Recap Week Sixteen: Colts Management 1 - Colts Fans 0
by Brad Wells on Dec 28, 2009 8:27 AM EST
in Game Recaps
Email
PrintOne of my prime responsibilities as an SB Nation writer is to post a game recap. We are given a lot of freedom as writers with this network, but one of the very few things that my bosses list as "mandatory" is a recap. Here, like at other blogs, we usually do "Quick Recaps" right after the game. Folks like shake n bake, Colt Homer, and myself often do the quick recaps. Then, usually during the evening or early the next day, I post a longer recap. This recap has some telling statistics, player quotes, and other detailed insights into the game.
However, for the abortion of a contest we witnessed at The Luke this past Sunday, it just seems pointless to do any kind of detailed recap.
What can I say that hasn't already been screamed in several other threads posted yesterday evening? I mean, as a football fan, as a Colts fan, it was difficult for me to even log into this site today and do anything Colts-related, especially after reading that the president of the Colts could give a rat's ass about what I or any other Colts fan thinks.
I've come to a rather sobering conclusion after listening to several post-game interviews with players, including this quote from Reggie Wayne on whether he and the players wanted to win the game and go for an undefeated season. The conclusion is that the players, like the fans, felt Jim Caldwell and Bill Polian's decision to bench people in the third was indeed horrible.
"Who wouldn't?" Reggie Wayne said. "I mean . . . who wouldn't? Doesn't everybody want to be a part of history? Not a season goes by that you don't hear about the '72 Dolphins."
The Colts are as "company" at the podium and with reporters as it gets. After the game, the players spewed the BS company line, even though they seemed not believe or support it in their hearts.The situation was very similar to how the Patriots players reacted after Bill Belichick's disastrous 4th and 2 call during the regular season. The Colts players knew the decision was crap, and in the quote above, Reggie let it slip a little bit.
Also, any notion that the Colts players knew this decision was coming is complete an total crap. If anyone from the Colts tells you that, they are spoon-feeding you a lie. Here is Kelvin Hayden after the game discussing Jim Caldwell benching starters:
"We didn't have a clue he was going to do that," Hayden said.
Reggie's slip, Kelvin's honesty, and Peyton Manning roaming the sidelines with his helmet on during the game, practically begging Tom Moore to put him back in while back-up Curtis Painter fumbled history away, tells me that the players did not agree with the decision. If you watched the game and listened to the fans at Lucas Oil Stadium, they did not agree with the decision either. All they did was pay hundreds of dollars and brave horrible winter weather to watch their team throw a game and a chance at football immortality.
Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell are fortunate they work in Indianapolis. If they had done this in New York or Philadelphia, they might not have made it to their cars alive.
How embarrassing is that? To make a decision that results in tens of thousands of people booing your team; a team that is the #1 seed in the AFC. It's not embarrassing to fans. We were robbed of something we thought was special. Every single NFL fan, regardless of the team, would boo that decision under those circumstances. To do this kind of spineless surrender at home, in front of paying fans? Why not do this last week on the road, or next week against the Buffalo Bills?
So, let's recap (which is the point of this story): The players, fans, and media all thought the decision to bench starters in the third quarter was asinine. The head coach and the team president thought it was the right decision in order for the Colts to win in the playoffs.
Colts management 1 - Everyone else 0
OK, now we move to the playoffs. The game against the Bills next week is absolutely and completely meaningless. In fact, why even play it? Why even sell tickets? Why ask good people to brave likely bad Buffalo weather to watch the Colts throw out their chumps for much of the contest? Why don't we just chalk the game up as the loss we know it will be, and move on?
There are no game balls this week. No key stats from the game. No analysis that is worth anything. All the things one tries to do to get people interested and excited in this football team have pretty much been spit on and tossed out the window by Colts management.
Can the Colts go on to win the Super Bowl? Yes, absolutely.
Will that make fans feel better about what happened this Sunday? No. No, it won't.
