Will This Turn Long Time Fans Away?

[colts89]

i became a colts fan due to Peyton Manning. I grew to being a die hard Colts fan not in indy. Its been hard watching this team at times due to the horrible defense, special teams, and O-Line over the years. The way this has all happened is ridiculous. I am very ticked off. To the point that I can not stand to look at the Colts stickers on my car or the huge colts flag in my room. It makes me want to denounce them as being my team. I'm ticked at Irsay. So its not a matter of being loyal. I'm mad at the Colts just like Baltimore is at this organization. I hope Peyton signs with Baltimore. It will be revenge like know other and an immediate Superbowl favorite team. We Peyton Manning Fans will kick your door on the way our.

i became a colts fan due to Peyton Manning. I grew to being a die hard Colts fan not in indy. Its been hard watching this team at times due to the horrible defense, special teams, and O-Line over the years. The way this has all happened is ridiculous. I am very ticked off. To the point that I can not stand to look at the Colts stickers on my car or the huge colts flag in my room. It makes me want to denounce them as being my team. I'm ticked at Irsay. So its not a matter of being loyal. I'm mad at the Colts just like Baltimore is at this organization. I hope Peyton signs with Baltimore. It will be revenge like know other and an immediate Superbowl favorite team. We Peyton Manning Fans will kick your door on the way our.

kk then leave until you calm down or just leave in general. this is a colts forum i presume?

[rccoltsfan]

Nope. Anyone who leaves are just unloyal kind of people who just want to fit in with liking a certain team or player. He is gone and you can be ticked but if you are any kind of loyal person, you will stay put for your team, unless your just a manning fan and if you are then don't let the door hit you on the way out

"if you are any kind of loyal person" you would easily understand those of us hurting about the way Peyton's career with the Colts is ending.

[Malakai432]

Some people will, many won't. I imagine a lot of Luck fans will jump on as Colts fan as he's one of the most praised college players across the country and highly liked by many.

I still bleed blue, so does Robert Mathis.

[Peytongirl]

No but the bandwagon will be much lighter.

And the Luck bandwagon will be heavier...for a little while.

[BProland85]

The true loyal Colts fans will hopefully stick with them going into the Luck era. Only bandwagon Colts fans(Peyton fans only) will leave, and I say good riddance.

I love Peyton too, but Im a Colts fan first.

[colts89]

"if you are any kind of loyal person" you would easily understand those of us hurting about the way Peyton's career with the Colts is ending.

"if you are any kind of loyal person" you would easily understand those of us hurting about the way Peyton's career with the Colts is ending.

I understand being hurt. I am too. You don't leave your team if you are just hurt that a great player left. You got to be loyal to the team, and if your ticked that is understandable as i am as well. There are some people saying they are leaving the colts and/or solely following Manning. I see that as disloyal and pathetic (aka a bandwagoner at his/her finest) if you were a Manning fan beforehand then what ever.. but a colt fan leaving the team or not liking them anymore because of his departure.. i just can't fathom that at all

[Poster X]

Always will be a Colts fan. If people are willing to jump ship that is fine because I can use more leg room.

[WSO]

And the Luck bandwagon will be heavier...for a little while.

lets make it clear that I'm not one of them!! :)

[colts89]

lets make it clear that I'm not one of them!! :)

lets make it clear that I'm not one of them!! :)

are you sure?? The presumptuous act of calling yourself Andrew Luck12 before we even chose to sign him might say otherwise

[WSO]

are you sure?? The presumptuous act of calling yourself Andrew Luck12 before we even chose to sign him might say otherwise

not my first username, you're allowed to change your forum name every 30 days I think. I've been posting since 2007 when it was forum.colts.com

[Parmo]

I understand being hurt. I am too. You don't leave your team if you are just hurt that a great player left. You got to be loyal to the team, and if your ticked that is understandable as i am as well. There are some people saying they are leaving the colts and/or solely following Manning. I see that as disloyal and pathetic (aka a bandwagoner at his/her finest) if you were a Manning fan beforehand then what ever.. but a colt fan leaving the team or not liking them anymore because of his departure.. i just can't fathom that at all

An owner who shows no loyalty to the player who made him what he is nor to the community should not expect loyalty from fans. Fans can be more than "homers" you know. I have often rooted for teams in other cities because I admired the way they were run, the way the interacted with the community, and the overall class they displayed. This past few months has shown Irsay's true colors and so if I choose to no longer be a fan of the Colts, it doesn't mean I was a bandwagon fan. I rooted wholeheartedly for the Colts even in the pathetic 80's, but now that I no longer have any respect for the organization or the owner... I'm out.

