Colts extend contract for Bill Polian; name his son Chris Polian as General Manager

by BigBlueShoe on Nov 27, 2009 10:03 AM EST in Colts News Comment 22 comments

Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, right, and team president Bill Polian chat as they watch practice during the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

6 months ago: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, right, and team president Bill Polian chat as they watch practice during the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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For twelve NFL seasons, Bill Polian has managed all Colts front office duties, and it has been this tour in Indy that has cemented Polian's status as a sure Hall of Famer. While he made his reputation with the great Buffalo Bills team he helped forged in the 1980s and 1990s, along with building a tremendous NFL expansion team with the Carolina Panthers in 1995, Polian's greatest NFL accomplishment was taking the woeful Indianapolis Colts and transform them into an NFL powerhouse. Polian is considered one of the best NFL Draft evaluators ever, selecting greats like Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Dwight Freeney, and Bob Sanders over lesser (but more popular names) like Ryan Leaf, Ricky Williams, and Wendall Bryant.

Yesterday, the Colts took steps to make certain Bill Polian sticks around a little longer, and when he finally does retire, another Polian will step up and take his place:

The contracts of team president Bill Polian and son Chris have been extended "through the 2012 season and beyond,'' Irsay said Thursday afternoon.

Chris Polian's new deal doesn't alter his daily responsibilities. But after serving as vice president of football operations four seasons, he's now general manager and will assume the day-to-day operation of the franchise whenever his father steps down.

This move makes clear that Chris Polian will not be interviewed when new GM jobs open up with other teams. Remember, the Atlanta Falcons wanted Chris Polian a few years ago, but Chris declined their offer to stay in Indy. Atlanta settled on former Patriots college scout director Thomas Dimitroff, and have seemingly done well for themselves.

This news means that we can expect at least three more seasons of Bill Polian in the draft room. A nice thought for Colts fans, indeed.

Tip to Blueisgood

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Best contract ever!

by sandsnake on Nov 27, 2009 10:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Very Good News

I was just saying to my roommate like night (How’s a huge Brown’s fan) that there is no one more important to Colts than Bill Polian and yes even over Peyton Manning who’s a close second. Polian gets the nod because he made the decision to draft Peyton over Ryan Leaf. This is great news and a great contract and I’m glad Irsay stepped up to make sure that both Polians are here for a little while longer.

by Brad Herold on Nov 27, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is great news

I’ve been worrying lately about this issue lately; about what the Colts will do when Bill retires and/or Chris moves on to another franchise.
What a wonderful way to take a great load off the minds of Colts fans.
The Colts unparalled continuity and the building of the team thru the draft and not thru free agency are the twin pillars of the success of this franchise.

by HoosierHorseman on Nov 27, 2009 12:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Chris Polians promotion

For those of you who might ask how they can do this without interviewing minorities under the ROONEY RULE Floria (i know, omg Floria) had the answer.

Some of you have asked how the Colts were able to promote Chris Polian to the position of G.M. absent a Rooney Rule-compliant interview process. The simple answer is that he still isn’t occupying the top spot in the football operation; thus, the Colts weren’t required to consider a minority candidate for the position.

Presumably, Chris Polian’s contract mandates that he will step into the shoes currently filled by his father, Bill, when the elder Polian relinquishes his role as the ultimate decision-maker in the football operation. This approach will allow the Colts to avoid the requirement that a minority candidate be considered after Bill Polian retires.

And, as a practical matter, the Colts are the last team that ever should be accused of failing to properly consider minority candidates for key jobs. Tony Dungy was hired as head coach in the days before the Rooney Rule was adopted, and current coach Jim Caldwell — also African-American — inherited the job without a full-blown search.

by Ufanforreal on Nov 27, 2009 12:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

OMG

did Florio make it through a Colts story without any jabs at the organization? Not only that he praised them for being ahead of the curve on minority candidates?

Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.

It's shocking how much can slip your perception

Even your eyes lie

by shake n bake on Nov 27, 2009 1:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I know kind of made you think he finally got his panties out of a knot, or at least while he was writing this.

by Ufanforreal on Nov 27, 2009 1:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Rooney Rule

Thanks for explaining this for everyone.

Some people get all crazy (Mike Florio) and silly (Mike Florio) and act like douchebags (again, Mike Florio) regarding the Rooney Rule. The spirit of the rule is to make certain minority candidates (not just African Americans) are given the opportunity to interview for jobs. Job interviews can potentially open doors later on down the line, especially if the interview goes well.

Let’s say, for example, that the Bills decide to interview Alan Williams (current Colts secondary coach) for the head coaching job. Williams is, of course, a black man. While interviewing Williams, they are also strongly considering Mike Shanahan as a coach and GM. Clearly, when stacked up against Shanahan, Williams cannot compete. However, during the interview process, Williams absolutely WOWS owner Ralph Wilson. Wilson decides to hire Shanahan, but because of Williams great interview, Wilson puts in a very good word for Williams when he goes on to interview for the Browns or any other vacancy.

Or perhaps, as a result of the interview, Wilson hires Shanahan as the HC and GM, but also hires Williams to run the defense (since we all know Shanahan does not know a lick of how to coordinate defense).

Thus, the spirit of the Rooney rule helped a minority candidate elevate his position in the league.

