Upset With Irsay [Merge]

[Zebra3]

Acting a bit spoiled? How about expressing how I feel? But because I don't like a decision that you apparently do like, I'm a bit spoiled? Seems to me that you're a bit cold and analytical. Is there Vulcan blood running through your viens?

[Nadine]

Disagree completely. This was not necessary. It was absolutely not necessary. PM could easily have stayed a Colt and played a vital role in maintaining fan lyalty during a period of rebuilding and handover to a new generation of QB. But that is not to be. As for wisdom, I do not see the wisdom of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, which is in effect what I fell has been done with the Colts and Peyton Manning.

Part of me thinks that this was a decision driven by the vanity of an organizational leader who wanted to stamp his authority over everything. Part of me thinks this was a decision driven by a decision maker caught up in a tidal wave of change. All of me thinks that the decision was wrong, blinkered and handled in the most appalling way possible.

Unless you factor in the possibility that Peyton did not want to share the QB role, which in my mind was the only reasonable alternative

However you look at it, the Colts were looking at a Peyton free future sooner rather than later........because of his age and because of his injury

And we have the #1 pick and two possible franchise quarterbacks to choose from. This sort of opportunity has not come along since.........leaf/manning

[Ohio Colt]

Zebra I agree with you, Irsay may have just made THE worst mistake of his life if Peyton is healthy. We seemed to have lost so much perspective, it was just 2 years ago in the SB with what 15 of the same starters as this year? Why go nuclear?

Doubtful that "worst mistake of his life" could hinge on one player.

Whether Luck is at the helm or Peyton Manning, this is still not a good football team as a group right now. The QB makes little difference--and it might make a few games difference but it's not a playoff team either way and it certainly isn't a contender for the title. It's a few games difference here and there. Peyton on a rebuilding team makes less sense than Luck on a rebuilding team.

If Luck is a total bust, it's still the right move.

[Ohio Colt]

Acting a bit spoiled? How about expressing how I feel? But because I don't like a decision that you apparently do like, I'm a bit spoiled? Seems to me that you're a bit cold and analytical. Is there Vulcan blood running through your viens?

Please relax. Do not take offense. But I don't get the whole "I'm not cheering for the Colts anymore because Manning is gone".

[ColtsBlueFL]

Here is what I don't get: Without Peyton, we were 2-14, so to hopefully be better in 2-3 years we get rid of Peyton? I understand that Luck is supposedly the best prospect in forever, but Peyton, is the best EVER. Hands down. We are bringing Andrew Luck into complete uncertainty. We are going to put him behind a line that is unproven. Luck hasn't played in the NFL before. Former players will tell you NCAA and NFL are two different games. The speed, size, and brutality are much worse. Peyton is proven, 80% Peyton is better than 90% of the NFL

We're retooling the coaches, the schemes, and players. Everything. They all have to brought into the mix young and early and jell together to be successful. Our Colts were falling off the cliff of being an elite team since the end of 1995, IMHO. Manning held them together, but Couldn't get his second SuperBowl as we were outplayed by Saints, and He couldn't overcome that. Then we dropped further. Vets getting old, and heavily payed. Draft picks high, no cap room to plug holes. I respect where you're coming from, just don't agree. I will retire my 2 #18 official Game Jerseys in memory of a great QB and wonderful 13 years. But I am a Colts fan. When Unitas played, Bert Jones, the Dark Days of Pagel/Trudeau/George (I liked Chris Chandler), to rays of Hope in Harbaugh. But Harbaugh was dismissed because of a can't mis #1 draft pick- Peyton Manning. It worked. Now there's a chance to catch lightning in a bottle for the second time. I'm not missing this possibility either.

I'll root for Peyton, until we play him. Yes, he'll defeat us his last couple go around the league. But in a couple years, I think we'll be back on top. That's what a fan does. Go COLTS!

[MSColtsFan]

A 2-14 team with an injured 36 year old QB, the first pick in the draft, cap issues, and the next 15 years to consider should, and did, weigh all options, even the most difficult, which was to say goodbye to a legend. The Colts have survived HOF players coming and going, terrible, horrible players filling the roster and constant losing, moving from a city which loved them to another which took years, and Manning's arrival and success, to fully get on board. The Colts will survive this too. We all will survive this too. This day was going to come, sooner rather than later, and we all, I think, hate it happened sooner than we wanted, and in the way it did, but franchises do this all the time. Players do this all the time. Some may not have any experience handling saying goodbye to a Jordan, or Montana, or Namath, or Gretzky, but many others do, and understand that it's a business, it's just sports. Even the greatest don't all get to dictate when or how a relationship ends. Celebrate the time it lasted, because it is rare, short lived, and almost never ends the way anyone wants it to end.

