Colts and probably wish we were doing something

0:25:20.240 --> 0:25:23.879
<v Speaker 1>else most of the time. Stephen Holder joins us. Now, hello, Stephen,

0:25:23.920 --> 0:25:24.320
<v Speaker 1>how are you?

0:25:25.920 --> 0:25:29.040
<v Speaker 4>I'm doing well. What a matinee it was? I tell you,

0:25:29.200 --> 0:25:30.280
<v Speaker 4>I was entertainment.

0:25:31.080 --> 0:25:34.159
<v Speaker 1>I was trying to think of the redeeming quality of

0:25:34.800 --> 0:25:40.639
<v Speaker 1>that performance, like anywhere, any significant takeaways, because I struggled

0:25:40.640 --> 0:25:45.840
<v Speaker 1>to find outside of the kicking battle now even closer

0:25:46.160 --> 0:25:50.600
<v Speaker 1>or if not completely changed overall, I found it really

0:25:50.600 --> 0:25:56.480
<v Speaker 1>difficult anything compelling to locate after that preseason game two Saturday.

0:25:57.760 --> 0:26:01.879
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, I think that's mostly true. I would start by saying,

0:26:03.000 --> 0:26:05.960
<v Speaker 5>I think a lot of the guys you saw playing

0:26:06.680 --> 0:26:09.840
<v Speaker 5>on Saturday, because I heard this feedback from a lot

0:26:09.880 --> 0:26:12.479
<v Speaker 5>of people. Man, our depth is really terrible on this team.

0:26:12.680 --> 0:26:15.880
<v Speaker 5>And that's a that's a reasonable conclusion because they got

0:26:15.920 --> 0:26:19.960
<v Speaker 5>their ass kicked right. But I still would say a

0:26:20.000 --> 0:26:21.879
<v Speaker 5>lot of the guys you saw are not going to

0:26:21.920 --> 0:26:24.840
<v Speaker 5>be on this roster. That's just putting it bluntly. There's

0:26:24.840 --> 0:26:30.520
<v Speaker 5>some practice squad guys, some backups, maybe second thirteen, but

0:26:31.160 --> 0:26:35.080
<v Speaker 5>generally that I think more or less the guys who

0:26:35.119 --> 0:26:38.119
<v Speaker 5>played on Saturday, you know, half those guys are not

0:26:38.119 --> 0:26:39.479
<v Speaker 5>going to be on the roster. So you can't make

0:26:39.520 --> 0:26:43.960
<v Speaker 5>any sweeping generalizations off of that. Now, what I would

0:26:43.960 --> 0:26:48.600
<v Speaker 5>say is that you're looking for some flashes, looking for

0:26:48.640 --> 0:26:51.440
<v Speaker 5>guys to flash, no matter who's on the field, and

0:26:51.680 --> 0:26:55.000
<v Speaker 5>I didn't see enough of that at all. And and

0:26:55.040 --> 0:26:57.960
<v Speaker 5>I think there were some isolated cases where you were

0:26:57.960 --> 0:27:00.800
<v Speaker 5>looking for that, you know, like a mom the receivers,

0:27:01.200 --> 0:27:02.920
<v Speaker 5>you know, could we see some flash there?

0:27:03.000 --> 0:27:04.200
<v Speaker 4>I don't know that we did.

0:27:05.000 --> 0:27:09.200
<v Speaker 5>I look at guys like Jalen touey Molau, He's played

0:27:09.359 --> 0:27:12.000
<v Speaker 5>a fair amount of snaps in this preseason, and I

0:27:12.080 --> 0:27:14.560
<v Speaker 5>have a lot of questions. I'm just being very honest,

0:27:15.320 --> 0:27:18.439
<v Speaker 5>he has not flashed, and I think he needs to

0:27:18.440 --> 0:27:22.000
<v Speaker 5>flash given who he was playing against, which is nobody.

0:27:22.520 --> 0:27:22.720
<v Speaker 4>Right.

0:27:22.880 --> 0:27:25.640
<v Speaker 5>So though there are some things that you could take away,

0:27:25.680 --> 0:27:29.480
<v Speaker 5>and then you mentioned the kicking situation. I do think

0:27:29.520 --> 0:27:34.200
<v Speaker 5>that was productive. That was I would say I flipped

0:27:34.240 --> 0:27:37.680
<v Speaker 5>my prediction based off of that game. I was leaning

0:27:37.680 --> 0:27:40.159
<v Speaker 5>toward Blake groopye And if you were there in the

0:27:40.200 --> 0:27:43.560
<v Speaker 5>offseason and in training camp, you felt pretty strongly Blake

0:27:43.600 --> 0:27:48.560
<v Speaker 5>Groopy was ahead, and I think Straighter in two games

0:27:48.560 --> 0:27:50.640
<v Speaker 5>has turned that on its head. So those are I'm

0:27:50.680 --> 0:27:53.440
<v Speaker 5>just rambling out, but those are two or a few

0:27:53.920 --> 0:27:55.640
<v Speaker 5>kind of takeaways I would say I had.

0:27:56.600 --> 0:28:00.720
<v Speaker 1>But Steven Holder, ESPN, ESPN dot com, I'm kind enough

0:28:00.760 --> 0:28:05.840
<v Speaker 1>to join us on the Anymore Automotive Group potline. Uh tuamo? Allow?

0:28:06.119 --> 0:28:08.480
<v Speaker 1>Is is this a guy now that you think maybe

0:28:08.880 --> 0:28:13.520
<v Speaker 1>as far as cuts are concerned, maybe in jeopardy here?

0:28:13.640 --> 0:28:16.280
<v Speaker 1>Or is is he going make to roster regardless?

0:28:17.560 --> 0:28:18.520
<v Speaker 4>No, he'll make it.

0:28:18.560 --> 0:28:22.360
<v Speaker 5>And the reason I say that is twofold number one.

0:28:23.000 --> 0:28:25.080
<v Speaker 5>He is a second round pick in his second year

0:28:25.359 --> 0:28:29.879
<v Speaker 5>who only plays sparingly in year one, right, So you

0:28:29.920 --> 0:28:33.080
<v Speaker 5>know we can we can you can talk yourself into

0:28:33.160 --> 0:28:35.960
<v Speaker 5>the idea that, well, he didn't play that much and

0:28:36.000 --> 0:28:37.840
<v Speaker 5>we haven't seen that much of him, and I think

0:28:37.880 --> 0:28:40.160
<v Speaker 5>that's that's probably a fair assessment.

0:28:40.960 --> 0:28:43.480
<v Speaker 4>But I think the befoar.

