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Why Did Elway Refuse To Play For The Colts When Drafted?


King Colt

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I think it was simply that he didn't feel they would be a successful franchise moving forward.

The Baltimore Colts owned the top pick and looked poised to land a quarterback capable of building on the remarkable legacy set by John Unitas, but Elway had different ideas. First, he publicly stated he refused to join the Colts, feeling the team would not allow him to be successful, then, after Baltimore selected him anyway, he demanded a trade.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2776891

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I recall when Elway refused to play for the Colts when drafted and I thought would not it be a shocker if Luck did the same. I know he will not but any how does any one know exactly why Elway refused the Colts?

I'm going with this......

Because he was a spoiled &$@#*^%..... and he had leverage.

We can't rewrite history.... but it would have been kinda funny had we refused to trade him and watch him jump into baseball and the crummy (at the time) team that was the NY Yankees. They sucked from 1983 when Elway was drafted all the way to 1996..... when they finally won the World Series. Life under George Steinbrenner would have been interesting for him.

We'll never know.

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He did it for the same reason Eli did it. He didn't think he would be successful and with how the Colts were run at that time and during his career he probably would have been right.

I do not really blame either one for doing what they did. It is their careers on the line and their ability to optimize their earnings. I do not care how great you are of a player if you are in an inept organization you are not going to do well.

The only reason I did not like how Eli handled it was he got his daddy involved. If you are going to do something like this at least be a man and stand on your own.

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I think it was simply that he didn't feel they would be a successful franchise moving forward.

The Baltimore Colts owned the top pick and looked poised to land a quarterback capable of building on the remarkable legacy set by John Unitas, but Elway had different ideas. First, he publicly stated he refused to join the Colts, feeling the team would not allow him to be successful, then, after Baltimore selected him anyway, he demanded a trade.

http://sports.espn.g...tory?id=2776891

This is what I fear from Luck....no matter what he says now...

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Agreed, Elways a baby. But hey, we got Manning instead and i would take Manning over Elway any dang day!

Instead of a spoiled rotten qb in Elway we got a high class FHOF qb in Manning. It was a win for the Colts imo.

That's a VERY interesting question Peyton Manning vs. John Elway....

I'd actually lean towards Elway...

But that's close..

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Makes me wonder if thats why all the changes with coaching, besides they sucked, are being emplemented. Showing Luck or future draft pick the Colts are seriuos in winning?? Maybe..

Wow... Good point......

Instead of us of saying: Hey Andrew..we're 2-14 with the same coaching staff and you might not play anyway - Come join us.

WE are now saying....Manning or no Manning....Change is gonna Come.. You are the future..get on board..

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I recall when Elway refused to play for the Colts when drafted and I thought would not it be a shocker if Luck did the same. I know he will not but any how does any one know exactly why Elway refused the Colts?

because at the time Bob Irsay made Dan Synder or the later years of Al Davis look like good owners.

Elway also had an our that Luck does not he was drafted in the baseball draft and was just going to go play baseball.

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He did it for the same reason Eli did it. He didn't think he would be successful and with how the Colts were run at that time and during his career he probably would have been right.

I do not really blame either one for doing what they did. It is their careers on the line and their ability to optimize their earnings. I do not care how great you are of a player if you are in an inept organization you are not going to do well.

The only reason I did not like how Eli handled it was he got his daddy involved. If you are going to do something like this at least be a man and stand on your own.

Elway did it because he didn't like the owner of the Colts. A lot of people think Eli did it because Archie knew that it was not in his best interest to be in the same confrence as Peyton.

Also Eli used his dad because it was better to make his dad the bad guy and not him.

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This is what I fear from Luck....no matter what he says now...

I think it's different now though. The Colts are a team with a lot of very recent success, obviously outside of the season that resulted in picking first and getting Luck. At the time Elway was drafted, there was a much more substantial history of failure. (And the Patriots were the same way throughout most of their existence... I remember the Pats-Colts games when both teams were in the AFC East, and it was usually dubbed something like, "The Toilet Bowl.")

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I think it's stupid and childish when a player does this. You don't get to pick where you get drafted. Obviously, the first team to pick is going to be a bad team...in fact, in many ways, they will be the worst team in the league. Shut your mouth and go play. If it were up to me, I would pick the player and if he decides to act like a spoiled punk, I would either make him sit for however long it takes or trade him to a team that is either a) very bad, or b) has a solid starter at his position

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He did it for the same reason Eli did it. He didn't think he would be successful and with how the Colts were run at that time and during his career he probably would have been right.

I do not really blame either one for doing what they did. It is their careers on the line and their ability to optimize their earnings. I do not care how great you are of a player if you are in an inept organization you are not going to do well.

The only reason I did not like how Eli handled it was he got his daddy involved. If you are going to do something like this at least be a man and stand on your own.

I think it was all Archie.