[Zebra3]

Please relax. Do not take offense. But I don't get the whole "I'm not cheering for the Colts anymore because Manning is gone".

You can not get that all you like because I didn't say that. I said that the colts franchise has acted in ways I did not think that they would. Whether Peyton Manning is QB or not the Colts are the Colts. But, the colts I have seen since the end of the season are not the Colts I grew to love. I don't get the same sense or feeling from the organization. To me the Colts were the good guys of the NFL, the white hat wearing good guys, that do things the right way, every time regardless of the cost. I don't believe that the Colts are that franchise right now.

[Coltsman1788]

I understand they are friends and it hurt. Then I guess that Jim just should came out and said that along time ago. There was no reason to drag everyone along for the ride. It sounds to me he knew for a while the real out come.

I actually think the writing has been on the wall for sometime what was going to happen with Peyton. Irsay was dropping clues this whole offseason in an attempt to gradually prepare the fans for what was coming. Some posters saw it clearly and tried to prepare others but were labeled as "Peyton haters", "Luck lovers" and "negative ninnies". Irsay said that Peyton would be a Colt if healthy. Apparently, not enough transpired between the day he made the statement and today to convince him that this was the case. The Duke tapes alone don't justify a $28 million gamble and unfortunately the Colts could not observe the throwing sessions first hand. Irsay said it would be Peyton's decision and we don't know that it wasn't. Sure Peyton wanted to end his career in Indy but he also was not ready for that career to be over just yet. He wanted to play and that was his decision. Unfortunately circumstances had evolved to the point where he could no longer do so as a Colt. I think both men mutually arrived at the conclusion that it was sadly in their best interest to seperate. It is a strange unpredictable confluence of events that got us to this day years before many of us expected.

[braveheartcolt]

Well, thank you Mr Irsay for completely destroying your football franchise in a final display of insanity that tore down what shreds of respect, loyalty and even continuity I thought that the Colts organization had left. Yes, let's kick loose the player that more than anyone else has carried this football franchise to success, and has in many ways brought new vigor to the franchises home Indianapolis. Yes, let's tell that man to leave so that we can completely rebuild of the basis of luck - not Luck, I mean luck. No one knows whether this rookie QB will have the beans for the NFL, there is no continuity on the team at all. The Offense and Defense are being rebuilt from the ground up, the coaching staff is completely different, and I've never heard of one of the fron office or coachins staff before. So now we have a team of unknowns with unknown players and an unknown quantity at QB. Yay us, we are the new Detroit Lions. I'll remember the sheer insanity of this time when in 30 years the Colts will *still* be introduced as the "Rebuilding since 2012 Indianapolis Colts".

To be honest though I am completely disgusted with the franchise and much of the fan base that has no problem tossing aside Peyton manning. after what that single player has meant to the city and franchise. There are a lot of people that ought to be utterly ashamed of themselves right now, but are not. The Colts organization is first and foremost among that, I have no respect for you at all now. I do not understand your thinking or decision making at all.

For years now people have seen a sea of blue at home games, number 18 jerseys outnumbering everything else by a wide margin. But in a single stroke that era is gone. No more #18, no more #63, no more #44, no #86, no #93, for that matter no #88 or #21. What's left? Just a horseshoe. I guess someone really does believe that horseshoes are lucky. I don't believe in luck, nor for that matter do I believe in Luck. I do believe in respect, loyalty and some semblence of continuity, here we have none.

One final thought, how many football franchises have successfully rebuilt themselves after removing every fan favorite player from the roster along with the recognized names in the front office and coaching staff? Yeah, not many huh? Forget the performance on the field for a moment, we're're talking about players that are great fan favorites, and in the case of Peyton Manning, we're talking about a player that in many ways is *the* fan favorite. Now the team has nothing. Scorched earth.

I don't know how to describe how I feel; angry, disappointed, confused, worried, these are all words that might cover some of it. But I think I mostly feel completely let down by the franchise that I chose to love.

