Another Reason why I like the Colts.....

[NewColtsFan]

..... beyond my love for Luck....

 

..... beyond my love for the combo of Grigson/Pagano....

 

..... i like the Colts because they work hard to make themselves an important part of the community.

 

What do I mean by that?

 

When you go to Colts.com this week,  there's a Temporary new front page to not only remind you to buy tickets,  but to the right of the page, there's a calendar of all the events happening around the greater Indianapolis area this week.     And the Colts do things like this all season long.   And Irsay tweets congrats to the winners of contests and games the Colts offer...  and he shouts out to winning H.S. football teams....    all sorts of ways to make the Colts important to the good people of Indiana...

 

So....   I went to NFL.com and then clicked on the links to the 11 other NFL playoff franchises to see what they do and how they reach out to their fans.   And the Colts are the only franchise doing this.   No other team does.   It's all about football and the upcoming game.   Nothing about the community.   Now,  there maybe material on their website, but you've got to go look for it and click around.   It's not out there on the front page for everyone to see and enjoy.     Only the Colts.

 

As you know, I'm from Los Angeles...    my NFL experience were the Rams and the Raiders.    The Raiders view was,  if we win, you'll turn out to our games.   Period.  End of story.   The Raiders were down right rude about it. 

 

The Rams were much nicer about it, and worked a little more with the media and local groups, but not a lot.

 

So......  from my perspective, the Colts do things right.   Both on the field AND off.   And that makes being a Colts' fan not only enjoyable,  but easy too.

 

That's the view from 2000 miles away!

 

It's the Playoffs this week my friends!

 

Go Colts!!          

[jvan1973]

After the colts won the Superbowl in 06, irsay had a pretty cool lottery for fans to won superbowl rings

http://nhs77.blogspot.com/2007/10/win-colts-super-bowl-ring.html?m=1

[HarassedOffTheSite]

Great post!

[basketballsteve]

Good Insight, Colts are run in a good way caring about family and community does seem to be important up and down the chain of command for the Colts. Richardson made a very big point of talking about how he felt that everyone in the Colts organization had his back. There does seem to be a lot of "US" philosophy in INDY.

[CVDGxRAZE]

the fans and players are just good people and calm

[cbear]

I don't know about the inner workings of this team, but they come across like a real family with generally, really nice guys.  They seem to be an easy team to pull for.

[dgambill]

I don't know about the inner workings of this team, but they come across like a real family with generally, really nice guys.  They seem to be an easy team to pull for.

Unless your from Baltimore lol.

[trustloyaltyrespectblue]

I just love me some COLTS how can you not like LUCK.... seriously!! that beard can not be denied. Friends and coworkers come and go but FAMILY is forever.... COLTS NATION 

[southwest1]

After the colts won the Superbowl in 06, irsay had a pretty cool lottery for fans to won superbowl rings

http://nhs77.blogspot.com/2007/10/win-colts-super-bowl-ring.html?m=1

I never saw that before Jvan. Cool. Thanks for the link to that information.   The closest thing I can recall to anything like this is when the 2009 Saints did a lottery thing to win a SB ring after Hurricane Katrina etc. etc. 

[southwest1]

Thanks for reminding me what separates INDY from a number of NFL teams. They never forget where they come from or the larger Hoosier State community that they reside in, support, & cheer for. Nice job NCF! 

[The Old Crow]

Unless your from Baltimore lol.

No big deal. Good luck against the Chiefs. We are gearing up for Orioles Spring Training.

[shecolt]

Great post, NCF!

 

I would also like to add that the Colts have given some great prizes to the fans on this (and previous boards) over the years. 

 

Perhaps, other teams do the same; I'm not sure.

 

But, I know that winning an autographed Peyton Manning jersey was so exciting for me as I had never, ever won anything before in my life except a dumb, old teddy bear cake pan and I don't like to cook or bake. 

 

So, I will always be thankful because one of my dreams was to have something, anything autographed by Peyton.  :cloud9:

 

 

[Warhorse]

No big deal. Good luck against the Chiefs. We are gearing up for Orioles Spring Training.

