Irsay Putting His Butt On The Line....

[Portage Coltfans]

Go ahead and cancel your season tickets, I'm sure there are thousands of people lining up for that spot.

yeah for 2012 but not for 2013 if we suck with luck

[Malakai432]

I don't understand why some people are having trouble with Change? That is life everything goes through changes if we like them or not. To me it was long overdue! I don't understand why some are piling up on Mr. Irsay? He has a business to run and the NFL is a business. If a business has a lack luster or getting close, changes are needed to be made. The NFL and the Colts is a business. We don't know what is going on with Peyton we won't find out until March! But Mr. Irsay is a business owner, his business is the Indianapolis Colts. No one has a crystal ball to see what the Colts will look like in the future. Its just an wait and see game, I think we will be fine.

Many people simply cannot handle change when it comes to anything in life whether it's politics, family, friends, personal, public or sports. That being said many can. I usually look forward to change.

[wordofmouth]

Oh we did?? Two years ago the Colts were in Miami getting ready to play SB 44....that is sucking?

I was being sarcastic. C'mon not even I am that stupid.

However, it seems like a lot of people commenting on this thread are saying that with out even thinking.

[oldunclemark]

So, you're not excited about our new rookie HC.

BUC..I dont think we know much about out new coach...

Seems like a good man...experineced....but none of us know who he was before this month, right?

I'd love to hear him talk more..and specifically...

[oldunclemark]

Many people simply cannot handle change when it comes to anything in life whether it's politics, family, friends, personal, public or sports. That being said many can. I usually look forward to change.

Change can be uplifting or it can be disaterous...

The fear here is that we are fixing something that wasn't broken beforelast season...

[braveheartcolt]

I missed the bit about us having the divine right to success. I mean, the draft and the salary cap and all the othe rules that make up the backbone of the NFL are in no way responsible for our demise. It's all on Irsay, especially now that tyrant Bill has gone....

[NailBomb]

Irsay obviously has no concept of karma. Prior to Manning the Colts were a "have not". While they had certainly improved over the pathetic teams of the 80's and early 90's they still weren't a team that anyone was afraid to face. Enter Peyton Manning and suddenly the Colts caused health problems in defensive coordinators for over a decade.

Manning didn't just put the Colts in the record books, he reserved a chapter in the history books. He is arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Other QB's have won more rings but this is a team game, when you throw out everything but pure QB play Peyton stands above everyone. There wouldn't be a flashy new stadium without him. How much money has been generated for the team and the city because of Manning? How many childrens lives have been improved or saved because of the generosity of Manning? How many times did he take less money in order to provide some cap space for other guys? He never got in trouble off the field and has been a perfect ambassador for the sport, the team, and the city.

Now Irsay's arrogance is destroying all of that. Peyton Manning deserves better than this. No one argues with the fact that he's aging and he doesn't have that many seasons left in him but he deserves the benefit of the doubt. He's earned the right to be consulted on the issues that have faced this team. He's earned the right to play or not play on his own terms and with dignity. We've heard that Andrew Luck is the best QB prospect in a decade. So what!? Peyton Manning is a once in a lifetime QB and he's not a prospect...he's done it.

Maybe Manning retires. But if he doesn't would he really want to keep playing for an owner that in one season has erased everything that was good about the organisation? Didn't Peyton earn the right to have a say in the future of the team? He certainly earned the right to take his time to work through his injury and decisions without having to answer to speculation from Rob Lowe of all people.

Irsay has condemned the Colts to bad karma. The team will be cursed for quite some time after this. Yeah it's a business but this has gone well beyond all of that...this has become an insulting mess. Irsay can talk about protecting the horseshoe (and by horseshoe he means his own behind) but it won't matter. The Colts are doomed. You don't disrespect, disregard, and essentially spit in the face of the greatest player this team will ever have and come away clean. The Curse has just begun.

[Malakai432]

Change can be uplifting or it can be disaterous...

The fear here is that we are fixing something that wasn't broken beforelast season...

Very true and that's a valid concern. Just a couple years ago the Colts made the super bowl.

[cmgww]

I was being sarcastic. C'mon not even I am that stupid.

However, it seems like a lot of people commenting on this thread are saying that with out even thinking.

