Indy No Longer Peyton's Place

For weeks we know this was coming. And no matter how much we tried to ignore it, we knew the decision both Peyton and the Colts were about to make. By now you should all be aware that the business of sports has yet claimed another victim. Today Colts owner Jim Irsay announced "the conclusion of Peyton's playing career with the Colts," indeed the sad end to an era.

I rarely get choked up during pressers, but this one kind of hit me close even though I'm not a Colts fan. People often get angry at athletes for holding out or wanting a new contract, but here is a perfect example of why it happens. One year into a five year deal, the Colts made a financial decision to release the man who single handedly changed the culture in Indianapolis and the fortunes of a dreary franchise. Before Manning came to the Indy, the Colts hadn't had a 10 win season since 1977, when the schedules were 14 games & the Colts resided in Baltimore. That was a span of 22 season before Peyton's second year when he led the Colts to a 13 win season. Think about it, before 1998, Indy was known as a basketball state, the Hoosiers & Bobby Knight, The Reggie Miller Pacers, football was really an afterthought. But Manning changed that and instantly made Indy a winner. Not just a winner, a juggernaut that won 10 plus games every year he was there except for two (1998 rookie season) & (2001). Last year without him Indy was 2-14.

Don't get me wrong here I understand the business aspect here, you cant tie up this much money into one position. With Andrew Luck coming in you have to sort of make room. But lets be honest, Luck won't be ready next year. I always thought Indy would keep Manning to transition into Luck, somewhat like the Packers did with Favre & Rogers. And in my opinion that's what should have happened. There is no one better than Peyton to learn from. Maybe Irsay felt he owed it to Manning to call his own shot after doing so much for his franchise and go to a contender. Regardless, this was the biggest franchise decision since the Irsay's said back up the Mayflower trucks we're blowing out of Baltimore. But the realization that this is indeed happening, that Peyton Manning will actually have another uniform on this September is unreal.

Years ago when I was going through a divorce a friend of mine told me, "divorces are hard no matter what people say. I knew mines was coming for a year & the day I was in court I still cried." Something I can relate to & something we witnessed both Irsay & Manning do at the presser earlier today. This hits us harder because Peyton is a class act. I mean anything you see a guy get choked up at a presser talking about the equipment manager you know he's as genuine as it gets. "Times change, circumstance change, & that's the reality of playing in the NFL." Truer words will never be spoken in an NFL press conference.