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I think it's stupid and childish when a player does this. You don't get to pick where you get drafted. Obviously, the first team to pick is going to be a bad team...in fact, in many ways, they will be the worst team in the league. Shut your mouth and go play. If it were up to me, I would pick the player and if he decides to act like a spoiled punk, I would either make him sit for however long it takes or trade him to a team that is either a) very bad, or b) has a solid starter at his position

stupid and childish? spoiled punk??

funny how ideology rears its ugly head. i would think that wanting some control of where one works would be a basic 'freedom' -- from geography to ownership, WHY should a guy not want a say in it?

would anyone want to work for bob irsay? mike brown? marge schott?

look at the difference between elway's career and hinton's.

yeah, both made good money, but one had a great careeer, and one suffered through.

i am not saying i dont agree with the draft, i am saying that in the real world one should have the right to say 'heck no' to a bad situation. it should have a cost (losing a season of a fleeting career) but name calling?

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stupid and childish? spoiled punk??

funny how ideology rears its ugly head. i would think that wanting some control of where one works would be a basic 'freedom' -- from geography to ownership, WHY should a guy not want a say in it?

would anyone want to work for bob irsay? mike brown? marge schott?

look at the difference between elway's career and hinton's.

yeah, both made good money, but one had a great careeer, and one suffered through.

i am not saying i dont agree with the draft, i am saying that in the real world one should have the right to say 'heck no' to a bad situation. it should have a cost (losing a season of a fleeting career) but name calling?

Why should the player have the ability to say "heck no"? He has done nothing in the league. To be honest, all he has on his side is potential. If a free agent wants to bolt out of somewhere after their contract is up, that's their choice. But if a rookie who has done nothing in the league wants to come in and try to dictate where he plays, that doesn't sit well with me. The worst team gets the best draft choice and (arguably) the best player. That's how it works. Of course, everyone wants to be on a championship team, but then everyone would sit and demand a trade to teams like the Pats or Packers.

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Why should the player have the ability to say "heck no"? He has done nothing in the league. To be honest, all he has on his side is potential. If a free agent wants to bolt out of somewhere after their contract is up, that's their choice. But if a rookie who has done nothing in the league wants to come in and try to dictate where he plays, that doesn't sit well with me. The worst team gets the best draft choice and (arguably) the best player. That's how it works. Of course, everyone wants to be on a championship team, but then everyone would sit and demand a trade to teams like the Pats or Packers.

Exactly! Thats the point of the draft! The worst team of the year gets the best prospect to help make the team better. Not a peeing match and stomping your feet about being drafted to a lower ranked team. Yes, its childish.

Eli's situation had more to do with Peyton and being in the AFC with him. Do other sibilings play one another, sure.. but when its the most well know future Hof QB playing against his baby bro.. its a different situation, imo.

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Why should the player have the ability to say "heck no"? He has done nothing in the league. To be honest, all he has on his side is potential. If a free agent wants to bolt out of somewhere after their contract is up, that's their choice. But if a rookie who has done nothing in the league wants to come in and try to dictate where he plays, that doesn't sit well with me. The worst team gets the best draft choice and (arguably) the best player. That's how it works. Of course, everyone wants to be on a championship team, but then everyone would sit and demand a trade to teams like the Pats or Packers.

the truth is players DO have the right to say heck no. if you dont like the draft you can sit for a year, right? checks and balances work.

a player might not have the right to pick the destination, but they do and should have veto power over it. again, checks and balances.

the ideology that believes ONLY in management is un-american.

oh, "Not a peeing match and stomping your feet about being drafted to a lower ranked team. Yes, its childish.

Eli's situation had more to do with Peyton and being in the AFC with him. Do other sibilings play one another, sure.. but when its the most well know future Hof QB playing against his baby bro.. its a different situation, imo. "

this is just weak. the draft is a LIFECHANGING process for those in it. silly words like 'childish' are just wrong. funny how your hero's brother gets a pass, yet you would crucify anyone else.....same with 21 is superman-- he would spend his time as gm punishing anyone who deigned to not want to play for him, instead of stewarding his team to the best position possible.

in the NFL, there are not a lot of examples of a guy saying he wants to play on say, the west coast, and if he does not get his wish, he wont play. eli is as close to that as i can think of-- you have any other examples??

the system has checks and balances built in. it keeps management from being too horrible and gives talent to the least successful teams to keep the level of competition high.

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the truth is players DO have the right to say heck no. if you dont like the draft you can sit for a year, right? checks and balances work.

a player might not have the right to pick the destination, but they do and should have veto power over it. again, checks and balances.

the ideology that believes ONLY in management is un-american.

oh, "Not a peeing match and stomping your feet about being drafted to a lower ranked team. Yes, its childish.