Sorry I didn't pick up on your sarcasm...use some emoticons even if they are a bit lame, at least they help convey sarcasm :-)

But your point is right. A lot of people on here act like the Colts have been terrible for 5-6 years. No, the Polians' bad drafts/FA misses finally came back to bite them. As did building the team around Manning. This is really a blessing in disguise, as much as it pains me to say it. With Manning healthy, the Colts probably would have gone 11-5 or 10-6 and one and done in the playoffs. Enough to keep everything the same. And posters need to stop with the "even with a healthy Manning they still would have sucked" b/c that is BULLCRAP. The D was terrible this year b/c the offense was terrible. The D was built for Manning. Hold a lead or keep it close, get key stops, etc. The 85 Bears D couldn't have helped this season b/c the offense would just go 3 and out. So stop pinning it ALL on the D. Polian took the blame for not grooming a capable backup after he was fired....that says it all right there.

[cmgww]

Very true and that's a valid concern. Just a couple years ago the Colts made the super bowl.

The problem is, the regular season success really glossed over the lack of playoff wins. Take away the Super Bowl seasons and you're looking at a team that was built for the regular season but not the playoffs. One and dones in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010...losses to superior defenses in 2003 and 2004 at NE. And in 2009 a SB loss to better coaching, and playing conservative D in the 2nd half. Polian deserves a ton of credit for building great teams. That's true. But things were starting to fall apart and fast. Manning going down just showed the flaw of building around one player. And that's what Bill did. Manning plays this season, probably 11-5 or 10-6, and another first round exit. The defenses in 2006 and 2009 were good enough to get us to the SB. The D in 2006 was good enough to help us win it (Sanders forcing the Benson fumble for example)....We've all seen the high flying offenses get ousted this year in the playoffs, with the exception of New England and they probably should have lost too (Evans' dropped TD, Cundiff missed FG). THAT is very reminiscent of the Colts throughout the decade....tons of offense, but in the playoffs they run into better defenses and lost b/c the coaches refused to change things up. Look at 2005....The Colts PASTED the Steelers late in the regular season, only to lose in the playoffs. Why? b/c Pittsburgh came out passing instead of running, completely different than the regular season game. And their D gave tons of different looks that stifled Manning until late. And that was one year where the Colts had a decent defense!! The staff didn't adjust. Same goes for the 2nd half of SB 44....no adjustments. They were getting after Brees in the first half; then went into a soft zone and got picked apart. Yes part of that was Freeney and his injury stiffening during the long halftime which took him out of the game effectively, but still, the D didn't adjust.

That's what this new staff will hopefully do. Make adjustments and stop "doing what we do" b/c it has more often than not resulted in playoff losses.

[Malakai432]

The problem is, the regular season success really glossed over the lack of playoff wins. Take away the Super Bowl seasons and you're looking at a team that was built for the regular season but not the playoffs. One and dones in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010...losses to superior defenses in 2003 and 2004 at NE. And in 2009 a SB loss to better coaching, and playing conservative D in the 2nd half. Polian deserves a ton of credit for building great teams. That's true. But things were starting to fall apart and fast. Manning going down just showed the flaw of building around one player. And that's what Bill did. Manning plays this season, probably 11-5 or 10-6, and another first round exit. The defenses in 2006 and 2009 were good enough to get us to the SB. The D in 2006 was good enough to help us win it (Sanders forcing the Benson fumble for example)....We've all seen the high flying offenses get ousted this year in the playoffs, with the exception of New England and they probably should have lost too (Evans' dropped TD, Cundiff missed FG). THAT is very reminiscent of the Colts throughout the decade....tons of offense, but in the playoffs they run into better defenses and lost b/c the coaches refused to change things up. Look at 2005....The Colts PASTED the Steelers late in the regular season, only to lose in the playoffs. Why? b/c Pittsburgh came out passing instead of running, completely different than the regular season game. And their D gave tons of different looks that stifled Manning until late. And that was one year where the Colts had a decent defense!! The staff didn't adjust. Same goes for the 2nd half of SB 44....no adjustments. They were getting after Brees in the first half; then went into a soft zone and got picked apart. Yes part of that was Freeney and his injury stiffening during the long halftime which took him out of the game effectively, but still, the D didn't adjust.

That's what this new staff will hopefully do. Make adjustments and stop "doing what we do" b/c it has more often than not resulted in playoff losses.

I do agree with some of that and hope to see a much more well rounded Colts team all across the board. It might take a couple years of down time to develop that team, but it shouldn't take long. I don't buy into all this 5+ years of rebuilding, we are resorted to an expansion team mumbo jumbo. This is assuming major player personnel changes happen.