Tough season for the Ravens too. I still hated the letting go of Boldin.

[southwest1]

Tough season for the Ravens too. I still hated the letting go of Boldin.

I know WH. I still have no idea why Ozzie Newsome did that. Well, I get that Joe Flacco won a SB & he cashed in with a big payday, but why let your best WR waltz all the way to San Francisco for nothing? That move just baffled me. Huh? What? Is the Ravens front office insane? Restructure contracts ASAP to keep Boldin in Baltimore by any means necessary.

 

He even looked the part of a Ravens player: Tough, thick, strong, & money in the touchdown bank baby. Ka Ching! 

 

I'm not a huge Ravens fan, but I do like how that organization retools & remains Playoff competitive down the stretch. They rarely miss the post season. 

[NewColtsFan]

I know WH. I still have no idea why Ozzie Newsome did that. Well, I get that Joe Flacco won a SB & he cashed in with a big payday, but why let your best WR waltz all the way to San Francisco for nothing? That move just baffled me. Huh? What? Is the Ravens front office insane? Restructure contracts ASAP to keep Boldin in Baltimore by any means necessary.

 

He even looked the part of a Ravens player: Tough, thick, strong, & money in the touchdown bank baby. Ka Ching! 

 

I'm not a huge Ravens fan, but I do like how that organization retools & remains Playoff competitive down the stretch. They rarely miss the post season. 

 

I'm afraid the exact same thing is going to happen to the Colts in about 13-15 months....

 

Luck's rookie deal will be 3 years old and he'll be finally able to re-do the deal with the Colts.    And we'll do it asap!

And once he's getting $17-19 Mill,  that's a lot of money that won't be available to keep some of the players that we want to hold on to...     That's the reality of the new NFL.....

 

Ozzie Newsome is as sharp as they come for a GM....   I'm sure he tried everything he could to keep Boldin....    Sometimes it's just nothing but round pegs and square holes....   or square pegs and round holes....    there's just no way to make 'em fit!

 

Let's enjoy our financial freedom while we can....    one more year after this season.....   then, everything changes.....

[lennymoore24]

Ok

[southwest1]

I'm afraid the exact same thing is going to happen to the Colts in about 13-15 months....

 

Luck's rookie deal will be 3 years old and he'll be finally able to re-do the deal with the Colts.    And we'll do it asap!

And once he's getting $17-19 Mill,  that's a lot of money that won't be available to keep some of the players that we want to hold on to...     That's the reality of the new NFL.....

 

Ozzie Newsome is as sharp as they come for a GM....   I'm sure he tried everything he could to keep Boldin....    Sometimes it's just nothing but round pegs and square holes....   or square pegs and round holes....    there's just no way to make 'em fit!

 

Let's enjoy our financial freedom while we can....    one more year after this season.....   then, everything changes.....

Yeah, I hear ya NCF. The same thing will happen soon in Seattle too with Russell Wilson in the Pacific NW as well. I can always count on you for logical debate & insightful commentary that is spot on too.  ;)

[southwest1]

I just love me some COLTS how can you not like LUCK.... seriously!! that beard can not be denied. Friends and coworkers come and go but FAMILY is forever.... COLTS NATION 

I'd slap that Luck bumper sticker on my car TLRB. You could have a cash cow on your hands with that unforgettable INDY slogan there IMO. Maybe Jim Irsay will give you a piece of the profits sold inside LOS. I kid; I kid. 

[The Old Crow]

Tough season for the Ravens too. I still hated the letting go of Boldin.

The season wasn't that bad. They at least had a shot until the final weekend. Even if they had gotten in, it would have been one and done. The Offensive line has to be totally gutted . You were right about Boldin. Even Harbaugh admitted it at a recent press conference. I think that loss , and Matt Birk's retirement as our center, killed us the most. The rest of the moves were pretty good ones.

[Thewholefnshow28]

I do love what the Colts do in the community as they are very active, but many of the teams are active with various outreach programs in their community. This is just not a Colts thing.