I don't know what the future holds for the Colts, and sadly, I don't really care right now. It's not about being a fan of Peyton, it's about the franchise and the way that franchise behaves and deals with things. Peyton talked yesterday about doing things the right way. At least *someone* knows how to do that. It seems that the folks in charge of the Colts forgot how to do that sometime during the last 8 months.

Can I continue being a Colts Fan? I don't know. right now, they are not the team I thought they were, and that is a huge disappointment.

What an over-reaction. Outstandingly naive, and full of assumptions. If you really think all this, then you really should move on from the Colts, or any other team. If it brings this kind of 'hate' into your life, it can't be good for you. And I'm sure you don't deserve to have such feelings. Especially about a bunch of men running around on a field......

[Thewholefnshow28]

So I have to ask what would you have had Irsay do? He picks up Peyton's option and then what? He takes Luck and are you going to have Luck ride the pine for three or four years while you inch closer to having to pick up Luck's option for his final year which will pay him top dollar? At best Peyton would have played for this next season and then it would be time for Luck to play. Then you would need to either trade or cut Manning and if you cut him the cap hit would cripple our cap effectively killing any chance of building for Luck.

We could have traded the pick and built up around Manning, but what happens if Manning cannot get it done? We just passed on a top prospect and one many have said is one of the best to come out since Manning. Then you have to cut him and well your cap is >>>ed that way as well. Lets say Manning had two or three more years in him and we try to make a run. Sure we might get deeper in the playoffs, but this team is fundamentally flawed and needs a rebuild. Keeping Manning would have just kicked the can down the road a bit farther. Lets say Manning plays three years and then retires and well we are stuck with no real QB prospect because Manning gives us enough fire power to pick in the 20s.

Sure we might draft a project like Kellen Moore, but lets be real the chances of him turning into the next Brady is much slimmer then Luck being a very good QB in this league.

Yes it sucks that Manning is gone and cannot believe that the era is over, but Irsay made a decision that he was >>>ed either way. The same fans would be ripping him apart once Manning retired and we did not have a real young QB to step in afterwards. Now you rip him for going after that young QB.

It was an impossible decision that he made and ultimately I think it is the right decision for both parties.

It is not fair to ask Manning to sit through another few years of rebuilding because this is what our defense and offense really need. Also, it is not fair for the team to have to carry his cap burden while trying to rebuild.

It was the best decision that could have been made for the long term health of the franchise and give Manning a chance to play some where he can win right away.

[BMack24]

I will never like jim again in life.....he contradicts so much it makes no sense then to just lie for no reason at all......I think he made his decision when he heard peyton had a 4th surgery and he got nervous smh......I'm not putting my faith in luck now because he hasnt shown me anything yet but we will see

[manningstheman]

fantastic!!! Dont agree totally, but fantastic!!!

[JoKeR]

I respect how you feel and am empathetic as a fellow fan. I believe that this was a hard decision for Irsay and that he wrestled with it going back and forth. You can't put too much stock into the quotes made in the papers. As shown they can be misleading. People often change their minds through the course of conversation, deliberation, evolving circumstances, and when actually staring a $28 million deadline in the face. To the bolded comment I would say that this would have just delayed the inevitable seperation another year or two. Eventually the transition from Manning to Luck or whoever was going to happen and the rebuilding progression of the franchise would have been compromised if Peyton remained here. Even with Manning, we were probably not going to win another Super Bowl in the near future as this team just has too many holes for him to try and cover at this stage.

Im going off of direct quotes and tweets from Irsay, he should of just told us earlier what needs to happen.

Remember the tweet about leaving it all up to Peyton and if he wanted to be a Colt, was healthy, and willing to restructure he would be a Colt?

[LUVTHESHOE]

Sorry to offend, but that does not change the fact that he lied about the move and fired everyone. Then he went on to move in the middle of the night.

A true horseshoe historian! lol.

[Zebra3]

What an over-reaction. Outstandingly naive, and full of assumptions. If you really think all this, then you really should move on from the Colts, or any other team. If it brings this kind of 'hate' into your life, it can't be good for you. And I'm sure you don't deserve to have such feelings. Especially about a bunch of men running around on a field......

Oh, ouch, I've been called niave. I feel so destroyed.

