Like most that follow the Colts, I have loved the 'family' approach to the team and the fans. Truly gave the impression we were in it and going through it together. Also made us more tolerant of less-than-perfect performances by players and the team as a whole, and all the more rewarding when the Colts won big - we all felt like winners, didn't we?

So in the face of all the verbage by the Colts upper echelon supporting the team through this abysmal season, it was sad to see the 'family' go dysfunctional by booting Bill Polian. And possibly Jim Caldwell here in the future by the roundabout way of not firing him personally but letting the new GM do it. Raising the hands in the "wasn't my call!" gesture. I agree it is hard to understand how such a seemingly talented and well-managed team as the Colts were in previous years could go 0-13 and eek out only 2 wins all season - at times be in contention against good teams and totally fail against seemingly weaker teams. In that sense a failure at most all levels. Not to mention trading away Jim Sorgi who was the understudy of Peyton for what .... 8-9 years? Seems he should have learned something about running the offense in those years, doesn't it? So much failed: so little use of Dallas Clark and Austin Collie, the receiver abilities of Joseph Addai. Great to see Donald Brown emerge as a strong running back - hopefully won't be traded by the new GM .... ! And the brilliance, at least at times, of the defense. Other times ....

The Colts have built themselves, apparently, around Peyton, an incredible talent. So as long as Peyton is healthy, that decision seems sounds. Though as we just experienced, when Peyton isn't healthy, that decision seems lamentable. There are examples of starters going out and the backups doing so much better: Brady replaced by Matt Cassell and the team going 11-5, the relatively unproven Curt Warner taking over for Trent Green and taking the team to the Super Bowl and likely had Aaron Rodgers taken over for Brett Farve, it would have produced spectacular results. So what went wrong and who is to blame? Well, as the firings and trades come to pass, where was management and ownership?

In going down the road, the core issue seems to be whether the decision to maintain an offensive strategy that apparently requires a near Superman of a quarterback (as Peyton assuredly is) of whether the offense needs to be restructured to have a better balance of running and passing, and less of a necessity to have a stellar quarterback in place. So if it were me, I'd restructure the offense to be less one-person dominated, maybe best to say it as more of a "system" as the Patriots use, where parts, including the quarterback when injuries happen.

Would I draft Andrew Luck? Absolutely. I doubt from either Peyton or Andrew that the quality of their character would make them antagonists. Yes, they are both driven to want to play and to lead. But Peyton is a proven entity and Andrew is a TBD player. And if there is any sense of loyalty and love from ownership to the team and the fans, it should be Peyton's position until he choose to give it up. And everything I have seen over the years from Peyton over the years is much as he loves the game, he loves his family, his teammates and his fans more. I believe it is unlikely he will do a Brett Farve and play beyond that time when he feels he is not the best player for his team in that position. And Andrew should be so lucky! To have as a mentor one of the top quarterbacks to ever play the game, one of the best at play calling and reading defenses .... and executing ..... his potential success seems so much more assured if he soaks up all there is to learn from Peyton and executes that knowledge with his natural talent.

That's my two cents worth. Oh ...... I and definitely would not trade Donald Brown! Or Robert Mathis or Dwight Freeney or Pat Anger or Dallas Clark or Austin Collie - proven, valuable talents. We love you guys!