0:28:43.240 --> 0:28:45.320
<v Speaker 5>I go on and the other the other thing at

0:28:45.360 --> 0:28:48.160
<v Speaker 5>play is that they don't have a lot of proven

0:28:48.280 --> 0:28:51.440
<v Speaker 5>depth at the end spot right now, so so I

0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:54.720
<v Speaker 5>think he makes it just based on the circumstances, you

0:28:54.720 --> 0:28:58.560
<v Speaker 5>know what I mean That being said, over the course

0:28:58.560 --> 0:29:01.760
<v Speaker 5>of this season, if other guys play better than he does,

0:29:02.520 --> 0:29:04.120
<v Speaker 5>I don't know that his playing time is going to

0:29:04.200 --> 0:29:07.480
<v Speaker 5>go up significantly, you know. Right now, I think you're

0:29:07.520 --> 0:29:11.160
<v Speaker 5>looking at a situation where you know, certainly ardent Key

0:29:11.440 --> 0:29:15.840
<v Speaker 5>and Latu are your your first two guys, and then

0:29:15.920 --> 0:29:19.200
<v Speaker 5>after that, I think you're looking at Michael Clemens, and

0:29:19.360 --> 0:29:23.520
<v Speaker 5>then it should be Clemens and tuiy Molau should be

0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:28.040
<v Speaker 5>your second wave. Right But I think if he doesn't produce, now,

0:29:28.120 --> 0:29:31.120
<v Speaker 5>guys like George Gumm's come into play, the rookie out

0:29:31.120 --> 0:29:35.840
<v Speaker 5>of Florida who has definitely flashed more in training camp

0:29:35.880 --> 0:29:39.280
<v Speaker 5>and in the preseason games. I've seen flash from him.

0:29:39.560 --> 0:29:43.440
<v Speaker 5>I've not seen it from tuy Molau, and I don't

0:29:43.520 --> 0:29:45.520
<v Speaker 5>know if the Colts are ready to go there and

0:29:46.080 --> 0:29:49.480
<v Speaker 5>to start talking about this publicly, I don't expect that.

0:29:49.640 --> 0:29:51.120
<v Speaker 4>But I am thoroughly underwhelmed.

0:29:51.480 --> 0:29:53.280
<v Speaker 5>I'm sorry, and I don't mean to pick on the kid,

0:29:53.480 --> 0:29:55.240
<v Speaker 5>but he should be showing more.

0:29:55.520 --> 0:29:59.160
<v Speaker 1>Where's that former teammate? Ohiouse date Kaden Curry in this

0:29:59.200 --> 0:30:01.360
<v Speaker 1>equation right now coming off of Saturday.

0:30:02.480 --> 0:30:05.239
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, so I think he's probably not going to get

0:30:05.280 --> 0:30:09.400
<v Speaker 5>a lot of playing time initially, but what's going to

0:30:09.520 --> 0:30:11.560
<v Speaker 5>keep him around and I have him making the roster,

0:30:11.640 --> 0:30:15.720
<v Speaker 5>what's going to keep him around is his flexibility and

0:30:15.920 --> 0:30:19.320
<v Speaker 5>his ability to go in there and play on the

0:30:19.360 --> 0:30:25.360
<v Speaker 5>interior on those passing downs, especially because you'd be keeping

0:30:25.400 --> 0:30:28.239
<v Speaker 5>a lot of edge rushers if you keep Curry, and

0:30:28.520 --> 0:30:30.760
<v Speaker 5>again I think they will, but if you if you

0:30:30.960 --> 0:30:34.760
<v Speaker 5>keep him, you have to justify keeping like six edge rushers,

0:30:34.760 --> 0:30:37.000
<v Speaker 5>which is a lot, right and they can all play

0:30:37.520 --> 0:30:41.640
<v Speaker 5>the way you justify it. In my opinion is well, hey,

0:30:41.880 --> 0:30:45.520
<v Speaker 5>he's going to be like our Taekwon Lewis light you

0:30:45.560 --> 0:30:48.040
<v Speaker 5>know what I'm saying, and that means a guy who

0:30:48.280 --> 0:30:52.120
<v Speaker 5>technically is a defensive end but really can be an

0:30:52.160 --> 0:30:55.800
<v Speaker 5>inside outside pass rusher. I like what he did, particularly

0:30:55.840 --> 0:30:58.719
<v Speaker 5>in Week one of the preseasons as an interior rusher.

0:30:59.120 --> 0:31:01.560
<v Speaker 5>And if you can get a guy in there that

0:31:01.720 --> 0:31:05.760
<v Speaker 5>maybe is undersized but can out quick those guards like

0:31:05.800 --> 0:31:08.600
<v Speaker 5>he's done. Now, you've got a good matchup on your hands,

0:31:08.680 --> 0:31:10.360
<v Speaker 5>and he's just gonn to prove that he can do

0:31:10.400 --> 0:31:12.400
<v Speaker 5>it against the big guys, you know, the When I

0:31:12.440 --> 0:31:15.480
<v Speaker 5>say the big guys, I mean the starting caliber players, right,

0:31:15.520 --> 0:31:18.200
<v Speaker 5>And so we'll see if he gets a chance to

0:31:18.240 --> 0:31:20.560
<v Speaker 5>do that against Detroit on Saturday.

0:31:20.880 --> 0:31:24.160
<v Speaker 1>Stephen. I've always said this, especially during the Manning era,

0:31:24.240 --> 0:31:26.680
<v Speaker 1>which was much different. We know this to be true,

0:31:26.960 --> 0:31:30.040
<v Speaker 1>but we should also view it with this era of

0:31:30.160 --> 0:31:34.080
<v Speaker 1>Daniel Jones. You don't hold your breath because you just

0:31:34.080 --> 0:31:37.800
<v Speaker 1>feel like this there's probably some sort of injury situation

0:31:38.440 --> 0:31:42.000
<v Speaker 1>waiting to jump on you around the corner. That said,

0:31:42.720 --> 0:31:47.640
<v Speaker 1>where are we with the backup quarterback? Somebody had asked

0:31:47.640 --> 0:31:51.760
<v Speaker 1>me earlier today if I feel the need that they

0:31:51.840 --> 0:31:56.080
<v Speaker 1>need somebody of the Gardner Minshew, somebody you can count

0:31:56.080 --> 0:31:57.840
<v Speaker 1>on a little bit more, And I just said, listen

0:31:57.880 --> 0:32:00.440
<v Speaker 1>to me, that's not going to happen. And that's not

0:32:00.560 --> 0:32:03.360
<v Speaker 1>even a thought. It's going to be you know, either

0:32:03.400 --> 0:32:05.360
<v Speaker 1>one of these guys to back up one of these

0:32:05.360 --> 0:32:07.400
<v Speaker 1>guys to back up, if not both these guys on

0:32:07.480 --> 0:32:12.000
<v Speaker 1>the roster. But where are we with the backup quality

0:32:12.200 --> 0:32:15.400
<v Speaker 1>quarterback category with this group? Because I know it's ultimately

0:32:15.520 --> 0:32:18.520
<v Speaker 1>Daniel Jones or nothing right here as far as the

0:32:18.560 --> 0:32:21.680
<v Speaker 1>success of this team is concerned. But knowing there's probably

0:32:21.680 --> 0:32:24.560
<v Speaker 1>going to be some injury situation down the road, where

0:32:24.560 --> 0:32:27.360
<v Speaker 1>are we at the backup position right now? Are further

0:32:27.560 --> 0:32:28.600
<v Speaker 1>where are you with it?