[FanFromtheWasteland]

I respect how you feel and am empathetic as a fellow fan. I believe that this was a hard decision for Irsay and that he wrestled with it going back and forth. You can't put too much stock into the quotes made in the papers. As shown they can be misleading. People often change their minds through the course of conversation, deliberation, evolving circumstances, and when actually staring a $28 million deadline in the face. To the bolded comment I would say that this would have just delayed the inevitable seperation another year or two. Eventually the transition from Manning to Luck or whoever was going to happen and the rebuilding progression of the franchise would have been compromised if Peyton remained here. Even with Manning, we were probably not going to win another Super Bowl in the near future as this team just has too many holes for him to try and cover at this stage.

I agree we would most likely have been mediocre at best with Peyton. Why waste three years and all that money, not being able to really re-tool correctly, then suck for two more years when the new QB that has been setting on the bench for those three years finally gets to play. Seems pretty logical to me that Irsay made the best decision for the team, and that is what we all should really care about (at least those of us that will remain colts fans.) Suck now, win in the near future(fingers crossed).

[runthepost]

Jim irsay lied to us. he said it wasnt about money.

then he says peyton must restructure his deal to stay a colt

then today he said it was never about money

This makes me upset

[JWF]

Well thats luckily not the case for me.

Jules.

Give up. Its hopeless.

[coltsfan84]

Well I guess the "Suck for Luck" campaign everyone wanted was successful.

Not sure how I feel about the whole mess yet.Have been a fan since they moved here,but this whole mess is suspect,confusing,questionable,I don't know.

As far as the conference,there was no real bottom line,concrete reason given.The way it sounds to me,Irsay was trying to get him out yet still look like he's doing a decent thing.The only thing that was said was "circumstances",?I could understand changing the system,it needs to be done.But even if Manning doesn't fit into the system,why let him go?Give him a coaching job or an assistant job or something.Look how many teams have ex-players in coaching/executive positions.

As far as the money,I don't think Peyton was fixed on not negotiating,he's done it already in the past to make room for other players.The bad thing about this,in addition to Manning leaving,there will probably be others who have already stated they will follow him wherever he goes.I think Bob Irsay probably would have found a better way of handling this,maybe I'm wrong but I think he had a little more respect for his players.

One thing I can say that is almost sure to happen is the STHs will start disappearing for the short term anyway.I myself am not sure if I'll watch(may be black out days again anyway) come time for the season to start.Not that it matters,lol.Have a few months to think and try to sort things out I guess.

Bottom line,Mr. Peyton Manning:words cannot express the appreciation I'm sure everyone has for all you've done for the Colts,the city,and the state for that matter.Hopefully your good fortune continues,you will be sorely missed and am deeply sorry for the outcome.

:manning:

[Coltswarriors]

This is incredibly hard, but you're acting ridiculous. I'm not going to act tough and and act like I got through the presser fine, because I didn't. I cried.

In the end this is what's best for both parties. Peyton has a very good chance to win another ring on the right team (Possibly AZ, SEA, KC). He'd have a much better chance there then here right now.

The Colts have an up in coming player in Luck and no one knows for sure if Peyton will even be back to his old self. Also, what if Peyton had a game like last year against the Cowboys/Chargers when he threw 4 INTs in one game 2 for TDs? Some fans would be asking to see Luck in there. Would you want Peyton to have his career end like that? I sure don't.

This is incredibly hard to deal with, but in the end it's what's best. Irsay deserves absolutely no blame once so ever. In fact, his doing what's best for the Colts in the future and for what's best for Peyton now.

I love Peyton and wish the best for him and hope he gets another ring or 2, but in the end they both did the right thing.

Colts fan first, Manning fan second.

[braveheartcolt]

Oh, ouch, I've been called niave. I feel so destroyed.

Who called you that? * whoever it was....

[BleedingBlue]

Zebra, Great Post.

Ban anyone who joined these forums the week of January 17th (the week of Stanford finals) and lets see how quick these boards go back to real colts fans.

Ohio colt, you have no right to tell poeple how they are to grieve. It would like me coming to your mothers funeral and saying "well she was inevitably going to die - so stop being emotional"

If you don't like people questioning the ownerships decision, take a break from the forums for a few weeks because it is inevitable that Irsay get blamed for this.

[wercolts]

Peyton wants to play for a championship and doesn't want to impede Luck's opportunity, both things he does not believe he can do as a Colts. I think he's wrong on both counts but him and Irsay have a better gauge on that and if you don't believe you don't belong.