[Fx Stryker]

not my first username, you're allowed to change your forum name every 30 days I think. I've been posting since 2007 when it was forum.colts.com

It still is? :???:

[WSO]

It still is? :???:

mine has an 's' I dont know if anyone else has that forums.colts.com

I remember I had to manually type in forum.colts.com back then and then it switched over to some new site i didnt post, when I tried to visit the site again I would get an error typing in forum.colts.com I dont know if it still works ill try

[Portage Coltfans]

not my first username, you're allowed to change your forum name every 30 days I think. I've been posting since 2007 when it was forum.colts.com

were you Jerry Huges fanboy too?

[colts89]

not my first username, you're allowed to change your forum name every 30 days I think. I've been posting since 2007 when it was forum.colts.com

not my first username, you're allowed to change your forum name every 30 days I think. I've been posting since 2007 when it was forum.colts.com

nice. I was also on the original forums as well around 2006.. but always under the same name

didn't like Mycolts or whatever that icky setting was but i have been coming back since

[LouisBFree]

I'll still be a Colts fan for sure. I just won't go to the games, watch them on TV, or support the team in any way. Other than that I'm all about the horse shoe.

Pass the cyanide.

[colts89]

An owner who shows no loyalty to the player who made him what he is nor to the community should not expect loyalty from fans. Fans can be more than "homers" you know. I have often rooted for teams in other cities because I admired the way they were run, the way the interacted with the community, and the overall class they displayed. This past few months has shown Irsay's true colors and so if I choose to no longer be a fan of the Colts, it doesn't mean I was a bandwagon fan. I rooted wholeheartedly for the Colts even in the pathetic 80's, but now that I no longer have any respect for the organization or the owner... I'm out.

You and me don't see eye to eye. please leave if you want to. Trust me if you were around the 1980 colts who did soooo much worse under crazy Bob Irsay and were probably the clevland browns x10.. You could handle this. I was born 1995 so i never knew this feeling but still..

[schwamm]

An owner who shows no loyalty to the player who made him what he is nor to the community should not expect loyalty from fans. Fans can be more than "homers" you know. I have often rooted for teams in other cities because I admired the way they were run, the way the interacted with the community, and the overall class they displayed. This past few months has shown Irsay's true colors and so if I choose to no longer be a fan of the Colts, it doesn't mean I was a bandwagon fan. I rooted wholeheartedly for the Colts even in the pathetic 80's, but now that I no longer have any respect for the organization or the owner... I'm out.

I posted a Q on another thread... any consideration to the possibility that Irsay postposed cutting Manning to allow him to continue his rehad with Colts facilities, trainers, and players until he was ready to take his show on the road?

[tfunky14]

I wonder if Manning wanted this because he always said playing right away his rookie year was the best thing that could have happen to him......makes you wonder if he didn't want to hold Luck back....hmmmm

[Susie Q]

Yes you hit the nail on the head. I became a fan of the Colts because of a player who is not a Colt yet. Makes complete sense.

I knew this all along and glad your being honest about it but please don't put down fans that have been here for many many years while they come to grips with this. I knew it was coming and I will still be a Colt Fan but I will always respect what Peyton has done for this city and franchise. He will always be a Colt in my eyes. I wish him nothing but good luck and health and hope he raises another Lombardi. He deserves that. Don't think he could have got that in Indy with the rebuilding taking place.