0:32:29.840 --> 0:32:30.040
<v Speaker 2>Yeah?

0:32:30.120 --> 0:32:34.400
<v Speaker 5>I would say I think they'll both be here, Riley

0:32:34.480 --> 0:32:39.120
<v Speaker 5>Leonard and Anthony Richardson. And personally, I mean I lean

0:32:39.320 --> 0:32:44.160
<v Speaker 5>very strongly for Anthony Richardson. I think it's Look, it's

0:32:44.200 --> 0:32:47.040
<v Speaker 5>a different conversation than whether you like him as a starter.

0:32:47.680 --> 0:32:50.400
<v Speaker 5>I think the people who who are on that train

0:32:50.480 --> 0:32:52.400
<v Speaker 5>about like, hey, this, get this guy out of here.

0:32:52.480 --> 0:32:57.160
<v Speaker 5>He shouldn't be our quarterback. Okay, that's fine, But that's

0:32:57.200 --> 0:33:00.320
<v Speaker 5>a different conversation. We are talking about number two, and

0:33:00.360 --> 0:33:03.800
<v Speaker 5>at number two, I would say this is this is.

0:33:03.800 --> 0:33:04.640
<v Speaker 4>How I would view this.

0:33:05.640 --> 0:33:09.760
<v Speaker 5>If Daniel Jones has an ankle twist or something and

0:33:10.200 --> 0:33:13.080
<v Speaker 5>misses a start, God forbid, Okay, but these things happen

0:33:13.160 --> 0:33:15.960
<v Speaker 5>all the time. If he has a bum ankle and

0:33:16.000 --> 0:33:20.920
<v Speaker 5>can't play. Just for instance. Now take the other team

0:33:21.080 --> 0:33:24.960
<v Speaker 5>that you're playing that week. Who are they most worried

0:33:24.960 --> 0:33:29.320
<v Speaker 5>about playing Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard. I think with

0:33:29.480 --> 0:33:34.000
<v Speaker 5>Riley Leonard, you're gonna run a conventional offense. It's doesn't

0:33:34.040 --> 0:33:36.600
<v Speaker 5>mean that you can't win with that, but I think

0:33:36.760 --> 0:33:40.400
<v Speaker 5>they they're preparing for a standard fear game plan. Right

0:33:40.960 --> 0:33:44.440
<v Speaker 5>With Anthony Richardson, you got wrinkles, and if it's a

0:33:44.440 --> 0:33:48.160
<v Speaker 5>one game situation. In particular, I think if you're the

0:33:48.240 --> 0:33:52.160
<v Speaker 5>defensive coordinator, it's given you some fits because you got

0:33:52.200 --> 0:33:54.840
<v Speaker 5>to prepare for a lot of possibilities and you've just

0:33:54.920 --> 0:33:58.240
<v Speaker 5>got to prepare for the athlete that he is. So

0:33:58.840 --> 0:34:02.040
<v Speaker 5>I think it's pretty obvious to me. You take the

0:34:02.080 --> 0:34:06.160
<v Speaker 5>guy with the pedigree, who maybe does some bonehead stuff sometimes,

0:34:06.200 --> 0:34:09.480
<v Speaker 5>but I mean he can make you right even when

0:34:09.520 --> 0:34:11.200
<v Speaker 5>the player is wrong. I mean we saw that on

0:34:11.239 --> 0:34:14.400
<v Speaker 5>Saturday with a joke of an offensive line playing in

0:34:14.440 --> 0:34:17.279
<v Speaker 5>front of him and from both guys frankly, So that's

0:34:17.280 --> 0:34:17.960
<v Speaker 5>what I would say.

0:34:19.160 --> 0:34:22.080
<v Speaker 1>So as far as the offensive line is concerned, the

0:34:22.120 --> 0:34:25.799
<v Speaker 1>starters are edged. Do we know that, But what do

0:34:25.840 --> 0:34:28.720
<v Speaker 1>you think about the depth, because that was my overwhelming

0:34:28.840 --> 0:34:32.720
<v Speaker 1>thought on Saturday. Yes, a lot of guys that aren't

0:34:32.719 --> 0:34:36.000
<v Speaker 1>going to be playing with this team, but it is

0:34:36.040 --> 0:34:39.560
<v Speaker 1>still very easy and I think appropriate to look at

0:34:39.760 --> 0:34:42.600
<v Speaker 1>and to be critical of the lack of depth. What

0:34:42.719 --> 0:34:45.560
<v Speaker 1>about that depth along the offensive line?

0:34:47.000 --> 0:34:49.600
<v Speaker 4>You are correct to be concerned.

0:34:50.120 --> 0:34:53.960
<v Speaker 5>Now, I would say Farmer, they feel good about the

0:34:54.080 --> 0:34:56.920
<v Speaker 5>draft pick, and they should right, he is going to

0:34:56.960 --> 0:34:59.920
<v Speaker 5>be the first guard off the bench. They see him

0:35:00.040 --> 0:35:03.800
<v Speaker 5>as a future starter more than likely, you know, depending

0:35:03.840 --> 0:35:06.400
<v Speaker 5>on what happens contractually with some of those guys.

0:35:06.560 --> 0:35:07.920
<v Speaker 4>So I think you'll.