[Busta]

Here is what I don't get: Without Peyton, we were 2-14, so to hopefully be better in 2-3 years we get rid of Peyton? I understand that Luck is supposedly the best prospect in forever, but Peyton, is the best EVER. Hands down. We are bringing Andrew Luck into complete uncertainty. We are going to put him behind a line that is unproven. Luck hasn't played in the NFL before. Former players will tell you NCAA and NFL are two different games. The speed, size, and brutality are much worse. Peyton is proven, 80% Peyton is better than 90% of the NFL

Okay what do you do when Peyton retires?

You have to move on sometime.. and today is that day.

[Jaric]

Zebra, have you thought about the possibility that when Manning and Irsay sat down, Manning didn't want to be part of a rebuilding project? That doesn't make him a bad person, just a practical one. If that is the case (which is what i think happened from reading the tea leaves) I don't blame him. We're probably not going to be very good next year, with or without Manning and even if he is healthy he only has so many years left.

When I look at this I honestly believe Irsay did the best he could to move the colts in what he thought was the best direction even if we don't understand it. Now you can disagree if it was the right choice, but I don't think it's fair to question his motives.

When I watched that press conference I saw genuine hurt in his eyes over this. I really don't think he wanted this anymore than we did, but it's what he felt was in the best interests of the team. I can almost certainly say it was in Peyton Manning's best interests if he wants to win another superbowl. Even if we traded the Luck pick and morgated the future by the time they were all ready to play vital roles with the team Manning's time would be up.

Just think about it. Right now might not be the best time to make any decisions.

[deedub75]

This is the NFL. If an owner, gm, or coach makes a questionable decision and it works, he's a genious. Ask the Saints and Payton. Remember the onside kick? If an owner, gm, or coach makes a questionable decision and it doesn't work, he's the opposite of a genious. Ask Belichick about 4th and 2. Only time will tell if this is a good decision. If Peyton burns it up for the next 4 years and Luck and the Colts turn into the new Detriot Lions, Irsay will look stupid. If Peyton fizzles out and Luck and the Colts become perennial contenders then Irsay will be a genious.

[JustAColtsFan]

With Irsay...the apple dosen't fall far from the tree. I have been a colts fan since I was 9 or 10, so about 40 years. I can still remember picking up Sports Illustrated and reading about the move out of Baltimore in the middle of the night. I have no problem with the fact that Peyton is on the tail end of his career and you might not want to resign him, but please don't blow smoke about what a family the team is and how important character is and then orchestrate the joke that has been this off season...Irsay seems to have the same problem that trips up a lot of NFL owners...I have owned a team for awhile and now I am the only one fit to judge talent and I will answer to no one. I have followed the Colts a lot of years, some good, some bad...but I am not sure if I will any more. I don't buy all the hype on Luck and we could easly be headed back to the years of rotating coaches and rotating QB's...it seems like many fans think Luck is the 2nd coming of Unitas...but be renimded...the NFL landscape is dotted with dozens of can't miss QB prospects....In Irsay we trust...not me...I think he this off season he just sent us hurtling towards years of mediocre football...time will tell....

You have followed the Colts for about 40 years yet didn't feel compeled to post until you could rip Irsay. Interesting that you could not post when he picked Peyton number one as a highly touted quarterback out of college. Did you not feel then that we were headed into years of "rotating quarterbacks and coaches". What did you see in Peyton then that made him less of a risk than Luck? HMMMMMM!!!!!

[coltsfan84]

Well,as far as Peyton not wanting to be a part of the new system,I believe I remember in one part of the speech where Irsay himself said that Peyton didn't want to leave but Irsay talked him out of it.

[ColtsReign]

Why is it wrong for some of us to feel the way that Zebra does? I will admit that I became a Colts fan because of Peyton Manning and because of the Colts organization as a whole, I fell in love with the Colts as a team. It's a very strange and unsettling feeling to understand in your head why this choice was made, but in your heart believe 100% that Peyton should have somehow been treated differently...better than he was.

I don't post often (been a member through I think three different formats I think?), but I just am trying to understand why there has to be a Colts fan/Manning Fan tag applied to everyone. I am still a fan of the Colts, but I, like many others, am a hurting fan who shed many tears today. My heart wants to follow Peyton and wants him to do well. Today, I want him to do well even at the Colts expense. Will I want that by the time the season starts? Probably not. The disbelief will be gone and the excitement over a new future will have taken hold. But for today, there are a lot of us who are disappointed in how this all played out. That doesn't make us any less of a Colts fan. I'm not leaving the Colts to follow Peyton and I'm not leaving Peyton like he never meant anything to this community. I'm still a Colts fan through and through...just a very disillusioned one at the moment.