[Nadine]

Note that I included long time into the title, because I am pretty sure that plenty of "fans" that started jumping off the bandwagon will continue to leave... Anyway.

Whether it was the right decision or the wrong decision, it seems completely opinionated, since there are plenty of reasons for each side. Looking back to mid season, when the "Suck for Luck" talk started to come out, there were plenty of people ready to draft Luck and say goodbye to Manning. Some of those people, I'd assume, are the ones who have nothing but negative things to say about Jim Irsay and the Colts organization for letting Peyton go.

I didn't want Andrew Luck then, and I don't want him now. But maybe that's me just being stubborn and not wanting to see Peyton end his career elsewhere. Sure, I am aware of the several neck injuries, and I am aware of the $28 million that could essentially be flushed down the toilet if Peyton Manning can't play anywhere close to the level that he once did... But still, I thought he deserved the chance to pull this team back together and end his career the way that he wanted to... The way he should have.

For as long as I've had an understanding of the game of football, I have been a Colts' fan. Growing up in central Indiana, as my dad was a fan since they day they moved here, I grew into loving this team and being very proud to be part of their fan base, win or loss. And in these many years, I have not once questioned my loyalty to the team or questioned my degree of fan-liness. I always said "Colts fan for life"...

And now, I'm struggling to wonder if I will feel the same way about the team now that I once did. And I know that I'm not alone. Seeing Peyton go out like this, it really hurt. Hurt worse than I ever expected, even knowing that this is probably what was going to happen, for the past couple of months. It almost like that aching feeling in your stomach, being dumped for the first time...

As far as the "die hards" go, I'm wondering how this decision is going to affect them long term... And how many of them are going to be turned away from the franchise, because Peyton wasn't wanted anymore. It's just business, right?

I think it's in how you perceive it. If you feel Peyton wasn't 'wanted' any more or was kicked out, as some do, then I suspect they will have trouble continuing to be a fan

I don't see it that way. Still a fan of manning, still a fan of the colts and still a fan of Irsay

Honestly, my impression is that people are searching for someone to blame here. Polian's gone, Caldwells gone and so, Irsay has had to make the decisions. Hence he gets the wrath......deserved or not.

the wrath wants a victim, people want to hate someone for this.

Both Peyton and Irsay said the decision was mutual. They showed clear love for each other and respect for each other. Neither was blaming the other.

I do not see why people don't seem willing to accept that.

But, if they don't.......my feeling is they will not hang around

[WSO]

I knew this all along and glad your being honest about it but please don't put down fans that have been here for many many years while they come to grips with this. I knew it was coming and I will still be a Colt Fan but I will always respect what Peyton has done for this city and franchise. He will always be a Colt in my eyes. I wish him nothing but good luck and health and hope he raises another Lombardi. He deserves that. Don't think he could have got that in Indy with the rebuilding taking place.

no no...susie. . I was being sarcastic. . . I am definitely not putting anyone down you can follow all my posts. I'm a huge fan of Manning and will still root for him wherever he goes, I'm just a Colts fan first. I have more respect for Manning than any player to ever play the game.

[Peytongirl]

Jeff Saturday said yesterday that Peyton would put the game first ahead of himself at the presser, say all the right things and make it seems like it is all okay. Which is just what he did.

It doesn't mean that it is.

[Laura Moir]

All I can say is this. My heart hurts that Irsay let Peyton go. After all that he said, he let him go. Irsay did not stick to his word, I dont trust him after this. Now the rest of the guys want to jump ship too. I have a bad taste in my mouth after this. Something could have been done differently and Polian eluded to that today. Irsay had his mind made up well beforehand he was just too chicken to let the fans know or they may not re-up their season tickets. I have been a Colts fan since 1987 so no one can doubt my loyalty. But I have chosen to be a Peyton fan first and a Colts fan second. When Peyton finally does retire, then I will put the Colts first again. It will give me time to get over this whole thing. Heck, I was a fan when they were GIVING AWAY season tickets because they were so terrible no one would buy tickets. So I have a right to choose Peyton over them this time around. Peyton made that team and that city. He stole my heart while he was at it. He is the best that ever played the game of football, and no one will ever tell me differently. This fall, I will wear whatever jersey he wears.