0:35:07.680 --> 0:35:12.720
<v Speaker 5>See him be sort of etchedon stone as their first

0:35:12.760 --> 0:35:16.400
<v Speaker 5>interior offensive lineman off the bench. But you cannot have

0:35:16.560 --> 0:35:20.799
<v Speaker 5>watched training camp and the preseason and not at some

0:35:20.880 --> 0:35:23.440
<v Speaker 5>point said to yourself, what the hell is going on

0:35:23.520 --> 0:35:27.359
<v Speaker 5>with these snaps? The center position is a problem, right,

0:35:27.680 --> 0:35:33.040
<v Speaker 5>BORDERLINI better play all seventeen or I think the other

0:35:33.360 --> 0:35:37.000
<v Speaker 5>alternative is you see a waiver claim there with somebody

0:35:37.239 --> 0:35:40.359
<v Speaker 5>who can snap the freaking ball, because they have had

0:35:40.440 --> 0:35:45.520
<v Speaker 5>just an atrocious situation with the lack of consistency with

0:35:45.640 --> 0:35:48.719
<v Speaker 5>the shotgun snaps, and I mean some of it has

0:35:48.760 --> 0:35:51.800
<v Speaker 5>been on Richardson and to a lesser extent Riley Leonard.

0:35:51.840 --> 0:35:56.040
<v Speaker 5>But but I would say the overwhelming majority. Particularly lately,

0:35:56.480 --> 0:35:58.400
<v Speaker 5>Richardson has kind of straightened out his issues that he

0:35:58.480 --> 0:36:02.040
<v Speaker 5>had earlier in camp games. Man, it has been the

0:36:02.680 --> 0:36:05.239
<v Speaker 5>snapping has been a problem. It's a real problem, a

0:36:05.360 --> 0:36:08.000
<v Speaker 5>legitimate issue. So they got to figure that out. Do

0:36:08.040 --> 0:36:10.720
<v Speaker 5>they make a waiver claim, find somebody on the street.

0:36:10.800 --> 0:36:12.680
<v Speaker 5>I don't know, but I don't feel good about that.

0:36:12.840 --> 0:36:16.919
<v Speaker 5>And then at offensive tackle, the depth is not great

0:36:16.960 --> 0:36:20.560
<v Speaker 5>there either, and in fact it's so much so that

0:36:21.200 --> 0:36:23.839
<v Speaker 5>I think most of us around the team kind of

0:36:24.000 --> 0:36:27.600
<v Speaker 5>assume if they have an offensive tackle injury, what they

0:36:27.600 --> 0:36:33.080
<v Speaker 5>would do is is move Farmer into the starting lineup

0:36:33.120 --> 0:36:37.080
<v Speaker 5>at guard and put Gunsalves at offensive tackle because he

0:36:37.120 --> 0:36:41.040
<v Speaker 5>has played it in college and is a competent offensive tackle.

0:36:41.280 --> 0:36:42.799
<v Speaker 5>I think that's what they would do, which is the

0:36:42.840 --> 0:36:45.440
<v Speaker 5>right decision, but it just goes to show you they

0:36:45.440 --> 0:36:47.640
<v Speaker 5>don't have a better option than to move an existing

0:36:47.680 --> 0:36:51.840
<v Speaker 5>player to offensive tackle. That would be their their fallback option.

0:36:52.040 --> 0:36:55.439
<v Speaker 5>So I think they're on the lookout for offensive line

0:36:55.520 --> 0:36:58.000
<v Speaker 5>depth at tackle and center.

0:36:59.040 --> 0:37:02.239
<v Speaker 1>Steven Holder is with us. I kind of bury the

0:37:02.320 --> 0:37:06.400
<v Speaker 1>lead a little bit here. What are we making of

0:37:06.600 --> 0:37:12.120
<v Speaker 1>the Chivarius Ward situation is it's a lot to do

0:37:12.280 --> 0:37:14.400
<v Speaker 1>about nothing and he is going to be good to

0:37:14.440 --> 0:37:17.160
<v Speaker 1>go in a week number one? Or should there be

0:37:17.400 --> 0:37:18.480
<v Speaker 1>major concern?

0:37:20.719 --> 0:37:22.040
<v Speaker 4>Major concern? I don't know.

0:37:22.160 --> 0:37:28.000
<v Speaker 5>But what concern is fine? Some concern because ultimately he's

0:37:28.040 --> 0:37:33.040
<v Speaker 5>not out there now. I would say, like the devil's advocate.

0:37:33.760 --> 0:37:35.239
<v Speaker 4>I don't know if that's the right term here.

0:37:35.280 --> 0:37:38.000
<v Speaker 5>But on the other the flip side would be this,

0:37:40.080 --> 0:37:44.000
<v Speaker 5>if he has any sort of discomfort, I think he's

0:37:44.040 --> 0:37:48.160
<v Speaker 5>so important to their fortunes that you just tell him, hey, buddy,

0:37:48.440 --> 0:37:50.080
<v Speaker 5>have a seat, and you let us know when you

0:37:50.080 --> 0:37:53.120
<v Speaker 5>feel okay, which has nothing to do with whether he

0:37:53.160 --> 0:37:56.040
<v Speaker 5>can play on opening day. That just means don't put

0:37:56.080 --> 0:37:58.120
<v Speaker 5>him out there if he's not one hundred percent, because

0:37:58.120 --> 0:38:00.719
<v Speaker 5>I think he's a vet, he's he's been there a lot, like,

0:38:00.800 --> 0:38:04.480
<v Speaker 5>don't force it right, don't tempt faith. So I want

0:38:04.520 --> 0:38:07.279
<v Speaker 5>to believe that is what you are seeing, because if

0:38:07.280 --> 0:38:10.920
<v Speaker 5>that's the case, then no harm, no foul, and everybody's

0:38:10.960 --> 0:38:14.960
<v Speaker 5>gonna be fine. But we don't know that to be

0:38:15.000 --> 0:38:17.640
<v Speaker 5>the case. I would I'll be honest, I don't have

0:38:17.880 --> 0:38:21.840
<v Speaker 5>enough concrete information about what's going on with him to

0:38:22.040 --> 0:38:27.560
<v Speaker 5>confidently say that's what you're seeing that Shavarisward's gonna be fine.

0:38:28.800 --> 0:38:29.239
<v Speaker 4>I don't know.

0:38:29.280 --> 0:38:32.400
<v Speaker 5>I can't say that because I don't know that. So

0:38:33.320 --> 0:38:36.120
<v Speaker 5>I think until we know more, you know, you just

0:38:36.200 --> 0:38:36.640
<v Speaker 5>kind of have.

0:38:36.640 --> 0:38:39.080
<v Speaker 4>To keep an open mind. You know, this thing could

0:38:39.120 --> 0:38:39.919
<v Speaker 4>be one or the other.