Folks, the sad reality of the NFL is most of the owners are stupid, old men. They tend to hire people they “like,” not necessarily people who are “good.” William Clay Ford “liked” listening to Matt Millen on TV. He then decided that a guy who sounded smart on TV was best to run his entire football franchise.

(Face palm)

These are the kinds of idiots who run and own football teams. Not everyone is the Irsay, Kraft, or Rooney families. Thus, things like the Rooney Rule are in place to help smart coaches get seen by stupid owners.

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by BigBlueShoe on Nov 27, 2009 1:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Folks, the sad reality of the NFL is most of the owners are stupid, old men.

Nice negative stereotyping there, BBS.
Since when is a crime to be old, and since when does their wealth of experience, gathered over a long life, render them stupid?

by HoosierHorseman on Nov 27, 2009 2:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Experience, gathered over a long life, makes you stupid in areas you have no experience in. Though, I’m sure that long life of experience is why the Raiders are so awesome today.

by ActionOxford on Nov 27, 2009 2:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I beg to differ, experience gathered over the years is what makes change, the most part for the better.
I have no idea how old you are ActionOxford but are you saying that your as smart of a person at the age of 25 than say 40?
The statement “makes you stupid in areas you have no experience in” when has age made you stupider in lack of experience, if anything the older one gets the more they investigate on matters they have little or no experience in.
As for the Raiders………well there is an exception to every rule.

by Ufanforreal on Nov 27, 2009 2:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I read it as they are old men, who are also stupid

not that the two have to, or often do, come together.

Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.

It's shocking how much can slip your perception

Even your eyes lie

by shake n bake on Nov 27, 2009 2:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And, really, I take it that way, I know BBS meant no harm.

It’s just that I keep running into the seeming devaluation of older peope these days, and it bothers me.

by HoosierHorseman on Nov 27, 2009 4:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

For that

If people are giving you, or others, grief for being “old,” take the advice of a 33 year old who grew up watching MTV all his life: Those people aren’t worth getting upset over.

Being old is, in many ways, akin to being fortunate. In the past two months, I lost two people in their early 60s to heart failure. I don’t consider people in their 60s “old.” I just worked on a project with a guy who lifts weights daily and is more physically active than most 20 year olds I know. He’s 83.

Old is a state of mind, my friend. And people who bash old people for being old are douchebags. Don’t trouble yourself with their stupidity. Life is too short.

by BigBlueShoe on Nov 27, 2009 7:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Congrats to both Polians and all Colts Fans!

This is great not just for both Bill and Chris but us Colts fans. Bill Polian is a surefire hall of fame executive and we have been a role-model franchise because of it. Gotta love the news.. let the train keep rollin’ baby!!!!

by ColtKing on Nov 27, 2009 2:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Reply to most owners are stupid old men

Dear HoosierHorseman,

It’s certainly not a crime to be old but experience is a great teacher and leaves a trail of clues along the way to let you into the mind or thinking of the decision maker(s). In the NFL it is obvious that many owners needed the Rooney rule to open up the process that had been largely exclusive over the past 75 years. It was put into effect only after a lawsuit was forthcoming to illustrate such a woeful track record by the league over that same span. To be clear, the NFL is not doing African Americans a favor with the Rooney Rule, but rather avoiding a major liability and finally living up to the American creed. Those who get upset by it live in a fantasy world as all owners are not without bias and certainly do not share the same progressive thinking as Mr. Irsay. The great, Tony Dungy said himself that the problem is owners do not know what to look for in a HC. This came after Arthur Blank asked Dungy for a referral of someone just like him and Dungy said hire Caldwell. What did Blank do? He hired Petrino and we all know what happened there. Bottomline is owners need to hire the best personnel to run the organization regardless of ethnicity. The Rooney Rule allows them to pull candidates who would be outside of their scope into view so HOPEFULLY they can make a fully informed decision. It does not however, safeguard against stupidity.

by supercolt on Nov 27, 2009 2:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That's fine, Supercolt

But I wasn’t speaking about the Rooney rule at all. My entire comment was limited to the sentence I quoted and my brief comment that it sounded like a negative stereotype.
First of all, I don’t believe BBS meant any harm or really was denigrating older people. As if their opinions are valueless, or they are “out of touch”, “clinging to the past” or senile.
Hey, some are, but they all aren’t. That would be a stereotype.
But recently I have noticed more and more that it seems to be becoming popular to speak of older people in a negative light these days. I’m not really that old myself, I’m 55, but I will be old someday.
I know you know what the word “stereotype” means, and can imagine the rightful and well-earned outrage that would occur if you replaced the word “old” in the quote with the words “african-american”, “native-american”, or “hispanic”. Likewise the criticism you would receive if you replaced the word “men” in the sentence with “women”.
All I’m saying is that stereotyping is the vehicle of racism and bigotry, so you need to be careful.
Sorry to get all preachy, like I said it’s just a disturbing trend I’ve noticed recently.

by HoosierHorseman on Nov 27, 2009 4:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Point Taken

Thanks for your clarification HoosierHorsemen. I see your point alot clearer after your 2nd email. I had no idea of the trend against old people you raised in your email . Certainly, we as intelligent human beings can be more careful not to stereotype or cast ALL of a particular group of people into a classification. Point well taken sir.

by supercolt on Nov 27, 2009 6:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs