Tag: Indianapolis Colts (Page 10 of 12)

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April 27, 2012 / DB

The Colts passed the off-season with flying colors. At least thus far.

They cleaned house in the coaching staff and front office quickly and completely.

They handled the release of Peyton Manning with respect and honor. While there was some drama to the finals weeks of Manning’s Colts career, it never became a nasty divorce.

They handled the lead-up to the draft perfectly, not playing media games about who they might pick and making an announcement that Andrew Luck would be their selection once they were sure.

And, amazingly, that’s probably the easiest part of the rebuilding process.

I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it: there are no sure things in sports. Luck may blow out a knee or arm and never live up to his potential. He may be great but the Colts may fail to put enough talent around him to win games. Robert Griffin III may turn into a game-changing, era-defining quarterback that shadows everything Luck does. A million things can go wrong. The chances of this working out as well as the Manning era are very long. But so far, the franchise has taken the correct step each time.

I never commented about Peyton going to Denver. I was surprised by his choice, like many others. San Francisco seemed like a better fit. I just hope he’s able to close out his career with dignity and not look back and think he should have retired when the Colts released him.

After he signed, I asked my brother-in-law in Denver, a life-long Broncos fan, what he thought. His response: “I love it. I want to take a bath in it.” Safe to say his opinion is shared by many out there.

Predicatbly, after Peyton’s release the local news stations went out on the streets asking for people’s thoughts. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but there were a lot of people who thought the Colts were making a monumental mistake. “They just let the best quarterback ever walk away and are going to replace him with an unknown quantity,” was a common refrain. I have a feeling most of those people didn’t watch a game last season.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about the Pacers, who go into the NBA Playoffs as the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ve been red hot for the last month and get a Dwight Howard-less Orlando team in the first round. They’re not good enough to take out Miami or Chicago, but they’ve made terrific progress this season. Anything less than a first round win and a competitive second round will be a major disappointment.

After that it will be their turn for off-season drama. Larry Bird refuses to comment on his plans, but most expect him to walk away from the franchise and officially retire. After a rough start, he did a fantastic job putting the franchise back together in the post-Artest era. His replacement will have a lot of tough choices in the summer. How much do you offer Roy Hibbert to stay.¹ Do you try to hang on to George Hill? Do you try to sign local hero Eric Gordon? Is there money to chase another impact free agent?

The team still has not won back the city. Attendance remains dreadful. As well as this season has gone, this summer will go a long way towards deciding whether the Pacers can be competitive and financially successful in Indianapolis.

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Hibbert is an effective big man, but screams of someone who is going to get overpaid this summer and wreck someone’s salary cap for the next 4-5 years. ↩

Au Revoir, Peyton

March 7, 2012 / DB

No surprise. The Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis will officially end today, when the Colts announce that they’ve released him. It’s the correct move, yet still a gutsy one.

Much credit to Jim Irsay who has steadily made the moves this winter necessary to rebuild the franchise. A new GM. A new coach. And now a new quarterback. Perhaps if Peyton came back healthy next year, the team would still have another playoff run or two in them. But they would do so as weak contenders with salary cap issues that would prevent them from mounting a true challenge for a third Super Bowl appearance.

Irsay is wisely chucking the next two years to reboot the roster, hoping that smart moves in the next 2-3 drafts will set the team up for another decade-long run of winning. That strategy is not without risks. Andrew Luck could be a bust, or suffer a career-ending injury before he can establish himself as a franchise quarterback. Or Luck may live up to the hype, but the rest of the team’s draft and free agent choices may fail, leaving him as an elite player surrounded by mediocrity.

While there aren’t ever any givens in professional sports, moving on is the right, smart thing to do.

I don’t know that the relationship between Manning and the organization has been as drama-laden as the media has made it seem. There’s a part of me that thinks both Manning and Jim Irsay have been having a little fun with the media, ginning up controversy where there was none. Regardless, I think things will end on a good note today, with both men saying all the right things.

We moved to Indianapolis in 2003. The first home game that season, against then arch-rival Tennessee, was blacked out locally despite the Colts playing in the smallest stadium in the NFL. Nine seasons later Peyton Manning leaves behind a team that appeared in two Super Bowls, built a new stadium, became as reliable a home sellout as any in the league, and were good for 10+ wins for over a decade. Today, the city is firmly a Colts and football town.

The Peyton Manning era was a glorious success. We’ll be fortunate if the Andrew Luck era comes even close to it.

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The Meaning Of Peyton

February 28, 2012 / DB

Another really interesting piece on Grantland about the end of the Peyton Manning era in Indy.

People don’t want to lose him, but they are not about to test the boundaries of the First Amendment on his behalf. People would like Peyton Manning to stay, if he feels so inclined, but in Andrew Luck they see a younger and healthier iteration of the same quarterback, and they wonder if the tradeoff is an inevitable fact of life in the NFL. They are attached to Manning the Symbol, but they are not so attached to Manning the Person that they are willing to approach this situation with blind loyalism. This is business, after all, and in the end they feel that the Colts’ business is really none of their business.