[oldunclemark]

I think it's in how you perceive it. If you feel Peyton wasn't 'wanted' any more or was kicked out, as some do, then I suspect they will have trouble continuing to be a fan

I don't see it that way. Still a fan of manning, still a fan of the colts and still a fan of Irsay

Honestly, my impression is that people are searching for someone to blame here. Polian's gone, Caldwells gone and so, Irsay has had to make the decisions. Hence he gets the wrath......deserved or not.

the wrath wants a victim, people want to hate someone for this.

Both Peyton and Irsay said the decision was mutual. They showed clear love for each other and respect for each other. Neither was blaming the other.

I do not see why people don't seem willing to accept that.

But, if they don't.......my feeling is they will not hang around

Maureen....

Some older Colts fans were not NFL fan before the Colts came to Indy....Manning is the only top QB they've followed...

Some younger Indy area fans only know Manning as the team's QB...

Some casual fans only know they like Manning....they arent really that into football

So I guess you are right...the Colts will lose some fans here....and I cant blame them...

..but when they win again....they'll create new fans..

//////and some of the folks who are hurt now...will be back

[GoColts8818]

Colts fan 4 life. I started pulling for them in 1991 when they went 1-15 yes a season worse than last years and that and several more seasons of losing didn't run me off this won't either.

[Portage Coltfans]

winning cures all : pains/anger/feeling stabbed in the back/disrespect

If the colts win: fans will be able to forgive Irsay

If the colts go back to the early 90's, Irsay might not ever recover

[Portage Coltfans]

Colts fan 4 life. I started pulling for them in 1991 when they went 1-15 yes a season worse than last years and that and several more seasons of losing didn't run me off this won't either.

what if we become the raiders, rams, or jags

[GoColts8818]

what if we become the raiders, rams, or jags

Still my team. I'll admit to being bandwagon with like the pacers but my heart bleeds blue and white for the colts even if they do become the joke of the nfl again.

[Indeee]

Not a chance.. I came out Mommas womb a Colt fand ans I will be till I'm no longer here

[BleedingBlue]

Yes, I'll be rooting for Indianapolis again like I always do. But I remember those days when RCA was empty and the colts sucked. I don't think that many of us are left from that era. I don't think there are that many people who remember the suffering through some terrible seasons, season after season after season.

So its not the long timers like me that will leave...its the folks that came after 1998 that will most likely fade off - after all they weren't watching from 83-97.

I've been a fan since '74. I didn't take too much creedence to the move out of Baltimore mostly because I no longer lived in Baltimore in '83.

Had I still lived there, I would definitely be considering this as a "strike 2" to the Irsay family.

You don't have to like your owner to like your team but it does go a long way and I definitely am not feeling Jim Irsay right now.

Also I agree with some here that just because The Sherriff made all the politcally correct statements, and claims it was mutual, doesn't mean it was. He is a class act, of course hes going to say those things.

[MSColtsFan]

what if we become the raiders, rams, or jags

That's the test, isn't it? I love the Orioles, and they are as irrelevant as any team in pro sports. Yet I cheer, I root, I hope. For years of horrible decisions, results, and little hope for future success. You like who you like, you root for who you root for. I also think, having tasted success, Irsay understands the formula he believes necessary to get there again, and we'll see if it works. If it doesn't, I'll survive until it does. I watched and rooted as the Colts stunk through the 80s too.

[chad72]

To me, Peyton, Polian and Irsay have managed to create a decade of excellence and with it, a new generation of Colts fans that view football as something more than secondary to basketball in Indiana. Thus, the new generation, I feel, is willing to stick it out, unlike in the past when we could not sustain excellence and give the new regime a chance.

For that, I thank all of the above.

Go Colts and go Luck!!!

[MSColtsFan]

To me, Peyton, Polian and Irsay have managed to create a decade of excellence and with it, a new generation of Colts fans that view football as something more than secondary to basketball in Indiana. Thus, the new generation, I feel, is willing to stick it out, unlike in the past when we could not sustain excellence and give the new regime a chance.

