In a "bizarre exchange" on the "Mark Patrick on Sports" radio show on Indianapolis' WNDE-AM yesterday afternoon, Colts President Bill Polian and FSN's Jay Mohr "went at each other with raised voices for 17 minutes over the club's handling of [RB] Edgerrin James' season-ending injury," according to Phil Richards of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR, who notes Mohr said on Tuesday's "Jim Rome Show" that James "is angry and wants to leave the Colts over the handling of his knee injury." After he spoke with agent Drew Rosenhaus, who does not rep James, Mohr said the Colts "had James practice after he had torn his left [ACL], resulting in [James] tearing two more ligaments in the same knee." Richards, on the Polian/Mohr exchange: "Indignation ran rampant, It was loud. It was impassioned. It was ... a bit of a spectacle." Polian also denied Mohr's charges on his own radio show on Tuesday. Polian "suggested the team might sue Mohr." Polian: "I have a real strong feeling that (Mohr's charge) is subject to legal action. And I will say it's an absolute complete, total, unadulterated lie."
MOHR VS. POLIAN: During the exchange, Mohr said, "No wonder the Colts are doing so poorly. You are an absolute madman. ... Did you let Edgerrin James practice for three weeks with a torn ACL?" Polian said James "did not practice for three weeks. At all. No Sir. Absolutely not. Categorically untrue. And you don't have a shred of evidence to back up that statement. ... That's [a] lie."
RE-AIRED OUT: Richards notes that WNDE replayed the exchange at 4pm yesterday, "and the station said there would be another replay at 5 p.m. [But] it didn't happen." Patrick said that "if the Colts exerted any influence on the decision [not to re-air the segment], he was not aware of it." But Richards notes Colts games and the "Bill Polian Show" air on WFBQ-FM, WNDE's sister station. The Colts issued a release "denying Mohr's charges, but Polian declined to be interviewed on the matter yesterday evening" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/13). Also in Indianapolis, C. Jemal Horton, on the move not to re-air the exchange: "Maybe the Colts did not order such an action, but it looks very suspicious." Polian, who was "merely defending the Colts organization, ... wound up looking bad" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/13). Colts fan Debbie Poole said that she "wasn't sure who to believe — Polian or Mohr — until" Colts QB Peyton Manning "took it upon himself to call [yesterday's] radio show" to defend Polian (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/13).
