Mike And Mike: Jim Irsay's "hypocrisy"

[Larry Horseman]

But honestly, do you really think that Irsay hasn't already told Manning that the contract needs to be reworked? There is no doubt in my mind that Manning and Irsay have already discussed this. IMO the announcement yestereday was an attempt to stop all of the speculation that the Colts and Manning are parting ways. Irsay has made it very clear that Manning is more than welcome back with the Colts. Manning has made it more than clear that he wants to remain a Colt. So now all of the speculation should have stopped except it hasn't because the media continues to try to spin things to make it seem like someone is the bad guy because that is a better story and therefore makes for better ratings. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the negotiations have already started but I'm sure they're waiting until the ink is dry before any official announcement is made.

I also don't see how Irsay is a hypocrite for saying that it's not about the money but rather about his health. That has always been the issue...is Manning going to be able to get back to his regular form. If Irsay knew for a fact that Manning would return to 100% then I have no doubt in my mind that he would pick up the option on the current contract and not have a need to renegotiate anything. However, since there is some uncertainty, he needs for the contract to reflect that. All he's asking for is to rework the current contract so it would better reflect a contract Peyton would get with any other team at this point. Peyton's current contract assumes 100% health but by the time the option needs to be picked up, Peyton will not be 100%. All this means is that there needs to be a new contract to reflect the current situation, which is different than the situation when the contract was first drawn up. There's no way Peyton could not have known this would be necessary.

This is the most intelligent post I have read on this topic in a long time. I believe Irsay and Manning have been communicating privately the whole time midst all this talk in the media, which is for the most part jointly calculated, imo. I mean, they are in the same facility almost every day and I refuse to believe that there hasn't been some conversations. I'm not sure if PM will be a Colt, but I do not believe that the relationship is strained or that the two haven't worked out multiple scenarios together.

[JoKeR]

But, he should have told Peyton that in person, not through the media.

He may have, we don't know. I believe he wanted us to know what needs to happen.

[Nadine]

Ironic thing is, it was Jim not Peyton who wanted Peyton to be the highest paid player in the NFL....Irsay put himself in this position.

I know Irsay made that statement.....much has changed since then

The contract is a doozie.

Manning and his agent.......seems to me........were not exactly at odds with the $$$$$ or with forcing the Colts to release peyton as the only option

Both sides signed that contract and both sides now have to deal with it

If you have not yet read this series of articles, I recommend them highly

http://forums.colts.com/index.php?/topic/4819-the-peyton-predicament-by-andrew-brandt-can-the-colts-afford-to-keep-peyton/

[Susie Q]

Honestly I just want to get past all this, even if the outcome conflicts with what I want. Hoping he stays. If not, that sucks but I got worse things to worry about.......like gnomes. I hate them, they bother me endlessly.

I am so ready for all this to end also and I have a feeling it won't be the way I want it to but life goes on as does the Colts organization. Will be nice to have a peaceful board once again but I don't see that happening for quite a while.

[jedi.creech]

Honestly I just want to get past all this, even if the outcome conflicts with what I want. Hoping he stays. If not, that sucks but I got worse things to worry about.......like gnomes. I hate them, they bother me endlessly.

You have gnome issues too.... I just want to wipe that smerky little smile off their faces... stinking gnomes.

[pacolts56]

the funny thing is, without Luck in this draft. All of us Colts fans would be sending him get well cards, not saying goodbye.

don't even say RGIII would be a popular choice to replace him

Funny you should bring up Andrew Luck..... wasn't it Archie Manning who fired the first salvo by saying on national radio that the two probably couldn't co-exist on the Colts roster.... and well before Jim Irsay had said a thing??

It was December 7th... before even the Polian's were fired.

This is messy for sure.... but the Manning camp has plenty of dirt on them too.

And Mike & Mike are full of crap.

[Nadine]

Honestly I just want to get past all this, even if the outcome conflicts with what I want. Hoping he stays. If not, that sucks but I got worse things to worry about.......like gnomes. I hate them, they bother me endlessly.

I have a paper cut that got infected...........and made me worry about flesh eating bacteria

All current on my tetnus now.

More worried about keeping my finger than about this rigmarole

[ruksak]

You have gnome issues too.... I just want to wipe that smerky little smile off their faces... stinking gnomes.

I know right. Like, who do they they are with the hats and the buckles on their shoes, like they're guarding something? Who wears shoes with buckles? Honestly.....

[MR. Blueblood]

Who said men don't like soap operas?

We've all been wrapped up in this one for awhile now. Next thing you know Manning will be pregnant with Irsay's baby and they'll both live happily ever after, jet setting around the globe....until the plane goes down in a rain forest. Who will survive? No one knows....tune in next week to find out!

Man where do these writers come up with this stuff????

