We see the collisions and passes, the beautiful runs and kick return, or pretty passes snatched out the sky. We know it as the game of football. A game men and women love all across America and participate in on every level from peewee to varsity. What we don't always see but know happens is the BUSINESS of football, which can be just as brutal as the game itself. The business of football isn't played by the players, it's played by the owners and general managers and by the coaches and scouts. Great players, not so great players basically all players get shuffled in this business of football. What exactly the business of football means is basically the fact that owners and GM's have the best interest of the team as a business such as Goldman Sachs or Time Warner. Coaches have the best interest of the team playing a game like a band or cub scout group. These 2 philosophies can come in conflict which is the case with some teams. One business practice of football is an owner change when a descendent of a previous owner takes control of a team or a team is sold to a new owner. Usually during owner changes the new owner comes in and throws his weight around and clears house. Coaches, GM's, and scouts are fired, players are cut and traded and a new day is on the horizon. All teams have went through this and know it's the colts turn. The colts have seen this before while in Baltimore. The Baltimore colts debuted in 1952 and a few years later they found their quarterback in "The Golden Arm" Johnny Unitas". Johnny U was the man, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play football. Remember how effective the Indianapolis Colts 2 minute drill offense with Peyton Manning was, well The Baltimore Colts Johnny Unitas was credited with creating the 2 minute offense. The colts had great success and played some memorable games mostly against the Giants, the Packers, and the memorable Superbowl game against the Jets. The Colts were sold to Robert Irsay in 1972 and like now a new change was on the horizon. The Golden Arm was traded to the Rams the following year and the relationship between the city of Baltimore and Irsay was becoming very intense and hostile. Folks worried about Irsay moving the team if he didn't get a new stadium. In one interview an inebriated Irsay proclaimed the colts "his team" meanwhile on March 27th of 1983 the Baltimore City Council voted to seize the colts under eminent domain laws. On March 28 83 like a thief in the night, Mayflower trucks took all the Baltimore colts equipment and moved to Indianapolis after a deal was brokered by the owner of the Mayflower trucking company for Irsay and the mayor of Indy. Controversy wasn't quite over when the struggling colts had the first round pick and the young best qb prospect of the 83 draft class was adamant about not playing for Robert Irsay. That qb was John Elway who coincidentally got the first swing at the Peyton Manning sweepstakes when the Denver Broncos won the chance to interview Peyton first. The colts struggled into and through the 90's and after years of mediocrity they found success with Peyton Manning a quarterback from Tennessee and son of a quarterback. For a good chunck of years when you said Indianapolis Colts you instantly thought "playoffs?? Don't talk about playoffs. PLAYOFFS??" What you didn't think of was the poster child of consistency and precision. Peyton Manning came in just as and in some's opinion more impressive than Andrew Luck. A strong arm and very NFL ready, Peyton came into the league as the number 1 pick in the 1998 draft. Statistically great, Peyton's flaw was the big games against Florida he never won. He also has never played in a national championship game or won a Heisman but when Robert Irsay needed him he came through. His first season was tough only winning 3 games but 2 years after that the Colts were ready to compete. With 4 MVP awards, a superbowl championship, almost 400 touchdowns, and 55,000 passing yards Peyton Manning became the poster child for excellence and with 11 pro bowl appearances and a 10 run in the playoffs as a starter Peyton became the poster child for consistency. Nonetheless just like in college the big games were an issue his record against the patriots was lopsided until the last few years. He finally had his
triumphant moment winning superbowl XVL. In 2010 Peyton had neck surgeries and procedures that made everyone question whether he still had it or not. He sat out the whole 2011 season and the issue of his health and effective grew. Meanwhile Luck in college was building his reputation and the colts were changing guard. Peyton was on his way out and not just Luck but the new Irsay was on their way in. Jim Irsay was the vice president of the colts in 1984 and the son of the owner Robert Irsay. A graduate from SMU Jim is no stranger to the media having a degree in journalism. Jim is a constant tweeter and from all his tweets in my opinion he's a deep dude. He has successfully battled drinking problems. I seen in one interview him tell a guy, "he spilled more than you've drank". He in my opinion is a star. Robert Irsay had a stroke in 95 and Jim's role with the team grow and when Mr. Irsay died in 97 Jim became the owner of the colts after a court battle with his step mom. To Jim's credit he rode the Peyton Manning express as far as it went, and when the opportunity came to hit the reset button he took it. Peyton's "circumstances", the colts failure giving them the number 1 pick, and Luck's success gave Jim a chance to put his print on the NFL's history. Jim fired Bill Polian the teams GM and hired Ryan Grigson, he also fired head coach Jim Caldwell and hired Chuck Pagano. Then in one big swoop names like Dallas Clark Joseph Adai, Pierre Garcon and Gary Brackett are gone to make room for the new prodigy coming. Andrew Luck had an impressive college career and showed great promise. He broke several records while at Stanford throwing 37 touchdowns breaking John Elways record of 27 and oh yea there goes that name again. Luck ran for over 450 yards, a record for Stanford quarterbacks, he also had three runs of over 50 yards. Luck also has the record for total qb yards with just under 10,000. He won over 30 games and His first year he along with my old highschool's alum Richard Sherman won games against top ten teams USC and Oregon. Luck built a great college career and could've been the first round pick his sophomore year but decided to stay. As impressive as his stats are, he's never won a national championship or Heisman but that won't work against him as it has been determined for months that Irsay would draft Luck with the first pick of the. Despite having the assurance that he will play, what he or anyone else for that matters wont know is if he