And to be honest...when the time comes that Peyton takes the wrong side of the field in a Colts game, I'm not going to be ashamed or feel like any less of a fan when I will not find joy no matter what the final score. Releasing Peyton was business. My fandom is emotion.

[theblueplague]

Ohio colt, you have no right to tell poeple how they are to grieve. It would like me coming to your mothers funeral and saying "well she was inevitably going to die - so stop being emotional"

Over-exaggeration of the day.

[deedub75]

Zebra, have you thought about the possibility that when Manning and Irsay sat down, Manning didn't want to be part of a rebuilding project? That doesn't make him a bad person, just a practical one. If that is the case (which is what i think happened from reading the tea leaves) I don't blame him. We're probably not going to be very good next year, with or without Manning and even if he is healthy he only has so many years left.

When I look at this I honestly believe Irsay did the best he could to move the colts in what he thought was the best direction even if we don't understand it. Now you can disagree if it was the right choice, but I don't think it's fair to question his motives.

When I watched that press conference I saw genuine hurt in his eyes over this. I really don't think he wanted this anymore than we did, but it's what he felt was in the best interests of the team. I can almost certainly say it was in Peyton Manning's best interests if he wants to win another superbowl. Even if we traded the Luck pick and morgated the future by the time they were all ready to play vital roles with the team Manning's time would be up.

Just think about it. Right now might not be the best time to make any decisions.

The only problem I have with that logic is that for the last few months, Irsay constantly claimed that he wanted Manning to stay a Colt and Manning constantly said he wanted to remain a Colt. This was even after everyone was fired and the rebuilding had begun. Now Irsay may have just been saying that hoping that Manning wouldn't recover and would retire. It seemed like the more Manning's arm improved, the more Irsay's statements started to change. He went from Manning is going to be a Colt if he's healthy to if Manning wants to remain a Colt, it's up to him.

[indy1888]

Zebra, Great Post.

Ban anyone who joined these forums the week of January 17th (the week of Stanford finals) and lets see how quick these boards go back to real colts fans.

Ohio colt, you have no right to tell poeple how they are to grieve. It would like me coming to your mothers funeral and saying "well she was inevitably going to die - so stop being emotional"

If you don't like people questioning the ownerships decision, take a break from the forums for a few weeks because it is inevitable that Irsay get blamed for this.

If they ban people who joined that week, should they also ban all the people who joined here because of Manning? It's basically the same thing. You have Luck fans, then you have Manning fans, then you have Colts fans. You mentioned "real" colts fans, imo a real colts fan sticks with the team regardless. That means when popular players are let go, you thank them, never forget the memories, wish them well, and at the end of the day still support the Colts. I get the feeling several will no longer support the Colts, and they will use excuses like "the Colts aren't who i thought they were" or "they no longer do things the right way". When in reality, these people never were truly Colts fans, they were a fan of a player. So naturally when said player leaves, so does the "fan". This was to be expected.

[dynasty13]

So here's a question. And believe me, I understand your pain and am not in any way looking to stir the pot as a rival fan. But look...we've seen many of these types of sentiments over the past 21 hours...everything from 'if peyton is gone then so am i' to 'irsay sucks and he doesnt care about anything but money'...and here's the only question I can come up with for people that feel this way. Clearly you are Peyton Manning fans first and Colts fans second. Which is perfectly fine...nobody can tell you how to be a fan and what to be a fan of. Perhaps even to the extent of only being Colts fans BECAUSE of Peyton Manning. And in no way am I knocking you for feeling this way or saying you are a fake fan...but what i AM saying is this: Peyton isnt done....he didnt retire.....we still get to watch him play. If you are Peyton Manning fans first, then whats the big deal if he leaves? Clearly you dont care about the Colts in the way that long time fans do and you dont have that 'unconditional love' for the Colts....so why cant you just pick up your 'speed blue' fanship as quickly as you discovered it, and place it on whatever jersey color he ends up wearing?

I dont mean to sound insensitive and I understand a fans need to vent...but some of this is mind-boggling. Fans of TEAMS ride the ups and downs...they dont agree with every decision the team makes, but they support them regardless. They dont just pack up shop and run when a decision is made that they dont like. So again I say, if your love for Peyton Manning outweighs your love for the Colts and you dont want to support them anymore, then why are you having such a hard time with this decision? Just follow Peyton wherever he goes, and the way you feel about his new team will apparently be no different than the way you feel about the Colts.