[Nadine]

I am so ready for all this to end also and I have a feeling it won't be the way I want it to but life goes on as does the Colts organization. Will be nice to have a peaceful board once again but I don't see that happening for quite a while.

It would be a nice change of pace for sure

BTW not directed at Susie but to everyone in general.........please think before you hit Post

No profanity masked or otherwise

No inflammatory posting of any sort or you will be issued an immediate 24 hour suspension

If you cannot discuss this topic without profanity or personal attacks............then just stay away from it

[Flash7]

Jim Irsay wrote Peyton a check for 26 million last year so that Peyton would be the Colts QB this year. Now some folks believe he should write Peyton another check for 28 Million plus Peyton's salary which adds up to 35 million for Peyton this year. This is what some folks believe Irsay should do.

These folks would be the first to blame Irsay if things do not work out next season. Peyton isn't able to play as Peyton used to play. His injury did not heal properly.

Polian left the team in cap trouble and players who are past their prime. It is time to re-load. Time to start rebuilding the team. New GM, new coaches, new schemes. It is time.

If Peyton REALLY wants to be here, he can be here by restructuring his contract.

I do not understand why Peyton would want to be here. Reggie will probably be gone. Gonzales is gone. Garcon will make a fantastic catch and then drop one that hits him in his hands. The most frustrating WR the Colts have had in my memory. Can the Colts O line protect Manning next season? He can't take many hits and survive with his new surgically repaired neck.

IMO, it is better for all concerned to move on. No one knows for sure whether Peyton can still play QB at an NFL level. If he can he has a much better chance of winning another SB ring somewhere other than Indy. Indy will re-build and the 1st round pick in the NFL can start this process.

Lets do it.

Jim Irsay did write out a check for 26 million to Peyton for not playing last year. One way to look at is that Manning has reworked his contract several times and even structured his new contract to be somewhat "cap friendly." It could have easily been structured in a way where was owed a certain amount of "straight line" salary (similar amount of salary per year) which would have been worse for the cap, and a certain amount of gauranteed money. So if Irsay didn't pay manning last year, then Manning would have restructured and reworked his previous contracts all to get jipped out of the money that he could have had. So in essense, Manning had done a favor for the Colts, and the Colts returned that favor.

[Susie Q]

I know right. Like, who do they they are with the hats and the buckles on their shoes, like they're guarding something? Who wears shoes with buckles? Honestly.....

Hey watch out I may have to check and make sure I don't have any shoes with buckles on them.

[betheafan41]

Luck provides us a viable option if Manning is not retained. Luck is not tthe reason that Manning has his health issue. I don't know why in many of your posts you have such a negative attribution to Luck. Luck is just a kid in college who played his heart out for his team. Again, he has nothing to do with Manning's health, which is what has caused so much doubt about Manning's future.

i couldnt agree more, luck wasnt even mentioned to be a colt before manning went down for the year. yet he still seems to be blamed for the possible release of manning. but guarentee that these fans will change their minds about luck if he ends up starting and somehow he ends up getting the colts to the playoffs in 2012.

[ruksak]

Hey watch out I may have to check and make sure I don't have any shoes with buckles on them.

If so then you're going on "the list", right there with the gnomes.

[UndecidedFrog]

i couldnt agree more, luck wasnt even mentioned to be a colt before manning went down for the year. yet he still seems to be blamed for the possible release of manning. but guarentee that these fans will change their minds about luck if he ends up starting and somehow he ends up getting the colts to the playoffs in 2012.

Yes. Imagine if Luck wasn't available. These would be the options available:

a) Draft a not-so-highly-rated QB prospect

b) Obtain a FA QB for mega $$$

c) Keep a questionable armed PM at a contract price that is damaging to the cap, and could be (if he is not able to go) even more severely damaging to the cap.

[Flash7]

i couldnt agree more, luck wasnt even mentioned to be a colt before manning went down for the year. yet he still seems to be blamed for the possible release of manning. but guarentee that these fans will change their minds about luck if he ends up starting and somehow he ends up getting the colts to the playoffs in 2012.

You could also argue that if Manning wasn't injured and had played this past season, we would now be choosing in the draft somewhere in the 20's. If that were the case, Luck wouldn't even be a consideration for Colt's fans. The fact that Manning was hurt and subsequently we now have the #1 pick as a replacement for Manning is a little ironic.

[Orlando Fan]

I prefer the pre-Twitter Irsay.

[UndecidedFrog]

I prefer the pre-Twitter Irsay.

I prefer the pre-twitter world.

[jedi.creech]

I know right. Like, who do they they are with the hats and the buckles on their shoes, like they're guarding something? Who wears shoes with buckles? Honestly.....

Do the red ones aggrevate you more then the blue ones too... Can't stand those red ones!!!