0:38:40.200 --> 0:38:44.600
<v Speaker 5>I don't know, and that's troubling because not knowing is

0:38:44.960 --> 0:38:47.160
<v Speaker 5>problematic because I think he is so important to their

0:38:47.160 --> 0:38:50.520
<v Speaker 5>fortunes this thing. For it to work, you've got to

0:38:50.520 --> 0:38:53.800
<v Speaker 5>be solid at corner. And then with Cam Taylor Britt

0:38:54.320 --> 0:38:58.120
<v Speaker 5>being suspended for week one, that is an added level

0:38:58.120 --> 0:39:03.560
<v Speaker 5>of concern that you have because you are already I think

0:39:04.000 --> 0:39:07.880
<v Speaker 5>beyond him. I hate the cornerback depth right now, like

0:39:07.960 --> 0:39:10.360
<v Speaker 5>I hate it. So I think you got four corners.

0:39:10.400 --> 0:39:16.320
<v Speaker 5>You got Sauce, Mooney, Ward, Justin Wally, and Cam Taylor Britt.

0:39:16.560 --> 0:39:17.080
<v Speaker 4>I suppose.

0:39:17.120 --> 0:39:20.880
<v Speaker 5>So you've got four corners that I feel good about

0:39:20.880 --> 0:39:22.760
<v Speaker 5>putting out there on the field. The rest of those guys,

0:39:23.400 --> 0:39:25.520
<v Speaker 5>if you swapped them all out, I would be fine

0:39:25.520 --> 0:39:25.719
<v Speaker 5>with it.

0:39:25.800 --> 0:39:28.600
<v Speaker 1>Franklin, which out of that group you think won't be

0:39:28.640 --> 0:39:32.160
<v Speaker 1>a part of his team? And it's interesting there were

0:39:32.160 --> 0:39:34.120
<v Speaker 1>a couple of years ago and everybody felt really good

0:39:34.120 --> 0:39:37.160
<v Speaker 1>about Jalen Jones. That is clearly no longer the case.

0:39:38.719 --> 0:39:40.960
<v Speaker 5>So that's an interesting one because I actually think he

0:39:41.040 --> 0:39:43.719
<v Speaker 5>has had some flashes even in camp. He's had some

0:39:43.800 --> 0:39:47.000
<v Speaker 5>bad moments in camp, but they all have to be honest,

0:39:47.000 --> 0:39:50.080
<v Speaker 5>those backup guys, and I think, you know, people have

0:39:50.200 --> 0:39:52.960
<v Speaker 5>seen him make a few plays here in the preseason,

0:39:53.320 --> 0:39:55.680
<v Speaker 5>but the guy is the guy has talent, and he

0:39:55.719 --> 0:39:57.560
<v Speaker 5>has length, and he has attributes.

0:39:57.600 --> 0:39:57.759
<v Speaker 4>You know.

0:39:58.719 --> 0:40:02.680
<v Speaker 5>The problem there is is the Colts feel it feels,

0:40:02.680 --> 0:40:05.680
<v Speaker 5>at least like they're pretty dug dug in on him

0:40:05.719 --> 0:40:09.400
<v Speaker 5>not being a fit for the scheme that they run.

0:40:09.920 --> 0:40:11.640
<v Speaker 4>And that's that might be true.

0:40:11.680 --> 0:40:15.160
<v Speaker 5>He is definitely he definitely thrived in the zone scheme

0:40:15.239 --> 0:40:16.319
<v Speaker 5>that thus Bradley ran.

0:40:16.400 --> 0:40:19.560
<v Speaker 4>That's true, and he was drafted for that, so that's fair.

0:40:20.600 --> 0:40:22.319
<v Speaker 5>But I also think at the end of the day,

0:40:22.360 --> 0:40:25.960
<v Speaker 5>it boils down to are the other guys playing better?

0:40:26.040 --> 0:40:28.080
<v Speaker 5>And I don't know if that's true, you know, So

0:40:28.760 --> 0:40:31.040
<v Speaker 5>I don't know if it's enough to flip that equation

0:40:31.160 --> 0:40:34.080
<v Speaker 5>because they haven't really given this kid the time of

0:40:34.160 --> 0:40:36.120
<v Speaker 5>day since lou Anna Rum has gotten here. I think

0:40:36.120 --> 0:40:39.879
<v Speaker 5>it's pretty obvious they've been over backwards to not play him. So,

0:40:39.960 --> 0:40:44.520
<v Speaker 5>I mean, Makai Blackman has basically done everything he can

0:40:44.600 --> 0:40:48.359
<v Speaker 5>to get cut asn't so all I can tell you

0:40:48.520 --> 0:40:53.400
<v Speaker 5>is is that they seem really stuck on Jones, really

0:40:53.440 --> 0:40:55.840
<v Speaker 5>not being a fit for what they want to do.

0:40:58.000 --> 0:40:58.480
<v Speaker 4>I don't know.

0:40:58.520 --> 0:41:01.800
<v Speaker 5>I think that's a that's going to be a waiver wire,

0:41:02.320 --> 0:41:05.920
<v Speaker 5>a potential river, a wired target. I think is that

0:41:05.920 --> 0:41:08.839
<v Speaker 5>that fifth and sixth cornerback. I would look for that

0:41:09.040 --> 0:41:09.880
<v Speaker 5>to be in play.

0:41:10.360 --> 0:41:14.040
<v Speaker 1>What is so far to you, Steven? The world, the

0:41:14.160 --> 0:41:19.000
<v Speaker 1>post Zaire Franklin world of Colts linebackers look like to

0:41:19.080 --> 0:41:19.840
<v Speaker 1>this point.

0:41:21.480 --> 0:41:22.320
<v Speaker 4>It's an adventure.

0:41:23.400 --> 0:41:26.840
<v Speaker 5>It's an adventure because say what you want about Zire Franklin,

0:41:26.880 --> 0:41:28.600
<v Speaker 5>but at least I knew who the hell the starting

0:41:28.960 --> 0:41:30.480
<v Speaker 5>linebackers were going to be.

0:41:30.840 --> 0:41:32.360
<v Speaker 4>I don't know that right now.

0:41:32.640 --> 0:41:35.279
<v Speaker 5>And if I'm being honest, I don't know if the

0:41:35.280 --> 0:41:41.000
<v Speaker 5>Colts know now today. In fact, lou Anarumo said we

0:41:41.080 --> 0:41:42.960
<v Speaker 5>are going to play a lot of linebackers at least

0:41:43.000 --> 0:41:46.520
<v Speaker 5>early in the season, which is code for we're just

0:41:46.560 --> 0:41:49.960
<v Speaker 5>going to be situational, you know. I think they're going

0:41:50.040 --> 0:41:53.120
<v Speaker 5>to play c J. Allen and situations where he's comfortable.