This loss will linger as long as this franchise stays in Indy, and the stench of it will forever be linked to Bill Polian. Even if the Colts go on to win it all, fans will always view the team as an under-achiever. "They could have been perfect if not for that Polian guy," they will rightly claim. I posed this issue in an earlier thread: Remember all the articles I've written where I attack players who quit during games, like Randy Moss? Tell me something, how is what Jim Caldwell did in the third quarter any different? When a player obviously quits and costs his team a win, coaches bench or cut him.
Who holds coaches and management accountable when they quit? The answer is us, the fans.
And clearly, the Colts management does not care what we think. Remember that next time you consider buying a ticket to a game, a sweater with a big blue shoe on it, or decide to buy products from any of the Colts sponsors. Keep Polian's arrogant words fresh in your mind when he or the Irsay family ask you for more money to build improvements to the stadium, or when they ask you to come down and support the team during pre-season or other "meaningless games." And remember them if the Colts lose in the playoffs. Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell are now working to keep their jobs, whether they know it or not. Fans will never, EVER forgive them for what they did. The only thing that will mildly sooth the anger is winning a Super Bowl, and when that will ring a bit hollow and cheap.
Special thanks to Gang Green Nation for doing a great job blogging leading up to the game. As a Colts fan, I apologize for my team's unprofessional asshatery, even though it clearly benefited the Jets. It is because of incidents like this that make it very difficult for me, as a member of the media and as a fan, to defend this Colts team when people label them "losers."
76 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
What I Don't understand is
the players didn’t get season ending hurt in the first 14 games so if i was a betting man, I would say it is very unlikely that they would not get hurt in the last two games. Even if they would get maybe a bruise or scratch they have a bye week to rest. I don’t see how you can lose two games in a row and then wait (I think two weeks before your first playoff game) to play again. I believe the invention of the “bye week” was established to reward good teams for their exelent play by in return resting players. I think we started two weeks early. Momentum is a bitch. The Chargers have momentum………….It is going to be a long cold week in Indy.
-sincerly
pissed off Colts fan
Different perspective
So, allow me to make up two random names and run through a scenario. We’ll call the first dude Noodle and the second dude Chickenstrips.
Well Noodle is the starter, it doesn’t matter which position. Chickenstrips is his very talented backup. Well Noodle has a nagging foot injury that he can still play at 95% and the chances of it getting worse are slim. Resting him won’t completely get rid of this nagging injury, at least not 2-3 weeks of it. It would either require minor surgery, or some form of minor physical therapy for a couple months. Resting Noodle for 3 weeks would honestly just be missing time.
The decision has been made, however, that Noodle will rest and Chickenstrips will start in his place. Chickenstrips is having a stellar game, and then all of a sudden the crowd noise is drowned out by the sound of thousands of kazzoos. Chickenstrips arms fly up into the air and his head spontaneously bursts into confetti. The coroner later reports it was a case of bad Chinese food.
The coach turns to the bench and sees Noodle and the third stringer Jerome sitting there. “GET IN THERE JEROME!”. Jerome tosses on his helmet and trips over the loose footballs the kicker uses to practice and fractures his forearm.
So now there’s Noodle, and only Noodle. If Noodle has anything happen to him, the team is screwed. I’m not saying it’s likely, but one player being pulled so he doesn’t get injured does not mean that his backups are somehow immune to the same. The situation came to pass this season with Gonzalez. We rarely play our starters an entire preseason game. Roy Hall was put on IR and released. Luckily Garcon’s case of the dropsies has gotten better and Collie is a quick learner. However, Gonzalez was not playing in a meaningless game and he had a freak injury similar to Marvin’s in 2007 or Dallas’ his rookie season. Putting your backups and depth out there to receive the “injury exposure” instead of the starters is futile. All you’re doing is exposing your depth to the same amount of risk every football player has on every single play. We’ve seen with Marlin Jackson that you can get tear an ACL (TWICE!) in practice. Are they just going to invest in cryo technology and put them in vaults until it’s time to play?
It’s almost to the point where even if we do win the SB we’ll all be thinking “And we should’ve been 20-0.” Granted I won’t be irate, but if someone repeatedly shows me 2 + 2 + 4 season after season and they say “This time 2 + 2 = Orange”, I’m not inclined to believe them.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
It isn't just about being hurt severely.