will be able to deliver and perform. Will luck succeed or crumble under the pressure of not living up to Peyton's success? I dont think anyone other than Titans, Jags, and Texans fans, wants to see Luck fail but the set up is there for failure. Peyton became more than a legend in Indy, he took that team to heights it will never see again. Luck might be able to achieve the same popularity but it only will be by winning superbowls. Multiple superbowls too, he needs to win more than 2 and the success of the team has to be consistent every year. Peyton's first trip was to Denver reportedly, it was said he wants to visit teams with familiar faces. I'm sure Peyton won't drag this decision out and pull a Lebron. He's a pretty professional guy and knows that this can and well be a distraction. I'm sure these visit's are formal and don't imply what his decisions will be either. Where ever he signs I'm sure they'll have to be solid and with good tested veterans and a defense in the top 10. I also think the receiving core, running back, and lines effectiveness will be an issue. I myself don't want to see Peyton go somewhere and just fade to black. I want Peyton to pull a Jay-Z and drop the blueprint 3 and Watch The Throne. I want to see Peyton play and win. I also want to see Indy as winners. One of sports greatest stories will always be how Peyton brought football to a basketball town. Not only is Indy a basketball town, it's one of the greatest basketball towns in America. We have to understand that excellence can't be expected out this team yet they still can compete, grow and hopefully play competitive football. Peyton won 3 games year one and none himself his last year in Indy. Failure won't be determined for years unless an injury occurs so we won't know if this will work or not. If the Colts find some good draft picks, build a defense, and KEEP REGGIE WAYNE which I doubt will happen, they'll be fine. The Texans and Titans aren't that much better than the Colts, The Jags might not get there with Blaine so Indy position isn't that bad. Only the future will tell and in Indy the future is now.
triumphant moment winning superbowl XVL. In 2010 Peyton had neck surgeries and procedures that made everyone question whether he still had it or not. He sat out the whole 2011 season and the issue of his health and effective grew. Meanwhile Luck in college was building his reputation and the colts were changing guard. Peyton was on his way out and not just Luck but the new Irsay was on their way in. Jim Irsay was the vice president of the colts in 1984 and the son of the owner Robert Irsay. A graduate from SMU Jim is no stranger to the media having a degree in journalism. Jim is a constant tweeter and from all his tweets in my opinion he's a deep dude. He has successfully battled drinking problems. I seen in one interview him tell a guy, "he spilled more than you've drank". He in my opinion is a star. Robert Irsay had a stroke in 95 and Jim's role with the team grow and when Mr. Irsay died in 97 Jim became the owner of the colts after a court battle with his step mom. To Jim's credit he rode the Peyton Manning express as far as it went, and when the opportunity came to hit the reset button he took it. Peyton's "circumstances", the colts failure giving them the number 1 pick, and Luck's success gave Jim a chance to put his print on the NFL's history. Jim fired Bill Polian the teams GM and hired Ryan Grigson, he also fired head coach Jim Caldwell and hired Chuck Pagano. Then in one big swoop names like Dallas Clark Joseph Adai, Pierre Garcon and Gary Brackett are gone to make room for the new prodigy coming. Andrew Luck had an impressive college career and showed great promise. He broke several records while at Stanford throwing 37 touchdowns breaking John Elways record of 27 and oh yea there goes that name again. Luck ran for over 450 yards, a record for Stanford quarterbacks, he also had three runs of over 50 yards. Luck also has the record for total qb yards with just under 10,000. He won over 30 games and His first year he along with my old highschool's alum Richard Sherman won games against top ten teams USC and Oregon. Luck built a great college career and could've been the first round pick his sophomore year but decided to stay. As impressive as his stats are, he's never won a national championship or Heisman but that won't work against him as it has been determined for months that Irsay would draft Luck with the first pick of the. Despite having the assurance that he will play, what he or anyone else for that matters wont know is if he will be able to deliver and perform. Will luck succeed or crumble under the pressure of not living up to Peyton's success? I dont think anyone other than Titans, Jags, and Texans fans, wants to see Luck fail but the set up is there for failure. Peyton became more than a legend in Indy, he took that team to heights it will never see again. Luck might be able to achieve the same popularity but it only will be by winning superbowls. Multiple superbowls too, he needs to win more than 2 and the success of the team has to be consistent every year. Peyton's first trip was to Denver reportedly, it was said he wants to visit teams with familiar faces. I'm sure Peyton won't drag this decision out and pull a Lebron. He's a pretty professional guy and knows that this can and well be a distraction. I'm sure these visit's are formal and don't imply what his decisions will be either. Where ever he signs I'm sure they'll have to be solid and with good tested veterans and a defense in the top 10. I also think the receiving core, running back, and lines effectiveness will be an issue. I myself don't want to see Peyton go somewhere and just fade to black. I want Peyton to pull a Jay-Z and drop the blueprint 3 and Watch The Throne. I want to see Peyton play and win. I also want to see Indy as winners. One of sports greatest stories will always be how Peyton brought football to a basketball town. Not only is Indy a basketball town, it's one of the greatest basketball towns in America. We have to understand that excellence can't be expected out this team yet they still can compete, grow and hopefully play competitive football. Peyton won 3 games year one and none himself his last year in Indy. Failure won't be determined for years unless an injury occurs so we won't know if this will work or not. If the Colts find some good draft picks, build a defense, and KEEP REGGIE WAYNE which I doubt will happen, they'll be fine. The Texans and Titans aren't that much better than the Colts, The Jags might not get there with Blaine so Indy position isn't that bad. Only the future will tell and in Indy the future is now.
posted from Bloggeroid
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