0:41:53.520 --> 0:41:57.000
<v Speaker 5>But they've also admitted that or an Aruma admitted that

0:41:57.320 --> 0:41:59.759
<v Speaker 5>him missing a lot of time here in the preseason,

0:42:00.120 --> 0:42:03.200
<v Speaker 5>it is problematic. It's not nothing. He's missed a lot

0:42:03.239 --> 0:42:06.279
<v Speaker 5>of time in the lineup in practice for a guy

0:42:06.280 --> 0:42:11.560
<v Speaker 5>who's at an important spot and is a rookie. Right, So,

0:42:12.200 --> 0:42:15.759
<v Speaker 5>I mean it seems right now that in fact, I'm

0:42:15.760 --> 0:42:17.000
<v Speaker 5>not sure Alan's.

0:42:16.680 --> 0:42:18.640
<v Speaker 4>Gonna be the starter anymore, at least initially.

0:42:19.239 --> 0:42:21.680
<v Speaker 5>And I don't think it's I don't think it's necessarily

0:42:21.719 --> 0:42:24.440
<v Speaker 5>an indictment of him. I just think it's just the

0:42:24.560 --> 0:42:27.000
<v Speaker 5>reality is that they haven't had a chance to really

0:42:27.320 --> 0:42:29.360
<v Speaker 5>get him up to speed because.

0:42:29.160 --> 0:42:30.720
<v Speaker 4>He hasn't had enough time in the lineup.

0:42:30.800 --> 0:42:34.720
<v Speaker 5>So that's an interesting change, and I think that speaks

0:42:34.760 --> 0:42:38.160
<v Speaker 5>to where they are because I would say, coming out

0:42:38.200 --> 0:42:42.759
<v Speaker 5>of the draft and an OTAs, they basually plopped him

0:42:42.800 --> 0:42:44.879
<v Speaker 5>down in the middle of the defense and said you're

0:42:44.880 --> 0:42:47.560
<v Speaker 5>the guy. And now they've backed off of that. That

0:42:47.680 --> 0:42:51.360
<v Speaker 5>is pretty startling, I would say. And then I guess

0:42:51.400 --> 0:42:54.759
<v Speaker 5>beyond that, you know, you have to see I would

0:42:54.800 --> 0:42:58.160
<v Speaker 5>say a Keen Davis gaither you know, I don't know

0:42:58.239 --> 0:43:00.160
<v Speaker 5>a lot about this guy. I'm just being honest, but

0:43:00.880 --> 0:43:05.080
<v Speaker 5>he's at least experienced, and I think his veteran status

0:43:05.239 --> 0:43:08.360
<v Speaker 5>is giving him a little bit of a benefit of

0:43:08.440 --> 0:43:08.840
<v Speaker 5>the doubt.

0:43:09.600 --> 0:43:10.120
<v Speaker 4>You've got.

0:43:10.480 --> 0:43:14.920
<v Speaker 5>Carlis is actually coming on Jalen. Carlis Is actually has

0:43:14.960 --> 0:43:16.040
<v Speaker 5>actually come a long way.

0:43:16.320 --> 0:43:21.360
<v Speaker 4>I was very I guess what's the word. I was

0:43:21.520 --> 0:43:26.799
<v Speaker 4>very disinvested in Jalen Carli's coming into this.

0:43:27.400 --> 0:43:29.880
<v Speaker 5>But you know, the cream rises to the top, and

0:43:30.200 --> 0:43:33.200
<v Speaker 5>he has been good to give him, to give him

0:43:33.200 --> 0:43:35.680
<v Speaker 5>his due here. So I think he's in the mix.

0:43:35.760 --> 0:43:37.800
<v Speaker 5>You know that he could be in that starting lineup

0:43:37.840 --> 0:43:38.920
<v Speaker 5>to start the season.

0:43:39.320 --> 0:43:44.640
<v Speaker 1>The Keidan Allen signing that will allow the Coat to

0:43:44.640 --> 0:43:47.200
<v Speaker 1>to do what who Who's going to lose a gig

0:43:47.719 --> 0:43:49.480
<v Speaker 1>because of that signing last week?

0:43:51.160 --> 0:43:52.799
<v Speaker 4>Well, I think it's one for one.

0:43:53.360 --> 0:43:58.600
<v Speaker 5>It's Lakwan Treadwill for me, they at least based on

0:43:58.920 --> 0:44:02.600
<v Speaker 5>the way I had it pretted. I had Treadwill as

0:44:02.680 --> 0:44:07.959
<v Speaker 5>the sixth wide receiver and and if that's the case,

0:44:07.960 --> 0:44:11.200
<v Speaker 5>then I think you bump him. And and now it's

0:44:11.239 --> 0:44:14.880
<v Speaker 5>allan so which is very convenient because he wears number thirteen,

0:44:14.960 --> 0:44:19.480
<v Speaker 5>which which uh which Alan wants, right so that might

0:44:19.520 --> 0:44:20.279
<v Speaker 5>work out for him.

0:44:20.640 --> 0:44:22.439
<v Speaker 4>So that's the way I see that.

0:44:22.520 --> 0:44:27.160
<v Speaker 5>But there is that that return kicking punt returner position,

0:44:27.280 --> 0:44:30.680
<v Speaker 5>and that's still sort of influx. I am leaning toward

0:44:30.760 --> 0:44:34.960
<v Speaker 5>coleman Owen a lot of people in my roster projection

0:44:35.400 --> 0:44:38.200
<v Speaker 5>excuse Me, which which posted on ESPN dot com today,

0:44:38.640 --> 0:44:41.359
<v Speaker 5>I got a little grief from people about cutting Deon

0:44:41.480 --> 0:44:45.360
<v Speaker 5>Burks the seventh round pick, and I really think that's

0:44:45.520 --> 0:44:49.960
<v Speaker 5>based upon just the lack of consistency I saw from

0:44:50.040 --> 0:44:53.800
<v Speaker 5>him in training camp. There's no question that that coleman

0:44:53.840 --> 0:44:59.600
<v Speaker 5>Owen was much more consistent in training camp for me. Now, dude,

0:44:59.640 --> 0:45:02.239
<v Speaker 5>well what Burks has done in the games outwaigh?

0:45:02.320 --> 0:45:04.480
<v Speaker 4>That I don't know. I mean, he's done, He's flashed

0:45:04.480 --> 0:45:07.200
<v Speaker 4>a little bit. Is it enough? I don't know.