The players are dinged up, we’re putting tremendous amount of reps into the pass offense as it is.
by agradecimiento a dios on Dec 28, 2009 8:50 AM EST reply actions
This argument is silly
You’re saying there’s a pitch count? It hasn’t worked in the past, and a QB throwing 30 passes in a game once a week that’re equivalent to 70 mph fastballs and an occasional 90 mph is not the same stress as a pitcher who does it every three to five days 100+ times a game over a 162 game schedule.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
So exposing players
to 20 more minutes, of which 2/3 of that time the Jets would have probably had possession, would be too risky?
Caldwell!
If Manning would had been kept in one more series they would have probably scored going up by 2 TD’s. Instead we get Painter who proceeds to get sacked for the turnover and Jets TD. It almost felt like they were playing to lose which pisses me off more than anything.
by HappyLittleTreez on Dec 28, 2009 9:04 AM EST reply actions
Who would you rather be right now? The Saints or the Colts?
I’ll take the Colts. Remember that two weeks ago most people were giving the SB to the Saints.
It’s hard, but try to keep some perspective.
c'mon folks... big picture
Sure, I wish they would have gone for it… 19-0 when they were doubted all year. was so sick of seeing and hearing Saints this and Saints that. But…
1. One thing we learned for sure… Curtis Painter needs some more real NFL snaps. He IS our backup and as durable as Peyton is… he could miss a series in a key spot – bad sack, hit his right hand on a helmet, etc… We would rather the #2 get some jitters worked out in meaningless games. Maybe another half or so next week.
2. Saints went hard for it and lost… haven’t recovered yet and lost to freakin’ Tampa Bay. We KNOW we could come back with a drive to win. Bet there is a lot of doubt in Saint’s land…
3. Agree… Fans need to not be dissed… but we are still fans which by definition, are all about emotion. I trust those whose job it is to win Super Bowls. Peyton won’t be remembered for unbeaten strings or unbeaten seasons. He needs more Super Bowls. I don’t like it, but that is really all that matters in sports – championships. How many times have you had it thrown at you that Manning has an many Super Bowls as Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson. That is how it is and I want the best QB ever to have that stat more than any other!
4. There are no guarantees… all they can do is increase the odds in our favor and eventually we’ll come out on top in our share.
by MnColtsGuy on Dec 28, 2009 9:34 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Putting Painter in that situation was wrong
In a game where they’re winning handily in the 4th is one thing. In a game where a perfect season is on the line with backups in against a team in the death throes of making the post season is not. He learned absolutely nothing and gained zero experience or knowledge other than the fact that he was a major factor in halting a perfect season. If Peyton gets hurt, we know it’s over. Putting a kid in there at the end of a season to get a quarter’s worth of play accompanied by boos and facing players that have been playing all season desperate to win is not going to change that. And every time the odds have been in our favor from resting players, we’ve lost. In fact, we’re not alone in that. It’s a trend across the NFL. I’ve said it before, if you think that a team coming off preseason could go into the playoffs in week 1 you’re eating your putting the crazy sauce all over your pancakes. And essentially that’s what resting players in Weeks 15-16 is with a first round bye.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
Needs the pressure
Mopping up when winning handily is not like the situation he would encounter in the playoffs… Needing to not blow it under playoff pressure is. This was closer to the latter. Not much time to learn but he needs every lesson he can get. He wasn’t supposed to be our Number 2 yet.
That's an excuse
That’s not why he was put in the game. If Polian thought that there was a chance to win without Peyton in the game he would’ve signed Lossman or another FA QB with experience. He’s under no false impressions that, barring a miracle, we’re able to win in the playoffs with a Manning injury. This was done for one reason only. It was done because he wanted to pull them. If this was done to get Painter true experience, the rest of the starters would not have come out of the game. He was put in a position to fail.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
oh well...
Never said that was the reason. just trying to say this isn’t all that bad. Guess I am just not as pissed off as most. Our chance at history is winning more Championships – whether or not we agree how to accomplish that. Also said I wished we would have done 19-0. I hated Don Shula when I was a kid for leaving the Colts for Miami and would have loved to shut those guys up for good. But I’m a fan of this team and organization and management is part of the team. Criticism is fair but I do trust them. We’ll never know, will we? Sometimes good decisions don’t work out and sometimes bad decisions do.
I'm not knocking the point really
Like I said, I don’t mind going 15-1, 14-2 or whatever. That doesn’t really matter to me. While it’d be nice because it’d completely end the Brady v Manning debate, and pretty much legitimize Peyton as the best QB to ever play, the SB definitely means more.
The point I’m trying to make is that resting the starters for the sake of resting them, just seems to be a scapegoat to alleviate pressure at this point. In every walk of life, you learn from your mistakes. This holds true even more when it comes to the NFL. The Jets may not be an elite team, but they’re a playoff contender. They’re built similar to other teams that will be in the playoffs even if they don’t make it themselves.
I would rather lose while trying than to essentially hand them the game because it’s “What we do every year. We rest our starters.” mantra. The reason why I actually felt a little more confident entering, and going this far, in the season is that I felt that Caldwell would do some things a little differently. He’s shown that he isn’t a Dungy copy and he has a mind of his own. From what I gathered from interviews and from his overall demeanor, he WANTED to play everyone. But it sounds to me as if Polian pulled rank on him and told him what was going to happen.
That whole saying of “Fool me once..” holds a little more water with the Colts than other teams in this situation. It’s more like “Fool me for a decade..” though. But it’s not just the Colts that have been negatively impacted from “resting” players. It’s a trend. And when it’s an anomaly to win a SB by getting the #1 seed and resting starters, I have a bit of a problem with it.
To go along with this line of reasoning, why was the decision made to pull them beyond the first quarter? If they were pulled after the first series, or even the end of the first quarter, they’d actually be resting or out of the way of danger. However, they played the majority of the game. I find it hard to believe that the chances of injury to the starters or the experience gained by the backups increases so drastically late in a game to make this a necessary or prudent move. I’m being perfectly honest when I say that I think this was an excuse to lose a game without tarnishing the actual team.
It’s easy to place a loss on backups and rookies, but our starters weren’t having a dominating performance. There were, and are, aspects of the game we obviously need to improve on. While a rookie QB or anyone else that went into the game may gain a miniscule amount of experience, Peyton and our regular starters would gain significantly more from the opportunity to try to win against a worthy opponent. That would still be the case even in a loss.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
by monstersbox on Dec 28, 2009 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
Big Picture?
The Big Picture is that we had a chance to make history, but we chickened out. Fear of Success masquerading as Fear of Failure.
by Reds_Colts1975 on Dec 28, 2009 10:00 AM EST up reply actions
Ugh
Well BBS, I wasn’t aware that the colts GM’s job was to do what colts fans wanted him to do.
If a “majority” of colts fans were in charge we would:
NEVER rest in weeks 16 and 17, which is bad.
cut bob sanders because he is always “injured” (even though he will cost us very little money)
have made lots of trades for “impact” players (that don’t fit out system and are over-hyped)
re-signed several of our lbs who couldn’t be replaced (mike peterson, cato june)
drafted “name” players who aren’t as good as “no-name” players
possibly not even draft Manning, Edgerrin, etc.
and, after tonight, apparently fire Jim Caldwell (an incredibly stupid decision)
Look, you can say that you are pissed the way he handled it. But there was nothing wrong withhim doing something that you disagree with. You have every right to stop buying merchandise. But, that is a STUPID decision. He did what he did to help this team win the big game. That is his job. His job is not to please the fans. sometimes doing his job necessarily upsets the fans. Colts PR staff job is to please the fans, not Polian and Caldwell. That’s on Irsay, if anyone. Not Polian. The owner has to keep fans happy, not the general Manager.