[The Old Crow]

I know WH. I still have no idea why Ozzie Newsome did that. Well, I get that Joe Flacco won a SB & he cashed in with a big payday, but why let your best WR waltz all the way to San Francisco for nothing? That move just baffled me. Huh? What? Is the Ravens front office insane? Restructure contracts ASAP to keep Boldin in Baltimore by any means necessary.

 

He even looked the part of a Ravens player: Tough, thick, strong, & money in the touchdown bank baby. Ka Ching! 

 

I'm not a huge Ravens fan, but I do like how that organization retools & remains Playoff competitive down the stretch. They rarely miss the post season. 

 

 

What happened on the Boldin deal was they did ask him to restructure, and he refused. Boldin is a proud man who believes a contract is a contract. He understood it was business, but he wasn't going to take a cut. Honestly, I totally respect Boldin for this, and he deserved his full pay after what he did for the Ravens. I always be a huge fan of the guy by the way he handles himself on, and off the field. A true pro.

 

Ozzie thought he could replace Boldin with Pitta, but he went down with the hip injury preseason. Then Jacoby Jones got taken out in the first game against Denver by one of our own guys, and was out for six weeks. Torrey Smith then started getting double covered, and you had a host of new secondary receivers in the games now. Joe got sacked 48 times, second most in the league, and ort offensive line produced the worst rushing offense in the NFL. If you wonder why Flacco struggled so badly this year, this was a big part of it. He was also much more injured in those last two games then reported. Harbaugh keeps that stuff very close to the vest.

 

Another factor in the reasoning to let Boldin go was that they were able to sign about four defensive players with the money they would have paid him. Two good ones they got were Chris Canty and Darryl Smith, while two busts were Marcus Spears and Michael Huff, who were eventually released. The bottom line is the Ravens defense did get better, but losing Boldin in hindsight ended up being a disaster. If you combine it with the losses of Pitta and Boldin, a hip injury to Rice, and you have a train wreck.

 

They are not positioned too badly for next year. Their defensive secondary is very good, and they are decent on the defensive line, though not great. They do need a couple of outside linebackers, and eventually a middle linebacker to replace an aging Smith.

 

The only offensive lineman guaranteed to start next year is guard Marshall Yanda. Osemele will hopefully be back from injury as the other guard. Gradkowski at Center, and Shipley at Guard will be replaced, Oher will not be signed at tackle, and they will try to resign Monroe for the other tackle. Then it will be up to free agency and the draft, and get better offensive linemen. The other question is if Ray Rice is done, or was it the offensive line ? As usual, because we let Boldin go, we need receivers again. Unlike the Colts, we just can't draft receivers, most of the time. Also Flacco has to have a much better year. Like most teams in the NFL, it will be a challenge. 

[The Old Crow]

Yeah, I hear ya NCF. The same thing will happen soon in Seattle too with Russell Wilson in the Pacific NW as well. I can always count on you for logical debate & insightful commentary that is spot on too.  ;)

 

This will happen to every team in the NFL that has a good quarterback. You've already seen it with Flacco, Romo, and Cutler, and Wilson and Luck will get much more than those guys. It takes an extremely competent GM, to get the other pieces together around a franchise quarterback. 

 

You may well criticize the Ravens and the Bears for signing Flacco and Cutler to big contracts respectively, but looking at the track record previously of the two organizations with quarterbacks, you have to sign these guys because they win, and provide stability. Sure they are not Manning or Brady, but who would these two organizations get that would be better ?

[Warhorse]

The season wasn't that bad. They at least had a shot until the final weekend. Even if they had gotten in, it would have been one and done. The Offensive line has to be totally gutted . You were right about Boldin. Even Harbaugh admitted it at a recent press conference. I think that loss , and Matt Birk's retirement as our center, killed us the most. The rest of the moves were pretty good ones.

They'll bounce back next season. Too good of a coaching staff. No offense intended, but glad the 'Ray" show is over. It will come across as more of a team....at least to me.