0:45:07.239 --> 0:45:11.200
<v Speaker 5>But I thought he was very very underwhelming in training camp,

0:45:11.239 --> 0:45:14.000
<v Speaker 5>which is not which is I'm not you know, crapping

0:45:14.080 --> 0:45:17.000
<v Speaker 5>on a on the kiddemy. He's a seventh round pick, right,

0:45:17.040 --> 0:45:19.719
<v Speaker 5>and this was a project right, how is.

0:45:19.719 --> 0:45:21.560
<v Speaker 4>A speedy guy from Oklahoma?

0:45:21.800 --> 0:45:24.040
<v Speaker 5>How's he dropped to the seventh round because he was

0:45:24.040 --> 0:45:26.960
<v Speaker 5>a very raw prospect. It was very clear to everybody

0:45:26.960 --> 0:45:29.200
<v Speaker 5>in the draft. I wondered why, and then I saw

0:45:29.200 --> 0:45:30.480
<v Speaker 5>it in training camp and I was like, well, this

0:45:30.520 --> 0:45:33.080
<v Speaker 5>guy's just not ready. Every day I would say it.

0:45:33.560 --> 0:45:35.560
<v Speaker 5>He had chance after chance, he never did it. So

0:45:36.440 --> 0:45:39.239
<v Speaker 5>we'll see. They want to like him, and we'll see

0:45:39.280 --> 0:45:41.080
<v Speaker 5>if he's done enough here pretty soon.

0:45:41.640 --> 0:45:45.640
<v Speaker 1>Steven Older of ESPN and ESPN dot Com is on

0:45:45.719 --> 0:45:47.680
<v Speaker 1>the Andy Morrill out of on the group podline. What's

0:45:47.680 --> 0:45:49.520
<v Speaker 1>going to be the viewpoint of what we see coming

0:45:49.600 --> 0:45:52.480
<v Speaker 1>up on Saturday in that final preseason game against Detroit.

0:45:54.520 --> 0:45:57.279
<v Speaker 5>I'm interested to see how Steichen approaches this. I mean,

0:45:57.280 --> 0:46:02.000
<v Speaker 5>they don't have joint practices this week, so you could

0:46:02.480 --> 0:46:06.080
<v Speaker 5>you could theoretically talk yourself into playing some starters. I mean,

0:46:06.080 --> 0:46:09.879
<v Speaker 5>they haven't done anything in preseason games so far. Does

0:46:09.920 --> 0:46:15.480
<v Speaker 5>that concern me? Does that bother me? Not a lot.

0:46:15.600 --> 0:46:18.520
<v Speaker 5>You know, they've had three joint practices. They went hard,

0:46:18.560 --> 0:46:21.520
<v Speaker 5>they did a lot, very competitive. I liked what I

0:46:21.560 --> 0:46:25.160
<v Speaker 5>saw from them, So I think that matters, you know,

0:46:25.560 --> 0:46:28.600
<v Speaker 5>a great deal. But I but I think it would

0:46:28.600 --> 0:46:32.480
<v Speaker 5>be nice maybe to see that offense for a series

0:46:32.600 --> 0:46:34.359
<v Speaker 5>or two, in the defense for a series or two.

0:46:34.480 --> 0:46:38.480
<v Speaker 5>I mean, I think there's value in that, you know,

0:46:38.520 --> 0:46:41.680
<v Speaker 5>But I don't expect Daniel Jones to play. I know

0:46:41.800 --> 0:46:44.520
<v Speaker 5>he would love to, but I just don't see that happening.

0:46:45.440 --> 0:46:48.160
<v Speaker 5>I think there's like a zero point one percent chance.

0:46:47.920 --> 0:46:48.480
<v Speaker 4>Of him playing.

0:46:48.520 --> 0:46:52.000
<v Speaker 5>So so that's that's what I envisioned. And and what

0:46:52.120 --> 0:46:55.760
<v Speaker 5>is going to be interesting. If Jones doesn't play and

0:46:55.920 --> 0:46:58.960
<v Speaker 5>the starters do, then how do they handle quarterback?

0:46:59.080 --> 0:46:59.279
<v Speaker 4>Right?

0:46:59.480 --> 0:47:02.680
<v Speaker 5>Who who is under center with that starting offensive line?

0:47:03.440 --> 0:47:06.439
<v Speaker 5>Which is, you know something neither guy has had a chance.

0:47:06.520 --> 0:47:09.600
<v Speaker 5>Neither of the backup quarterbacks have had a chance to

0:47:09.640 --> 0:47:12.560
<v Speaker 5>do this preseason. So a couple of interesting things to

0:47:12.600 --> 0:47:15.040
<v Speaker 5>look at and we'll see how they how they go.

0:47:15.280 --> 0:47:17.200
<v Speaker 1>So, how many of these Colt players are playing in

0:47:17.200 --> 0:47:18.440
<v Speaker 1>this softball game tonight?

0:47:20.120 --> 0:47:21.920
<v Speaker 5>Well, I'll let you know if I ever get through

0:47:21.920 --> 0:47:25.840
<v Speaker 5>this traffic and get there. But I don't know who's playing,

0:47:25.880 --> 0:47:29.280
<v Speaker 5>but I would say I know Alec Pierce eight playing.

0:47:30.200 --> 0:47:31.640
<v Speaker 4>That was made.

0:47:31.400 --> 0:47:33.960
<v Speaker 1>Speaking of Alec Pierce, he went out. I was in

0:47:34.040 --> 0:47:37.160
<v Speaker 1>touchdown town for the pregame show. He came out and

0:47:37.280 --> 0:47:40.239
<v Speaker 1>introduced his dad's and uncles band. So I thought, there's

0:47:40.320 --> 0:47:42.960
<v Speaker 1>zero way he's not participating in week number one. If

0:47:42.960 --> 0:47:43.640
<v Speaker 1>he's doing that.

0:47:45.400 --> 0:47:48.120
<v Speaker 5>I feel pretty yes, I don't want to say pretty confident,

0:47:48.160 --> 0:47:51.440
<v Speaker 5>but I feel relatively confident he's going to be fine.