Moreover, you are not presenting a fair perspective, some of the most vocal fans, most of whom registered last night (and could be trolls, pats fans, or bandwagoners), are in favor of 16-0. A great deal of colts fans, like myself, don’t CARE about 16-0. It is a stupid record, the 72’ dolphins team wasn’t the greatest of all time, and I simply don’t care. As the league becomes more and more unbalanced, it will become easier every year to feast on the browns, lions, and rams of the league and more and more teams will be capable of going 16-0. I just don’t care. I care about getting a second super bowl ring, that’s it. Winning this game didn’t t matter.
I don't care about 16-0
I care about them playing. They’ve repeatedly shown that it doesn’t help to rest. Now if it had, or if it does this season, that’s another thing. There’s no doubt in my mind that Peyton’s the best QB to play the game. One championship in 11 seasons and the most winning season by a team in a decade in history is not where you want to be.
Oh, and I’m a Bob supporter, but over the past two seasons we’ve paid him 1.6 million dollars per game played, and this includes the Chargers playoff game. At least for accounting purposes. We’ve actually paid out more than that since he already received his bonus money.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
I went to the Philly game last night...
decked out in my Colts blue to represent my team and they decided not to show up. I hope in the end this all works out and we win the Super Bowl and put this situation behind us but I don’t see that happening. (the situation, not the Super Bowl)
PeaceLoveAndPeytonManning
If you want to lose a game....
Do us a favor and do it week 1. Don’t put us through the suspense of going 14-0 just to give it up in the end.
PeaceLoveAndPeytonManning
Recced
Exactly. May as well. We win enough to get into the playoffs every year so we may as well start resting our starters in week 1. If this was really a way to keep players out of danger, why were we not sitting our starters in the Arizona or St. Louis blowouts? That would’ve been a good time to get “experience” for our backups.
Not to mention Peyton wasn’t sacked…just frustrating.
Jim Sorgi runs a 4.6 40. That's all I've got to say about that.
by monstersbox on Dec 28, 2009 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
I do think the players should have been told.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
i agree
but if you take caldwell’s viewpoint, 16-0 doesnt matter only a SB, then you would want to have his players practice and prepare for a real game and stay sharp. I am sure that players will not prepare as much for the bills game and they did for the jets game.
Lowest point for me as a colts fan
Caldwell and Polian straight up QUIT on the very players that make them look good….. How can you ever listen to Caldwell and Polian when they speak about the team not quitting and playing 60 minutes…. FUCK U CALDWELL AND POLIAN… I have lost a lot of respect for you PUSSIES.
DID SOMEONE SAY CHAMPIONSHIP
As a Bills fan
I just want to applaud the Colts for winning 14 games and doing so for so many years this decade. I think the stat I saw was their record-setting 23 wins in a row. The Bills haven’t won 23 games in 3 years!
I know it must sting a little knowing they essentially gave that game to the Jets, but just remember how awesome your team is to be in such a position. Many Bills fans today wouldn’t mind seeing their favorite team give up games so they could move up in the draft.
It’s pretty striking to see how one team can pack it in because they’re so good and upset the majority of their fans in the process , while another team’s fanbase wouldn’t mind if they did because they stink so much.
I hope the game next weekend is a good one, a competitive one. I’m glad they don’t play twice a year anymore because a division with Manning/Wayne and Brady/Moss would be a nightmare.
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
"Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes - I am."
by TheAfghanTwilight on Dec 28, 2009 10:32 AM EST reply actions
Dumbest, most fearless, least competitive call a coach and/or owner ever made outside of a Toddler Football League!
Seriously, this action is the worst possible thing that could have happened to this glory-deserving team. It is not conceivable to me that anyone who had personal contact with this competitive team could have made this decision. It’s like telling someone to compete in the olympics and then deciding they are not ready to win after they have won 6 gold medals already! It will go down in the history of sports as the most callus, and momumentally stupid tricks a team could have played on it. How could they trust you now for the right calls, and how could they expect you have their best interest at heart. If this were baseball or boxing we’d be looking for the bookie who made the bet for someone in power on the side. I am not accusing anyone, I just think it looks that completely one-sideded stupid enough to make amy logical person wonder where the reason came to do this, at that particular time, and not have the good sense to put the guys who had a chance to change the outcome before it was too far gone. The Jets didn’t have to really earn this win, and the Colts didn’t deserve to have it stolen from them by their own “leaders.”