I keep saying that last season is going to make his eventual departure much less controversial than the rest of the nation seems to think it will be. Sure, some will howl in protest. But no one wants the Colts to go back to being how they were pre-Peyton.

Bittersweet Days

February 1, 2012 / DB

By all accounts, events downtown are going swimmingly. The locals have shown up in force, setting attendance records for the official NFL events. The weather has been great. My fears, that the national press would be ripping the choice of Indy as a Super Bowl host, have so far not come to fruition. In fact, many national writers seem smitten with the city so far.

But, strangely, all that is secondary to the looming resolution of the thing on most local football fans’ minds. ESPN’s Elizabeth Merrill filed this excellent measure of the city’s mood.

When Indianapolis won the bid to host the Super Bowl four years ago, it never could have imagined this: That the big event would be played in the backdrop of a miserable 2-14 Colts season, with its seemingly unbreakable quarterback out with a neck injury and now presumably on his way out of town.
Is Peyton Manning done in Indianapolis? That — and not the merits of the two Super Bowl teams — was the big news last week.

Football Notes

January 19, 2012 / DB

First off, the Saints-49ers game last Saturday was fantastic if you were just an unaffiliated person watching. I imagine it was fun for San Francisco fans, too. The terrific early performance by the ‘Niners’ D. The inevitable Saints comeback. And the frenetic final four minutes. Great, great stuff.

The Colts are making progress. First, the Polians were shown the door and Ryan Grigson was brought in to remake the franchise. Yesterday, Grigson fired coach Jim Caldwell. The next step seems pretty clear: cutting ties with Peyton Manning. Owner Jim Irsay has said several times that he will not trade Manning. He has not said, though, that he will not cut Manning. And, of course, Manning can always retire and save the Colts the hassle.

Regardless, Grigson and Irsay both seem committed to a complete rebuilding process. That’s a tough decision to make, when it means cutting ties with the player who is responsible for the Colts still playing in Indy in a brand new stadium that will host the Super Bowl in two weeks. But it’s bold and correct and they deserve a lot of credit for moving forward aggressively.

Speaking of Manning, Archie Manning sure seems to have a lot of comments lately. I understand there’s a lot going on with his family right now, between’s Peyton figuring out what’s next and Eli playing for the NFC title this weekend. But it seems like each week he’s on another show sharing his thoughts about Peyton, Andrew Luck, and the future of the Colts. I’d be interested to know if he just likes to talk, or if he is serving as Peyton’s unofficial mouthpiece. Given how carefully Peyton manages every aspect of his career, I can’t imagine he would want his father talking out of turn.

Finally, I’ve not said anything about Tebowmania. The more I look at it, the more it feels like the war in baseball between scouts and statheads. It’s not an exact analogy, but there are two sides that can’t find a middle ground on how to gauge Tebow’s play. Longtime talent observers see his bad throwing form and poor accuracy, put that in the context of what a winning NFL quarterback should look like in their eyes, and dismiss him outright. His supporters see a guy who, despite his flaws and differences from the prototype NFL QB, still has enough skill to carry a team to the playoffs. Both sides have dug in their heels and maintain that they are correct.

As is often the case, the truth is in the middle. Tebow does lack some of the tools that most successful NFL QBs have possessed in the past 30 years. But his unique mix of size, speed, and intelligence give him more ways to work around those limitations than the average quarterback. In a different way, he presents something that Michael Vick brought to the NFL: a new way of looking at the position. I don’t think Tebow will ever be an elite quarterback. But he can refine his throwing motion. He will learn more about reading defenses. The Broncos will build their offense around his specific skills. I was a doubter, but I see him as a legitimate, if unique, pro quarterback now.

The Super-Quick Pour

January 19, 2011 / DB

I forgot to mention this amazing use of technology I first experienced at the Colts-Jets game a week ago. Trust me, when you’ve already had a few, it’s even more amazing. And when you go to a traditional beer stand later, it’s kind of a let-down.

It “pours” a draft beer nine times faster than traditional methods and dramatically reduces spillage. It’s so cool to see, it’s generated viral YouTube videos and dragged fans away from the actual events to stand around and watch suds get served.

Buzzers

January 10, 2011 / DB

Some weekend.

Friday night I was on the road, covering one of our better teams, FHS (11-3 entering the game), against the #10 team in the state, MHS. MHS had just lost their first game of the year, one they played without their best player, who is the #2 scorer in the state at nearly 30 ppg. They are also very tall, starting three girls over 5’10″. It seemed like a tough matchup for my girls at FHS.