[Moncrief]

This is tearing our fan base apart.

[slrtwobee]

The timing is very bad here considering we just renewed our season tickets at well over $5000 a short time ago. Wonder if he will ofter any refunds to anyone who feels cheated and betrayed by this decision? No?...I wonder why not.....

Maybe Irsay is confused and thinks that the beautiful stadium just built itself by the grace of rainbows, kittens, and unicorn magic or that without the stadium the NFL would have eventually gotten around to granting Indy a superbowl just out of the kindness of their hearts and that the dome would have been just fine for this event.

I realize that a lot of people saw this coming but the longer the time passed, I began to have hope/faith. Was this stupid? Hindsight would say yes, but my heart is utterly broken in pieces.

Some people say it would have been wrong for Irsay to pay $28M on someone who might not be 100%....isn't going with Luck doing close to the same thing? We don't know how good he'll be or won't be as of yet. I hope for Irsay, he is awesome or he will hear it from some of the fans.

To the people who say that I'm not a 'true' fan.... we have paid thousands and thousands (true statement) over the years on tickets, jerseys/shirts/sweats, etc. I am just as entitled to my opinion as you are to yours. Maybe I am speaking out of pure anger and hurt and maybe I will still continue to support the Colts.....except when I am sporting my brand new Manning jersey of wherever he is going....

[MAYHEM]

So here's a question. And believe me, I understand your pain and am not in any way looking to stir the pot as a rival fan. But look...we've seen many of these types of sentiments over the past 21 hours...everything from 'if peyton is gone then so am i' to 'irsay sucks and he doesnt care about anything but money'...and here's the only question I can come up with for people that feel this way. Clearly you are Peyton Manning fans first and Colts fans second. Which is perfectly fine...nobody can tell you how to be a fan and what to be a fan of. Perhaps even to the extent of only being Colts fans BECAUSE of Peyton Manning. And in no way am I knocking you for feeling this way or saying you are a fake fan...but what i AM saying is this: Peyton isnt done....he didnt retire.....we still get to watch him play. If you are Peyton Manning fans first, then whats the big deal if he leaves? Clearly you dont care about the Colts in the way that long time fans do and you dont have that 'unconditional love' for the Colts....so why cant you just pick up your 'speed blue' fanship as quickly as you discovered it, and place it on whatever jersey color he ends up wearing?

I dont mean to sound insensitive and I understand a fans need to vent...but some of this is mind-boggling. Fans of TEAMS ride the ups and downs...they dont agree with every decision the team makes, but they support them regardless. They dont just pack up shop and run when a decision is made that they dont like. So again I say, if your love for Peyton Manning outweighs your love for the Colts and you dont want to support them anymore, then why are you having such a hard time with this decision? Just follow Peyton wherever he goes, and the way you feel about his new team will apparently be no different than the way you feel about the Colts.

Pats fans went through the same thing when they got rid of Drew Bledsoe, and he is nowhere near the same importance as Peyton Manning was/is to Indianapolis.

I am irritated by this move, like all fans should be, but we'll move on as a fanbase eventually.

[Tark The Shark]

Well, thank you Mr Irsay for completely destroying your football franchise in a final display of insanity that tore down what shreds of respect, loyalty and even continuity I thought that the Colts organization had left. Yes, let's kick loose the player that more than anyone else has carried this football franchise to success, and has in many ways brought new vigor to the franchises home Indianapolis. Yes, let's tell that man to leave so that we can completely rebuild of the basis of luck - not Luck, I mean luck. No one knows whether this rookie QB will have the beans for the NFL, there is no continuity on the team at all. The Offense and Defense are being rebuilt from the ground up, the coaching staff is completely different, and I've never heard of one of the fron office or coachins staff before. So now we have a team of unknowns with unknown players and an unknown quantity at QB. Yay us, we are the new Detroit Lions. I'll remember the sheer insanity of this time when in 30 years the Colts will *still* be introduced as the "Rebuilding since 2012 Indianapolis Colts".

To be honest though I am completely disgusted with the franchise and much of the fan base that has no problem tossing aside Peyton manning. after what that single player has meant to the city and franchise. There are a lot of people that ought to be utterly ashamed of themselves right now, but are not. The Colts organization is first and foremost among that, I have no respect for you at all now. I do not understand your thinking or decision making at all.