It was a slap in the face to players and fans alike. I agree
with everything you just said.
Disgraceful
I have been a Colts fan since they moved to Indianapolis. I’ve sat through 1-15, 3-13, Mike Pagel, Art Schlichter, Rod Dowhower, Lindy Infante, and numerous heart-breaking playoff losses. But this is the worst I’ve ever felt as a Colts fan. I’m ashamed of my team.
Oh well, at least it won’t hurt so much now when they inevitably lose in the first round.
c'mon man...
You’re better than that.
"Yea, verily, we shall overcome thy pathetic attempts at defense, thou jelly-livered knave! Talk not of thy smack to me, for I shall wedge mine booted foot nine furlongs up thy ass, bitch! Canst thou dig it??"
by KingRichard on Dec 28, 2009 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
Thanks for reminding me
So what are you going to do if they don’t lose in the first round and end up winning the Super Bowl?
"Yea, verily, we shall overcome thy pathetic attempts at defense, thou jelly-livered knave! Talk not of thy smack to me, for I shall wedge mine booted foot nine furlongs up thy ass, bitch! Canst thou dig it??"
by KingRichard on Dec 28, 2009 11:51 AM EST up reply actions
I'll be very happy
and always wonder what might have been.
Fans & More
I’ve followed this blog since Week 1, maybe a couple weeks before that. I never commented before because I never really was into it – lately more and more topics have gotten me close to commenting but nothing like the game yesterday – my response forget an undefeated season – the response from the fans was the most disheartening.
There were fans saying that Caldwell’s not a coach and should be fired, fans that said “oh great we’ll lose in the first round now,” and worst of all there were fans in a couple of the threads that said they want the Colts to lose in the first round… What kind of childish response is that – fine you didn’t get it your way but whatever the main objective is not 16-0 or 19-0. Yes I was not happy with the loss and an undefeated season would’ve been cool but winning the Super Bowl, not to sound cliche, is the main objective – I want, just as all Colts fans should, the Colts to win a Super Bowl and that should hold more importance than anything else
And people calling Polian out – remember this is the same guy that put a lot of the pieces in place with this team. Way to be loyal to your team.
Colts fans are spoiled because of how good the Colts have been over the past 10 or 11 years. The fact is that we are the winningist team in that time period and we should feel privliged, instead of feeling that our team is obligated to go all out in a meaningless game when many of us knew that at some point starters were going to rest in this game.
I still know a lot of you are going to disagree with me and might not even read my whole post but I just felt that had to be said.
We should all be a little more appreciative of the team.
Welcome!
New members are always welcomed here. I completely agree with you about Indy fans being spoiled. Imagine being a Lions, Browns, Jaguars, or even a Saints fan. Those teams have never been to the Super Bowl, and the Texans haven’t even played a playoff game. Yes, I was pissed that Peyton and the rest of the starters were pulled, but there was a late hit on Peyton in the 2nd quarter where a flag should’ve been thrown. 19-0 would’ve been sweet, but what happened to 2007 Patriots still lingers in my mind. Like I said earlier in the season, I rather be 18-1 like the 1985 Bears sans steriods than the 2007 Patriots.
Peyton Manning makes it Wayne on them hoes!!!!
Exactly
18-1 to me is just as sweet, before Peyton won a Super Bowl – all my non Colts friends and some Colts fans would agree football is not about records but about Super Bowls. Now Peyton has one and records are important again – records are great, yes Peyton might shatter every single major record possible but in the end the bigger picture is a Super Bowl
and like KMR said teams like the Lions and Browns don’t even have that option and haven’t had that option for A LONG TIME
Super Bowls are what matter
The media always got on Peyton for holding all these different records, but now Super Bowls rings like Brady. Now, he has the majority of the records with the chance at winning another one. Yes, he wouldn’t been considered the greatest quarterback if the team would’ve gone 19-0, but at the end of the day, Peyton will still go down as the greatest quarterback whether the Colts go 18-1 or 17-2 because it shows that he has the skills to play quarterback and lead his guys to the promise land more than once.