They fell behind early but slowly worked their way back into the game. FHS took a lead in the third quarter, the teams spent four minutes going back-and-forth, and then MHS pulled away again. Midway through the fourth quarter, it was a seven-point lead and the result seemed certain.

But FHS fought back once more. They tied the game with just under two minutes to play, got the rebound off a MHS missed free throw, and ran over a minute off the clock before MHS fouled. FHS hit one free throw and led by one with 13 seconds left.

MHS brought the ball up, tried to get it inside, nearly lost it as the FHS defense collapsed into the lane, and then somehow the ball came out to a girl wide open at the top of the key.

Release.

Buzzer.

Swish.

Game over.

A terrific effort by FHS, but not quite enough to get the win.

Saturday, as my Facebook friends probably know, we went to the Colts-Jets game. We had fantastic seats, sixth row on the 25 yard line, thanks to some friends whose family business is a Colts sponsor. After being in Lucas Oil Stadium three times for high school football and college basketball, it was very different seeing every seat filled and the entire crowd roaring.

I would love to offer one of my famous, detailed breakdowns of attending a sporting event, but the truth is I got kind of drunk during the game, and it’s all a little fuzzy. And, as good as our seats were, we were low enough where it was difficult to follow some of the plays.¹ Thus, for example, I could not understand why the Colts kept running the ball. I received a text during the game from my buddy Coach Hebs that said, “It’s bad when the Jets are daring them to run and they still can’t do it.” I took his word for it.

Still, with 53 seconds left, it looked like my prediction would come true: Adam Vinatieri kicked a 50-yard field goal to put the Colts up by two. Kick it deep, cover, and keep the Jets on their side of midfield and the game is over.

Instead, short kick, the same horrible kick coverage the Colts have had all year, and the Jets have a short field. Throw in one of the worst time out calls ever² and the Jets get a chip shot for the win.

Snap.

Hold.

Kick.

Good.

Game over.

So my first ever Colts game in person, and first NFL game in 16 years, was a total failure. I wore the Colts shirt I bought earlier this season, and this brings their record to something like 2-5 when I wear it. Clearly I can’t go to games and can’t wear that shirt anymore.

It was a little strange walking out of the stadium. Most people just quietly left their seats and exited. Some fans near the tunnel where the Colts locker room is located remained and cheered as the players left the field. But just about everyone else slowly faded out. I got the sense that everybody knew the Colts were fortunate to have even made the playoffs this year and thus there wasn’t a lot of angst as we left. Or maybe everyone was just shocked by the result. And drunk.

So two days, two three point plays at the buzzer to win games. You would be correct if you thought I was a little tense Sunday as KU blew a 15-point lead at Michigan and the Wolverines had the ball down two with under 20 seconds to play. I was expecting another three pointer at the buzzer.

Luckily Michigan only hit a two, KU’s chance at a game-winning three rimmed out, and the Jayhawks did just enough in overtime to remain undefeated. It would have been a very difficult Sunday night if I went 0-3 on the buzzer beaters.

Throw in a fantastic brunch with friends Sunday morning and an even better nap Sunday afternoon, and it was a pretty excellent weekend.

All the beer didn’t help. ↩
Seriously, WTF was Caldwell thinking? Didn’t he learn his lesson earlier this year in Jacksonville? He just earned a place with Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy as one of the worst time management coaches in the NFL. There was a guy two rows in front of us who grabbed his coat and walked out, muttering about Caldwell as soon as the ref announced the time out. Caldwell might be lucky that Jim Irsay is a pretty nice guy. I doubt his old man would be as understanding. ↩

NFL Wrap

September 14, 2010 / DB

If I’ve learned one thing following the Colts over the past seven seasons, it’s that you don’t overreact to how they look in the preseason. They’re a well-oiled machine and will always bring it when the games matter. So pay no attention if the defense is porous, the offensive line weak, the running game non-existent. Thus my confidence in picking them to win the AFC this year.

I may have to rethink that.

That was a brutal showing Sunday in Houston. Not even my patented “take a nap when the Colts fall behind, wake up and they’re ahead” trick worked. I listened to the first quarter, then napped soundly through most of the rest of the game. From the highlights I saw and the articles I read after, I didn’t miss much.

Let’s not forget they gave up 8000 yards to Jacksonville late in the 2006 season and won the Super Bowl a month later. So one bad game doesn’t necessarily doom them.

But the big concern is the offensive line. If they can’t keep Peyton from getting hit, the Colts are not going to win. That’s the most abuse I’ve seen him take in years. In the past they’ve sacrificed run blocking to improve their pass protection when the o-line has struggled. It may take a lot more than that to get the protection where it needs to be for the offense to work.

It was just one game, though. It’s a little early to declare the Colts as we know them are dead. Still, I might be leaning towards the Patriots as AFC champs.

At least Bob Sanders got injured on the first defensive series, so we got that out of the way early.