For years now people have seen a sea of blue at home games, number 18 jerseys outnumbering everything else by a wide margin. But in a single stroke that era is gone. No more #18, no more #63, no more #44, no #86, no #93, for that matter no #88 or #21. What's left? Just a horseshoe. I guess someone really does believe that horseshoes are lucky. I don't believe in luck, nor for that matter do I believe in Luck. I do believe in respect, loyalty and some semblence of continuity, here we have none.

One final thought, how many football franchises have successfully rebuilt themselves after removing every fan favorite player from the roster along with the recognized names in the front office and coaching staff? Yeah, not many huh? Forget the performance on the field for a moment, we're're talking about players that are great fan favorites, and in the case of Peyton Manning, we're talking about a player that in many ways is *the* fan favorite. Now the team has nothing. Scorched earth.

I don't know how to describe how I feel; angry, disappointed, confused, worried, these are all words that might cover some of it. But I think I mostly feel completely let down by the franchise that I chose to love.

I don't know what the future holds for the Colts, and sadly, I don't really care right now. It's not about being a fan of Peyton, it's about the franchise and the way that franchise behaves and deals with things. Peyton talked yesterday about doing things the right way. At least *someone* knows how to do that. It seems that the folks in charge of the Colts forgot how to do that sometime during the last 8 months.

Can I continue being a Colts Fan? I don't know. right now, they are not the team I thought they were, and that is a huge disappointment.

I agree about the way the whole thing was handled the past few months, but I didn't toss aside Peyton. I realized that Peyton couldn't stay in Indy like some immortal god, I am sure at the start of the year, every Colts fan wanted him to stay in Indianapolis. As time moved on and Peyton was gone, we all realized that the Colts were essentially built around Peyton and once he got injured, it was the end of our season and I don't think anybody wants that to happen again. I know for me personally it was hard to see Peyton leave today, but I didn't toss him aside, I just took a step back and looked at Peyton which I am sure Irsay did and said he is making 28 million dollars and I need that money to get other players and we have the number one pick and a very good QB prospect is coming out by the name of Andrew Luck who looks like a young Peyton Manning coming out of college. Instead of paying Peyton that kind of money and possibly having a repeat season later on, Irsay went with change quicker than we had all hoped. But to say that we will never rebuild again seems ludicrous, will we have another era like this again or any team for that matter? Maybe, but nobody knows, and if you want to give up on this team, go right ahead, I won't stop you. I will be cheering for the next batch of players that come to Indianapolis, I will relish the past and hold it near to my heart, but I am going to cheer for the future.

[Manning2Wayne]

im upset in the sense that manning increased the company brands value by 366% that is un heard of

[Zebra3]

If they ban people who joined that week, should they also ban all the people who joined here because of Manning? It's basically the same thing. You have Luck fans, then you have Manning fans, then you have Colts fans. You mentioned "real" colts fans, imo a real colts fan sticks with the team regardless. That means when popular players are let go, you thank them, never forget the memories, wish them well, and at the end of the day still support the Colts. I get the feeling several will no longer support the Colts, and they will use excuses like "the Colts aren't who i thought they were" or "they no longer do things the right way". When in reality, these people never were truly Colts fans, they were a fan of a player. So naturally when said player leaves, so does the "fan". This was to be expected.

No one get's banned for expressing how they feel. This whole discussion of Manning fans, Luck Fans, Colts Fans, *real* Colts fans and all the rest is the hieght of stupidity. No one has the right to question anyone's support or 'fan-hood' for a team or player. So just stop it, everyone.

As for the colts not being how I thought they were, the clearly (in my mind) are not. It's not an excuse, it's an opinion.If I wanted to cease being a fan of the Colts there are certainly easier options available. But again, in your statements about excuses you're again suggesting that people who express a particular opinion are not really fans of the team. I say, take that back, because you're in no position to make that judgement.

[Mustng959]

I'm done! Been a Colts fan since Johnny Unitas was there in the 1960's. Was ecstatic to see my man Peyton from my beloved Tennessee Vols go to my favorite team 12 years ago. This is a travesty and I hope Peyton fans everywhere let the Colts know that their fan support just took a big hit.

Bye Bye Colts forum ... Good Luck Peyton ..... wherever you go now becomes my favorite NFL team!