[The Fish]

Yes. Imagine if Luck wasn't available. These would be the options available:

a) Draft a not-so-highly-rated QB prospect

b) Obtain a FA QB for mega $$$

c) Keep a questionable armed PM at a contract price that is damaging to the cap, and could be (if he is not able to go) even more severely damaging to the cap.

Last year was fun.

[betheafan41]

You could also argue that if Manning wasn't injured and had played this past season, we would now be choosing in the draft somewhere in the 20's. If that were the case, Luck wouldn't even be a consideration for Colt's fans. The fact that Manning was hurt and subsequently we now have the #1 pick as a replacement for Manning is a little ironic.

yeah it is funny how luck has fell into the colts lap. if manning wasnt hurt, painter would

Yes. Imagine if Luck wasn't available. These would be the options available:

a) Draft a not-so-highly-rated QB prospect

b) Obtain a FA QB for mega $$$

c) Keep a questionable armed PM at a contract price that is damaging to the cap, and could be (if he is not able to go) even more severely damaging to the cap.

wish more fans looked at it the way you do lol. no one wants to understand when the future is gift wrapped for you you take it and would be far less then 18 million a year that manning is due starting 2013 and who is not a sure thing anymore (manning) .

[UndecidedFrog]

Last year was fun.

LOL, not so much fun that I would want any repeat of it.

[BrentMc11]

I saw that. I think it's hypocritical for them to obsess about reporting this since their opinion is it should not be discussed.

Oh wait..........they fall into the category of the ones allowed to say what they want don't they?

They are playing up the drama........pandering to fans who love manning and dislike Irsay

It is what it is. People who are inclined to take sides on this issue are wasting energy in my opinion.

Both Peyton and Irsay have a "Right" to say what they please.......and so do Mike and Mike

Sorry, but that's just the way it is. Nobody likes this drama but taking sides on whose fault it is..........is just Hating

Maureen, the other thing is....football season is over. The Manning story and the pre-draft combine is the only discussion on football. M&M are football guys, and admit they are not basketball whiz''s. They are on for 4 hours....that is why it is overplayed. Then you have Colin Cowherd, SVP, and First Take....it is an all day all week affair. Very much overplayed.

[The Fish]

How much do you guys think Rodgers learned from Farve that he wouldn't of figured out on his own if he was playing from day 1?

If Peyton comes back Id guess 1 year deal, to help Peytons street value moving forward.

[UndecidedFrog]

wish more fans looked at it the way you do lol. no one wants to understand when the future is gift wrapped for you you take it and would be far less then 18 million a year that manning is due starting 2013 and who is not a sure thing anymore (manning) .

I think the rational fans see it this way.

Unfortunately, many fans are too wrapped up in hero worship of PM, that they fail to see the reality of the situation. They don't see the realities of:

a) the physical nature of healing from such an injury, which has plenty of uncertainty.

b) PM may never return to the performance level of PM that we used to know

c) the business side of PM's current contract and how that hits the cap, with all the consequences of PM not being able to perform all years of the contract.

I think Irsay has done a good job of breaking it to these types of fans slowly with ambiguous terms like "healthy" and "will be a Colt, if he wants to be"

You and I and other fans who understand the realities of the above, have tried to communicate this before Irsay's most recent communication. However, more often than not, we were met with abusive retorts.

Perhaps now, after hearing directly from Mr. Irsay what "healthy" and what "if he wants to be" really mean, the veil will be lifted.

[UndecidedFrog]

It's all fair game.. yet I still view it as hypocritical on Irsay's part. Obviously others do too.

Yes, technically, it is hypocritical.

If one says that the enemy should not use artillery in the upcoming war, and the enemy disregards that, and continues to barrage one's positions with artillery, which makes one then resort to using artillery also...then yes, it is technically hypocritical.

The alternative is to suffer the potential loss of the war without retaliating with like weapons.

[betheafan41]

I think the rational fans see it this way.

Unfortunately, many fans are too wrapped up in hero worship of PM, that they fail to see the reality of the situation. They don't see the realities of:

a) the physical nature of healing from such an injury, which has plenty of uncertainty.

b) PM may never return to the performance level of PM that we used to know

c) the business side of PM's current contract and how that hits the cap, with all the consequences of PM not being able to perform all years of the contract.

I think Irsay has done a good job of breaking it to these types of fans slowly with ambiguous terms like "healthy" and "will be a Colt, if he wants to be"

You and I and other fans who understand the realities of the above, have tried to communicate this before Irsay's most recent communication. However, more often than not, we were met with abusive retorts.

Perhaps now, after hearing directly from Mr. Irsay what "healthy" and what "if he wants to be" really mean, the veil will be lifted.

no we will still have the fans that worship manning and have a delusional mindset that manning will be the same qb he was in 2010. and they will more then likely keep blaming irsay and then start on luck if the 2012 season goes as bad as mannings first season.