For that, I thank all of the above.

Go Colts and go Luck!!!

At the risk of sounding sappy, this to me is what made the success even more rewarding as a fan. I survived the worst. I stuck it out, maintained patience, for a long, long time. Would I walk away if the Colts won twelve straight Super Bowls? Of course not. But there is something to be said for sticking it out through thick and thin, and in sports, there is usually more thin than thick.

[Hoosier]

I will always be a Colts fan and I will support Andrew Luck.

But, Jim Irsay will always be the bad guy in my mind.

Whether you agree with that or not, that's the way it is.

[sb2001]

That's the test, isn't it? I love the Orioles, and they are as irrelevant as any team in pro sports. Yet I cheer, I root, I hope. For years of horrible decisions, results, and little hope for future success. You like who you like, you root for who you root for. I also think, having tasted success, Irsay understands the formula he believes necessary to get there again, and we'll see if it works. If it doesn't, I'll survive until it does. I watched and rooted as the Colts stunk through the 80s too.

Orioles fan too, BUT I hardly ever watch a game. Winning truly cures alot. This one though is really tough on alot of fans.

Alot of pain all around for a while, but if we become like those other teams there will be fans, but these boards will be like a ghost town.

[MSColtsFan]

Orioles fan too, BUT I hardly ever watch a game. Winning truly cures alot. This one though is really tough on alot of fans.

Alot of pain all around for a while, but if we become like those other teams there will be fans, but these boards will be like a ghost town.

We all know what happens to a city and fanbase when a team loses, and it obviously gets worse with sustained losing. More room for me in the stands, smaller lines getting a beer, and some personal satiisfaction I don't chase the teams that make the playoffs that year, or are always there. I'm not getting into the definition of what makes a fan, but I can't just turn it off. It isn't a light switch to me. When my teams stink, I search for the bright spots, play couch GM, and actually have lots more to discuss. I agree the boards will be a ghost town, but the conversation will be better, the issues more relevant and important. Like right now for us Colts fans. I read these boards for years, never feeling the need to participate. Debating who will be a backup guard, or who plays on SP when the team is winning 12 games a year didn't seem important to me frankly. This year...... well, there's lots to discuss amongst those with common interests, isn't there?

[Bleedin Blue]

I'm not going anywhere...and for the record. I think Irsay and Manning made the best choice for the organization AND for Peyton. This team can't give Peyton a legitimate shot at a SB. Let's not keep him here just because we can't bear to see him go. Is that not the definition of selfishness?

[sb2001]

We all know what happens to a city and fanbase when a team loses, and it obviously gets worse with sustained losing. More room for me in the stands, smaller lines getting a beer, and some personal satiisfaction I don't chase the teams that make the playoffs that year, or are always there. I'm not getting into the definition of what makes a fan, but I can't just turn it off. It isn't a light switch to me. When my teams stink, I search for the bright spots, play couch GM, and actually have lots more to discuss. I agree the boards will be a ghost town, but the conversation will be better, the issues more relevant and important. Like right now for us Colts fans. I read these boards for years, never feeling the need to participate. Debating who will be a backup guard, or who plays on SP when the team is winning 12 games a year didn't seem important to me frankly. This year...... well, there's lots to discuss amongst those with common interests, isn't there?

Yes, you are spot on here. Reality is for me is that I'm very shallow. lol

[Portage Coltfans]

That's the test, isn't it? I love the Orioles, and they are as irrelevant as any team in pro sports. Yet I cheer, I root, I hope. For years of horrible decisions, results, and little hope for future success. You like who you like, you root for who you root for. I also think, having tasted success, Irsay understands the formula he believes necessary to get there again, and we'll see if it works. If it doesn't, I'll survive until it does. I watched and rooted as the Colts stunk through the 80s too.

I dont think that Oiler fans are still texan fans. I wonder what made the old Baltimore colts fans follow the team to Indy? do you root for the ravens too?