I watched the first half of the Chiefs-Chargers game Monday. That looked pretty intense. It’s nice the rednecks at Camarohead had something to cheer about.

Perhaps the hottest NFL topic these days is the length of the season. It is clear that changing the season’s format will be a key part of the next labor agreement. I tend to agree with those who think it is a dumb idea, more because of competitive reasons than injuries. There are already some shitty games in December when teams out of the playoffs matchup. Two more weeks of games will extend that misery.

The preseason should also be addressed in this process. Here’s my proposal: three game preseason, with the first game reserved for rookies and guys deep on the depth chart. Don’t even bother running Peyton and Drew and Tony out there for a courtesy possession to justify ticket prices. Also, these games will be played in non-NFL cities for reduced ticket costs. Draft Tim Tebow? Schedule your game in Gainesville or somewhere else in northern Florida. That’ll fill 60,000 seats.

In game two, go back to NFL stadiums, limit starters to one quarter of action and cut ticket prices by 50%. Then use the final week as a full preparation game, playing starters and final cut candidates as long as each team feels necessary.

This gives every team a chance to evaluate the depth of its roster in game situations and offers the top of the rotation enough prep work to be ready for week one. It also clears a week for either extending the regular season, adding another bye week, or adding a round to the playoffs.

Easy. Do it.

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Not So Super Monday

February 8, 2010 / DB

Well, that was disappointing.

Teased by the first quarter, the Colts got out-Colted for the rest of the game. Throw in the gutsy on-side kick to begin the third quarter that seemed to completely unnerve the Colts, and it was about a perfect performance by the Saints. They weathered the early storm, settled down and methodically picked apart the Colts’ D when they had the ball. On defense, they rarely brought all-out pressure on Manning, but rather sat back and clogged up the passing lanes. That gave up a few big runs by Joseph Addai, but they knew that Addai alone was not going to beat them. Contain, contain, contain and hope they get the ball last. Instead, they got the game-clinching pick-six, but I doubt they’ll complain about how it all worked out.

I imagine it was a pretty exciting game for neutral fans. Porter’s interception and touchdown is one of the all-time great Super Bowl plays. Rather than be awed by the moment, as I was a year ago during that fantastic finish, I was busy dropping f-bombs in front of a bunch of sub-six year olds, not all of which are my kids. In my defense, I think everyone else was thinking the same thing, and I didn’t scream or anything. I saw Porter, the ball, and a lot of open field and muttered, “Oh fuck.” These things happen.

Also, having a rooting interest kept me from paying as much attention to the commercials as I did last year. I did notice a lot of partial nudity, mostly by men. I don’t mean to sound sexist, but that’s not what I want to see between plays. When Megan Fox sitting rather demurely in a bathtub is the best T&A we get, I call it a bad year for ads.

L. got into the spirit of things right off the bat. During the national anthem, she stood with her hand over her heart. When it was over, she waved her hands in the air and laughed. It appears as though she thought she was singing.

The Who sucked. The Old Rocker Complaint meme has been beaten to death. But at least the other old rockers that have been carted out in recent years rocked. We’re talking about one of the most important, influential, best, and loudest bands of all time and they came off as a bunch of old men awake past their bed times. Coincidence that each time Daltrey tried to hit a high note the camera cut away? People in the stadium commented that there were a couple guys playing guitar on the sides of the stage, out of the light. So Moon and Entwistle are dead and Daltrey and Townsend many not have even been singing/playing live? Awful.

So, I suppose my grade for the night would be a big Suck Minus. However, we did have some good good, some friends and family over, and a decent game to watch. I also downloaded the iPhone version of the classic Mattel electronic football game and was able to play a few games. That took me back exactly 30 years. In January and February of 1980, I spent about a million hours playing that game, trying to see how many points I could score. I kept records in a little notebook. I remember that’s how I blew off steam between periods of a certain hockey game on Feb. 22, 1980. The defense seems a little more stout in the iPhone version.

Pitchers and catchers report next week. March Madness is a month away; spring not far behind. I guess we’ll get through these 11 degree mornings and another 6″ of snow tonight.

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Big Game Predictions

February 5, 2010 / DB

Finally, it is time for the game.

I’ll admit, my confidence in the Colts has been shaken a bit. I always get nervous when everyone seems to be picking the same team when the opponents are fairly evenly matched. Most people seem to love the Colts this week. Dwight Freeney’s status is troubling. It’s one thing to beat the Jets without Jerraud Powers. If he’s not on the field and healthy against the Saints, that will be another huge blow to the Colts.

But I’m not so worried that I’m changing my pick. Rather than a relatively easy win, I think we’ll see a shootout. Given what the Colts have done this year, winning a bundle of close games with late scores, and that they have Peyton behind center, I think they’ll be able to overcome whatever challenges their health on defense will present.

Colts 31
Saints 27

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