 

Offensive line....the key to most successes. I wonder what ours will look like next season. On another note....after seeing the mortgage payment Cutler just leveraged from the Bears, I shudder at the thought of what percentage of the cap Luck is going to command in a few years.

[The Old Crow]

They'll bounce back next season. Too good of a coaching staff. No offense intended, but glad the 'Ray" show is over. It will come across as more of a team....at least to me.

 

Offensive line....the key to most successes. I wonder what ours will look like next season. On another note....after seeing the mortgage payment Cutler just leveraged from the Bears, I shudder at the thought of what percentage of the cap Luck is going to command in a few years.

Luck will get more money than Flacco or Cutler, but it's a good problem to have. It will be up to Grigson to get the best players at the right price to put around him.

[NewColtsFan]

Yeah, I hear ya NCF. The same thing will happen soon in Seattle too with Russell Wilson in the Pacific NW as well. I can always count on you for logical debate & insightful commentary that is spot on too.  ;)

 

Thanks for the kind words, SW1....   and back at ya!

 

Very good point by you that it will happen in Seattle with Wilson soon...

 

And, while we're at it....   let's not forget our nation's capitol with RG3...   and Cincinnati with Andy Dalton and San Francisco with Kaepernick.....

 

Sooner or later,  the great players get paid what they're worth...  and it will soon be time for these guys to all get paid!

[cmgww]

Luck strikes me as the type that wouldn't break the bank and kill the Colts with his contract. Just my gut, I mean he barely does endorsements. Still has that flip phone. Doesn't drive a flashy car, that type of stuff. I know he will take more $$, bc he isn't stupid. But hopefully he/his agent get it structured in a way that won't kill us cap-wise. He will have to take near market value or the Players Association would wet the bed. But he seems like a "hometown discount" kind of guy. I could be wrong though.

[GoColts8818]

Luck strikes me as the type that wouldn't break the bank and kill the Colts with his contract. Just my gut, I mean he barely does endorsements. Still has that flip phone. Doesn't drive a flashy car, that type of stuff. I know he will take more $$, bc he isn't stupid. But hopefully he/his agent get it structured in a way that won't kill us cap-wise. He will have to take near market value or the Players Association would wet the bed. But he seems like a "hometown discount" kind of guy. I could be wrong though.

These contracts are often set up because you have to set up the next guy just as guys before you set up you.  So while he might take less it will probably be like when Peyton took less on his last deal.  He still got a huge deal just not as big as he could have gotten if he wanted. 

[cmgww]

Yeah that was what I was trying to say in a long winded way

[bluestampede82]

Luck strikes me as the type that wouldn't break the bank and kill the Colts with his contract. Just my gut, I mean he barely does endorsements. Still has that flip phone. Doesn't drive a flashy car, that type of stuff. I know he will take more $$, bc he isn't stupid. But hopefully he/his agent get it structured in a way that won't kill us cap-wise. He will have to take near market value or the Players Association would wet the bed. But he seems like a "hometown discount" kind of guy. I could be wrong though.

Could not agree more!

Cutler's deal just squashed the Bears cap room. Not that it was way over the top, but... They actually have to let some guys go or restructure a number of deals to afford to bring anyone in.

[azcolt]

Luck strikes me as the type that wouldn't break the bank and kill the Colts with his contract. Just my gut, I mean he barely does endorsements. Still has that flip phone. Doesn't drive a flashy car, that type of stuff. I know he will take more $$, bc he isn't stupid. But hopefully he/his agent get it structured in a way that won't kill us cap-wise. He will have to take near market value or the Players Association would wet the bed. But he seems like a "hometown discount" kind of guy. I could be wrong though.

Luck will get a contract consistent with the market. Peyton doesn't seem like a greedy guy either but he took the big bucks and so will Andrew, even though it has an adverse effect on the quality of the remaining roster. This is a business.

[SOMDColtsfan]

Unless your from Baltimore lol.

Am from about an hour south of Baltimore, never waivered as a Colts fan   

[The Old Crow]

Am from about an hour south of Baltimore, never waivered as a Colts fan

That is Redskins country around Laurel !