Nothing Lasts Forever

Manning and Irsay at today's announcement

            Manning and team owner Jim Irsay stood side-by-side Wednesday afternoon and made the official announcement that the two would end their 14-year relationship. That relationship began on April 18, 1998 and it ended today, March 7, 2012. It was a very emotional scene. Irsay got right to the point as his first sentence was “We’re here to announce the end of Peyton Manning’s career with the Colts”. After just five minutes, the tears began to run down Irsay’s face. He stumbled through the typical press conference mumbo jumbo until it was time for Peyton to take the stage.

                Peyton talked for about five minutes and thanked everybody in the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana for being great fans and supporters. I could tell he was shaken up by the whole ordeal. He had that trademarked “Manning face” on the entire time. You could see it in his eyes he was holding back the tears. It was a classy scene and one that truly showed just how great Manning is. He is the greatest quarterback in NFL history but he is also one of the humblest men to ever play the game. This was a far cry from Lebron James’s “Announcement”.

Manning after winning Super Bowl 41

                Manning’s departure is the second time in a six-month window that my favorite athlete has left my favorite team. After winning the 2011 World Series, St. Louis Cardinals’ first basemen Albert Pujols decided to chase the money and play for the Los Angeles Angels. Pujols has been my favorite for a long time, way before anybody outside the Midwest knew who he was. The difference in that situation is that the Cardinals organization has been around for over 100 years and has had tremendous success. The Indianapolis Colts have been around since 1984 and all their success came straight from Peyton Manning.

It’s hard to put into words the depression, sadness, and complete disbelief I am experiencing right now. For more than I decade I have watched Peyton Manning, the greatest quarterback of all time, lead my Colts to victory week after week. He created a football town in the middle of a state that only knew basketball. Manning was the foundation for the past decade of fantastic achievements the Colts have accomplished. Those achievements include 2 Super Bowl appearances, two AFC Championships and countless AFC South Championships. I would also go as far to say, that without Peyton Manning, there would be no Lucas Oil Stadium. And without Lucas Oil Stadium we would never have hosted Super Bowl XLVI. There’s also a possibility that the Indianapolis Colts would not even be in Indianapolis.

Finally, I would just like to say that if I was Jim Irsay, I would have handled the entire situation so vastly different. First I would have traded the 2012 #1 draft pick to a different team (i.e. Browns, Rams. Dolphins) for their 2012 first, second and third round pick plus two or three 2013 picks. Then in the 2012 draft I take running back Trent Richardson or wide receiver Justin Blackmon, if either is available. If both are taken then I would select Ryan Tannehill or Kirk Cousins, both of whom are quarterbacks. The point of selecting a quarterback like Cousins or Tannehill is that neither enter the draft with the high expectations that Andrew Luck has. Plus, neither will demand the huge amount of money Andrew Luck is. Then from there on out I select the best player available. Only exception to that rule is if that player is an offensive or defensive lineman because we have plenty of quality players already at those positions.

So the 2012 season starts and Manning is top quarterback on the team. During mini-camp and summer practices Manning is able to show the young quarterback, whether it be Cousins, Tannehill or somebody else, how he prepares for the season. Then when the season starts he teaches that quarterback how to prepare for games, watch game film and work with the offense. If Manning gets seriously injured then worst case scenario, that quarterback we just drafted becomes the starter. Best case scenario, Manning stays healthy for a few years and gives that young quarterback time to mature and learn what it takes to win in the NFL.

                Another option would have been to trade the number one draft pick to the Denver Broncos for some of their draft picks and backup quarterback Brady Quinn. Why Quinn? Besides being my favorite player in Notre Dame history, he was also the most prolific quarterback at Notre Dame. He hasn’t had any success in the NFL but he has NEVER been given a solid chance. He has all the tools necessary to be a great quarterback he just needs a real shot. If you can get him then you could use the draft picks on players that aren’t quarterbacks.

                
            None of these hypothetical ideas really matter because the outcome has already been decided. Peyton Manning will never play for the Indianapolis Colts again. Fortunately, his #18 will never be worn again ever. That was the only good news I heard today. 

Bill Polian, Irsay and Manning before Super Bowl 41