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P Manning is done in Indy
My source is brad byrd out of evansville indiana. He does not put out false reports like alot of people.
It is so sad and so hard to write it again, but it's true: Peyton Manning is done in Indianapolis.
After listening to Manning Monday night, after listening to owner Jim Irsay characterize Manning Thursday as "a politician" who should keep his concerns "in house," there's no other conclusion to be reached by a sane, sober human being: Manning's days in Indianapolis are over, and they have been over for quite some time. On a day when the introduction of Chuck Pagano as the Colts new head coach should have been the story, Irsay stole the headlines.
What matters now is for this once-beautiful relationship, which produced so much success and joy to central Indiana, to stop deteriorating and to start moving forward in a more appropriate manner.
After talking Thursday about Manning as "family," Irsay said, "He's a politician. When it comes to being competitive on a scale of one to 10, 10 being the highest, we're both 11s. There have been plenty of eggshells scattered around this building by him (Manning) with his competitive desire to win.
"I don't think it's in the (best) interest to paint the Horseshoe in a negative light, I really don't. . . The horseshoe always comes first. One thing (Manning has) always known, and he's been around it so long, you keep it in the family. If you've got a problem, talk to each other. It's not about campaigning or anything like that."
Manning responded with an exclusive comment to The Star, saying by phone Thursday night:
"At this point, Mr. Irsay and I owe it to each other and to the fans of the organization to handle this appropriately and professionally, and I think we will. I've already reached out to Mr. Irsay. I wasn't trying to paint the Colts in a bad light, but it's tough when so many people you've known for so long are suddenly leaving. I feel very close to a lot of these guys and we've done great things together. It's hard to watch an old friend clean out his office. That's all I was trying to say.
"I just want to keep rehabbing and working hard, and when the time is right for Mr. Irsay and I to sit down, I look forward to a healthy conversation about my future. I've worked too hard and have such great respect and have so many great relationships inside the building and out, and it's incredibly important that those remain."
Irsay and Manning have meant too much to each other, to this franchise and to this city, for the relationship to turn into some kind of a battle for the hearts and minds of Indianapolis.
"I want to separate the personal and the business," Manning said Monday night. "I've seen it get personal in other situations, and I don't want that to happen here."
Too late.
Sadly, too late.
Is Irsay angry?
Yeah, he's angry.
Irsay was not happy after reading Manning's comments in The Star, during which the iconic quarterback spoke wistfully about the unsettled atmosphere at the West 56th Street facility. Irsay felt, at some level, like Manning was painting himself as the selfless hero who was using the media (namely, me) to garner the favor of the fans and paint the Colts as the heavies in this passion play.
Tuesday, Irsay tweeted:
Knowing medical situation last yr. n still paying $26,000,000.00 to #18,I've no regrets.It was right thing2do,I'm not pissed,contrary2rumor
Nobody's quite sure what rumor Irsay was referring to. But he wanted it made clear, he knew Manning's neck was a mess one year ago and still had no problem giving him all that money -- which he spelled out with eight zeroes.
Ultimately, Irsay is planning to do the only thing he can do.
But now it has to be done the right way -- with class and grace.
"There's not any sort of bad situation around here for healing or anything like that," Irsay said, referring to Manning's statement that the facility atmosphere is not conducive to healing. "That's not a correct perspective. Like I said, keep it in house, in our family. Talk to each other if you have problems. We'll work it through hand and hand and continue to talk as we get closer to the league year."
Irsay was asked, "Should fans come to grips with the idea there's a legitimate chance Peyton won't be on this roster?"
He answered, "Well, I think fans have already understood that. This is a neck, not an ankle, not a shoulder. Often times the NFL is criticized for putting people out there and for putting them at risk. I'm not going to do that. . . What he's done for the city, the state, what he means to me and our fans, we're not going to be in that situation. I just think him and I have to talk and see where his health is and go from there."
My fervent hope is this doesn't continue to devolve. We are talking about good people in a bad situation, the thorniest situation since the 49ers traded Joe Montana. We're talking about one of the best owners in sports and one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, both of them good men, both of them great philanthropists.
This should end with parades and statues, not harsh words. This should end with an entire region paying tribute to the greatest Indianapolis Colt of all time, not a blizzard of words.
The pair need to talk and they need to talk, honestly and forthrightly, right now. And Irsay needs to tell him exactly what he plans to tell him later:
"We're going to cut you. It hurts my heart and soul, but we have no choice. Our team is in cap hell. We have no flexibility. Even if we wanted to make one last run with a bunch of veterans, we couldn't because of cap issues. It's time to start over, and you start over with a 21-year-old kid, not a guy with age and health problems. This is not the way any of us wanted this to end, but it must end this way, and we must make it end in the best way possible."
This is over.
Has been for a while.
Everybody is talking around the $28 million-dollar elephant in the room. It's there. Deal with it. And deal with it in a way that elevates Irsay, Manning and their beloved horseshoe, and doesn't diminish them all.
tt's thoughts
If manning can play how can you turn down 1st 2nd 3rd 4th round pick for luck? You can still draft a qb and have alot of picks to draft a non injured rb and some defense. If you draft luck, don't pay manning the money and go out and pickup some free agents and make sure you draft some defense. They will also need wr's as garcon and wayne are both free agents.
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