[betheafan41]

Yes, technically, it is hypocritical.

If one says that the enemy should not use artillery in the upcoming war, and the enemy disregards that, and continues to barrage one's positions with artillery, which makes one then resort to using artillery also...then yes, it is technically hypocritical.

The alternative is to suffer the potential loss of the war without retaliating with like weapons.

you mean like in syria? lol

[UndecidedFrog]

no we will still have the fans that worship manning and have a delusional mindset that manning will be the same qb he was in 2010. and they will more then likely keep blaming irsay and then start on luck if the 2012 season goes as bad as mannings first season.

Unfortunately, you may be correct. I think the only way to turn these fans around is if Luck consistently wins, at which time these fans will begin to hero-worship him. And we can start the entire cycle over again in about 14 years or so.

[BleedingBlue]

Some of us just want to relax and watch some football, not hear Billionaires fight MIllionaires. Folks have very little to root for anymore, to take the fun out of sports with lockouts, arbitration and now public bickering gives them less.

[LUVTHESHOE]

How much do you guys think Rodgers learned from Farve that he wouldn't of figured out on his own if he was playing from day 1?

If Peyton comes back Id guess 1 year deal, to help Peytons street value moving forward.

Yea I am sure PM remembers the days of sitting for 3 years to learn. oh wait, nevermind!

[Susie Q]

If so then you're going on "the list", right there with the gnomes.

Yea, Take me off "the list" don't have any.

[Horse Shoe Heaven]

From recollection, players always want to see things as a slap in the face.

From my perspective, if I am underperforming at work, or life circumstances create questions about my ability to do my job, it is good business for my employer to replace me with someone who can do my job better, especially if it is for less money, if they are contractually and/or legally able. That is just smart business. If that employer wants to try to find a way to keep me employed despite my altered ability, that would be generous and kind to me, but not necessarily great for the company.

I don't (and can't) see what is happening as "evil Irsay". I appreciate that it is the easier response to what is happening, especially when the "employee with altered abilities" is a someone we've all adored. It just strikes me as a very narrow view of the situation, and doesn't account for Irsay's responsibilities in his position and to his "company".

Agree I don't think he has done anything wrong. He stated his position & it also lets Peyton know before they meet his position. I am sure Peyton know this was coming! Honestly it needs to go down this way to insure the good fortunes of the team. Now If Irsay takes this deal off the board when they meet he is the bad guy. We will see if Peyton does want to be here. I pretty sure Peyton's got plenty of Money & can make plenty after retirement if he chooses. I hope he stays!!

[John Dee]

You think thats bad? Dakich called him a "liar" and a "shady operator" and added that "if he were Manning or one of his support group he would not trust Irsay".....

And I must agree....

The Twitter Master's brain is fried as far as I'm concered. He fast becoming a leauge wide laughing stalk.

Do as I say not as I do... sheesh....

[MR. Blueblood]

You think thats bad? Dakich called him a "liar" and a "shady operator" and added that "if he were Manning or one of his support group he would not trust Irsay".....

And I must agree....

The Twitter Master's brain is fried as far as I'm concered. He fast becoming a leauge wide laughing stalk.

Do as I say not as I do... sheesh....

Regardless of what's been said about each other, to each other, or how any of that is interpreted by others I will gladly stand by an owner that puts the team ahead of one player's legacy. Even if that player is Manning. Manning's contract (especially with his current arm strength and throwing issues) will cripple this team moving forward. If Manning wants to show that he is deserving of the $28 mil and the remainder of his contract all he needs to do before March 8th is call the media out to a field and put on a throwing exhibition for all the world to see that he hasn't lost a step. If he can't do that then he shouldn't expect Irsay to just open the wallet. Manning will not get $28 mil in guaranteed money from any other team given his situation, so why should the Colts be any different? Because of sentiment, respect, loyalty??? Not hardly....if it doesn't make dollars than it doesn't make sense. Thank you Irsay for not caving to those who are blinded by admiration and can't see the whole picture.

[Jay Roland]

I'm tired of both sides in this and all Peyton all the time by th media. all parties need to shut up and get whatever is going to happen done

[The Fish]

I figured granting Peyton this current contract was a pretty solid display of loyalty on Irsay's part as well. I get Irsay being to much with the tweeting, but I don't see him as the bad guy here. I think Tom Conon might actually be a bad guy if there is even one here. Designing a contract that your client can't fulfill isn't a "sound" practice.

[The Fish]

Pft says Peyton is on surgery four and will need another to continue... Hello Andrew Luck.

[The Fish]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/15/manning-underwent-unknown-surgery-last-year/

[FireJimCaldwell]

I wonder if Irsay is the "NFL Source"