0:47:51.680 --> 0:47:54.839
<v Speaker 5>I think this could be the week. I think there's

0:47:54.840 --> 0:47:58.480
<v Speaker 5>a shot. I think there's a shot, and now it's

0:47:58.560 --> 0:48:03.319
<v Speaker 5>probably gonna be He's probably gonna be very limited. I

0:48:03.320 --> 0:48:06.440
<v Speaker 5>don't know if he's in shape, certainly not football shape, right,

0:48:06.440 --> 0:48:08.160
<v Speaker 5>So I don't know what you're gonna get from him

0:48:08.320 --> 0:48:11.080
<v Speaker 5>when he gets out there. But I do think. Do

0:48:11.200 --> 0:48:15.360
<v Speaker 5>think he's close. I really do. And I haven't gotten

0:48:15.360 --> 0:48:18.200
<v Speaker 5>any bad vibes. I saw him the other in the

0:48:18.200 --> 0:48:21.719
<v Speaker 5>locker room and he's in very very good spirits. The

0:48:21.760 --> 0:48:23.879
<v Speaker 5>other thing I would say, and I've been repeating this

0:48:23.920 --> 0:48:28.399
<v Speaker 5>for whatever it's worth, we were told by Alec four

0:48:28.440 --> 0:48:33.080
<v Speaker 5>to six months this week. In fact, roughly this week

0:48:33.360 --> 0:48:37.640
<v Speaker 5>later this week is the five month mark. So he's

0:48:37.719 --> 0:48:41.759
<v Speaker 5>well within the timeline, you know. And I think it's nervous.

0:48:42.120 --> 0:48:45.040
<v Speaker 5>It makes people nervous because the season is upcoming. That

0:48:45.200 --> 0:48:47.800
<v Speaker 5>is fine, I get that, But if you're talking about

0:48:47.800 --> 0:48:50.640
<v Speaker 5>it from the perspective of like, what's there a setback?

0:48:50.800 --> 0:48:53.960
<v Speaker 5>Is he behind schedule? That is not true. That is

0:48:54.040 --> 0:48:57.880
<v Speaker 5>one thousand percent not true. So he's on schedule. The

0:48:57.920 --> 0:48:59.640
<v Speaker 5>only question is is he going to make it back

0:48:59.680 --> 0:49:02.840
<v Speaker 5>in time? And it does appear he's closer, so I

0:49:02.880 --> 0:49:06.200
<v Speaker 5>think you can feel relatively good about it. But until

0:49:06.200 --> 0:49:10.080
<v Speaker 5>he's out there, until we see how he plays and

0:49:10.160 --> 0:49:13.680
<v Speaker 5>performs in practice at least, then you don't necessarily have

0:49:13.760 --> 0:49:14.839
<v Speaker 5>complete peace of mind.

0:49:14.920 --> 0:49:16.239
<v Speaker 4>So that's the other piece of that.

0:49:16.360 --> 0:49:18.239
<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna go out there later off tonight and watched

0:49:18.320 --> 0:49:21.560
<v Speaker 1>Daniel Jones debut and softball right, he's gonna be running

0:49:21.600 --> 0:49:22.680
<v Speaker 1>around everywhere, correct.

0:49:23.400 --> 0:49:25.359
<v Speaker 4>You know I played in that. You remember when Robert

0:49:25.400 --> 0:49:26.600
<v Speaker 4>Mathis used to do one of these.

0:49:26.719 --> 0:49:29.439
<v Speaker 1>I did, Yeah, I did. I was out there once too.

0:49:29.560 --> 0:49:33.359
<v Speaker 5>Yes, So Robert, you know, big fan of mine, as

0:49:33.400 --> 0:49:38.520
<v Speaker 5>you can imagine, depending on the day, he hated my

0:49:38.560 --> 0:49:41.799
<v Speaker 5>guts And I actually went up to hit one time

0:49:41.840 --> 0:49:45.080
<v Speaker 5>and he was pitching and he had a smile from

0:49:45.160 --> 0:49:48.280
<v Speaker 5>air to air, and I was like, he's definitely gonna

0:49:48.280 --> 0:49:50.879
<v Speaker 5>take my head off, but he didn't, and I made

0:49:50.960 --> 0:49:54.680
<v Speaker 5>contact and I had a liner right too. Do you

0:49:54.680 --> 0:49:58.840
<v Speaker 5>remember Chester Rogers wide receiver. I had a liner to

0:49:58.920 --> 0:50:01.799
<v Speaker 5>Chester Rogers and he snagged the damn thing like it

0:50:01.840 --> 0:50:02.400
<v Speaker 5>was nothing.

0:50:02.719 --> 0:50:05.160
<v Speaker 4>I was like, hey man, what the hell? I was

0:50:05.200 --> 0:50:07.760
<v Speaker 4>getting ready? To run the bases, but probably for the better,

0:50:07.840 --> 0:50:08.680
<v Speaker 4>so it worked out art.

0:50:08.840 --> 0:50:12.640
<v Speaker 1>So here here's one. I was there and I was

0:50:12.760 --> 0:50:14.799
<v Speaker 1>not in the game at the time, and I took

0:50:14.840 --> 0:50:18.840
<v Speaker 1>my son, who was much younger Blake with me, and

0:50:19.000 --> 0:50:22.640
<v Speaker 1>he was I think probably I can't remember, six or

0:50:22.680 --> 0:50:27.560
<v Speaker 1>seven or something. And there was a ball that was

0:50:27.640 --> 0:50:32.400
<v Speaker 1>hit to shortstop and thrown and it went over the

0:50:32.400 --> 0:50:35.839
<v Speaker 1>head of the first basement and Andrew luck caught it

0:50:35.920 --> 0:50:38.040
<v Speaker 1>right before it went into the dugout to hit my kid.

0:50:40.239 --> 0:50:42.560
<v Speaker 4>That's great, That's amazing.

0:50:42.640 --> 0:50:46.919
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. So I always tell Blake it had been better

0:50:46.960 --> 0:50:48.600
<v Speaker 1>off if that thing would have hit you. We should

0:50:48.680 --> 0:50:50.400
<v Speaker 1>just let it hit you, got right through you and

0:50:50.520 --> 0:50:50.959
<v Speaker 1>hit you.

0:50:51.000 --> 0:50:54.560
<v Speaker 5>So yeah, taking money out of your pocket.

0:50:55.160 --> 0:50:58.560
<v Speaker 1>Hell of a moment right there, man. It was Hey,

0:50:58.920 --> 0:51:03.960
<v Speaker 1>safe travels hopefully expeditiously getting to that event at Victory Field,

0:51:03.960 --> 0:51:06.920
<v Speaker 1>and we'll catch it next week and hopefully we got

0:51:06.960 --> 0:51:09.799
<v Speaker 1>a little bit more entertaining performance to watch against the

0:51:09.840 --> 0:51:10.800
<v Speaker 1>Lions on Saturday.

0:51:12.040 --> 0:51:12.720
<v Speaker 4>Let's hope.

0:51:13.320 --> 0:51:16.600
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate it, pal, Thank you be careful, Okay. Steven

0:51:16.640 --> 0:51:18.760
<v Speaker 1>Holder of ESPN on espn dot com