Eli's situation had more to do with Peyton and being in the AFC with him. Do other sibilings play one another, sure.. but when its the most well know future Hof QB playing against his baby bro.. its a different situation, imo. "

this is just weak. the draft is a LIFECHANGING process for those in it. silly words like 'childish' are just wrong. funny how your hero's brother gets a pass, yet you would crucify anyone else.....same with 21 is superman-- he would spend his time as gm punishing anyone who deigned to not want to play for him, instead of stewarding his team to the best position possible.

in the NFL, there are not a lot of examples of a guy saying he wants to play on say, the west coast, and if he does not get his wish, he wont play. eli is as close to that as i can think of-- you have any other examples??

the system has checks and balances built in. it keeps management from being too horrible and gives talent to the least successful teams to keep the level of competition high.

haha there are many good reasons why I'm not an NFL GM. Of course, as a fan sitting here, I would say that. However, I'm sure that if I were a GM, my opinion on it would change and my actions would be different.

I'm not saying what Eli did was any better. I think Eli and Elway both shouldn't have done what they did

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Public speculation at the time was that Elway didn't have confidence that Bob Irsay was trying to build a championship team. It was not hard believing him to come to this conclusion simply based on the public actions by Bob and his record of leadership in managing the team to that point. I'm sure Elway had his sources that were even closer to the situation. His being drafted in MLB was the key to his leverage. Most players only have the leverage of sitting for a year.

In John's case, he struggled for many years with Denver. It was becoming very common for the sportscasters to question his ability to win. Not being able to win the big one was becoming closely associated with John Elway when Denver developed a solid defense and Terrel Davis became the running game. With a team around him, Elway became comeback winner and final drive expert.

If a player is that dissatisfied then he is fully justified to sit and wait to what he believes is a better situation. Whether it's the right decision or not is only told by future events.

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Public speculation at the time was that Elway didn't have confidence that Bob Irsay was trying to build a championship team. It was not hard believing him to come to this conclusion simply based on the public actions by Bob and his record of leadership in managing the team to that point. I'm sure Elway had his sources that were even closer to the situation. His being drafted in MLB was the key to his leverage. Most players only have the leverage of sitting for a year.

In John's case, he struggled for many years with Denver. It was becoming very common for the sportscasters to question his ability to win. Not being able to win the big one was becoming closely associated with John Elway when Denver developed a solid defense and Terrel Davis became the running game. With a team around him, Elway became comeback winner and final drive expert.

If a player is that dissatisfied then he is fully justified to sit and wait to what he believes is a better situation. Whether it's the right decision or not is only told by future events.

i remember them laughing at elway when he lined up under guard!

if one compares elways 'not winning the big one' to the same era of colts ball, you see the colts could not win period.

i think thats advantage elway.

do you have any memories about how bad irsay was? i read on here someone talking about a drunk irsay deciding to fire a coach at halftime or some such.

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Oh, please. It had nothing to do with Peyton. There are only two conferences.

Unless, of course, you can provide info proving your contention.

(null)

What proof do you have that that wasnt the case. Nothing. Edit

Edited by Coltssouth
Not respectful of another poster
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There fixed it for ya.

Edit

Fact: You claimed that Eli pulled his immature move so that he wouldn't have to play in the same conference as his brother.

Fact: You have presented no evidence.

Edited by Coltssouth
Personal argument Does not belong in topic. Pm it please.
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Chris Hinton was named to the Pro bowl maybe 4 times before Elway reached Pro Bowl status. But truly the Colts organization was unstable: Hence the move in the middle of the night. But Chris was a true professional and preformed, becoming the first rookie offensive linemen to ever be named to the pro bowl. He saved the organization on that forced trade. Because Mark Herrman did not help at all. Plus Chris was a first round draft choice in one of the most talented draft classes in the NFL. In regards to the Hall of Fame, if Chris was on a Super Bowl team, he would be a shoe-in.

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do you have any memories about how bad irsay was? i read on here someone talking about a drunk irsay deciding to fire a coach at halftime or some such.

I do. Too many. I was watching the game when the coach was fired at halftime. Seems like '74 or '75. Look it up in history. Don't remember drunk being mentioned at the time, but in retrospect.... The GM took over in the 2nd half w/Irsay on the sidelines. It started what would become the darkest of days turned into years for a franchise.

Bob's style started with being pompous and autocratic and ended with always taking the "cheapest" path. He seemed extremely reluctant to spend the money needed to build a franchise. While traveling the Fla. keys in the summer of '78 or '79, I remember a Sports Illustrated article interviewing Bob's mother. I was shocked at how scathng a mother could talk about a son. She had absolutely nothing good to say about her own son in a national publication. It was more like a warning to anyone that knew him. Very sad. I truly hope they both found reconciliation and peace.

I think Elway read the same article.

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Agreed, Elways a baby. But hey, we got Manning instead and i would take Manning over Elway any dang day!

Instead of a spoiled rotten qb in Elway we got a high class FHOF qb in Manning. It was a win for the Colts imo.

What did the Colts not getting Elway have to do with the Colts getting Manning?

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