Peyton Manning makes it Wayne on them hoes!!!!
I appreciate the team
and I have been a fan since the move. However, I do not think a professional sports team should ever deliberately throw a game. It is unprofessional. If this was a college team playing a meaningless game they would have played to win. I know this. I watched Alabama kick the crap out of little UTC this year with their starters. You play to win the game, otherwise get off the field. I don’t want Caldwell or Polian fired. I want them to know that is pisses alot of us off when they act unprofessionally. Fans expect the team to give its best efforts. What we saw last night was not the best effort.
I agree
Like you, I have not been a member of the site very long. But you hit the nail on the head with this. I feel the same exact way as you do. Yes the loss is disappointing, but from the very beginning, Caldwell and Polian have both said that the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal. And WE STILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET THERE! The Colts are the best team in the NFL and yes we, as fans, are spoiled because we do have an amazing team. But like any other team, we are going to lose once in a while. No I don’t think we should have just handed the Jets the win, but in the end, it really didn’t hurt us any. And like NYKings said, if it wasn’t for Polian, this Colts team wouldn’t be where they are today. So we, as fans, do have a lot to be thankful for.
Can we stop calling Polian a genius please?
He obviously IS NOT! He has Peyton Manning the greatest QB of all time WHO WINS GAMES FOR HIS TEAM!!! You think that if the Colts had Jake Delhomme and the rest of the present supporting Colt’s cast that they would be where they are!!!! HELL NO!!!!!!CUT IT OUT ALREADY!!! POLIAN IS A LOSER!!!! A JERK WHO HAD TO BE MONITORED BY SECURITY TO PROTECT THE JETS PEOPLE at their staduim.Yes I said it, how many superbowls did the Bills get? How many do we have despite all of the talent we’ve had? Stop being such a pussy and think about it rationally!!! HE is an EGO MANIAC who doesn’t give a SHIT about COLTS FANS because this is his BUSINESS!!! He’s just like any other CEO who would fire a FATHER WHOSE KID WAS ON LIFE SUPPORT to cut down on HEALTH COSTS TO PRESERVE THE BOTTOM LINE!!!!!!
CALDWELL succummed to pressure by POLIAN who was just grinning from the power he has while sitting in his ivory tower splayed out on a cushion of his ENORMOUS EGO!!!!!!
No matter what happens, the Colts have cheapened the season, WE HAVEN"T EVEN WON A PLAYOFF GAME AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUPER BOWL!!! This sounds like a bunch of GD Charger fans!!!!!!
Thanks BBS for this timely and important article. Personally, I hate Polian, and you can bow down to him if you want (not you BBS), but the reason for our succuess is Peyton Manning! It isn’t like Polian discovered him….GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!!! Somebody call in and grill this guy on HANK FM!!!!!!!
amen.
PS WHY did we play the starters in the Jax game when it didn’t matter? There’s some “football logic” for you. Because Caldwell wanted to win…Polian had to have his way though….and its time to ride this S.O.B. out of town!
I was commenting on Stampede Blue long before May of 2008 you freaks....
I'm pretty sure...
if you change the supporting cast that surrounds Peyton to say… the Bucs players the Colts wouldn’t nearly be as good.. it’s a double edged sword when you start replacing players on teams… Polian obviously has helped in drafting players that would help
And to your 2nd point – if they didn’t play against Jacksonville there would be a month between meaningful games – in my opinion they were trying to find a balance between playing and resting.
Their overly cautious, what-if-we-get-hurt conservative attitude
has cost this team something truly special this year as well as championships in other years. I’m not ashamed of the team. I love them. I am thoroughly disgusted with the Colts short-sighted, and monumentally incompetent coaches and management.
We all know that Polian is an asshole
but he’s a smart asshole when it comes to building championship-caliber teams: the early 1990s Buffalo Bills and the Carolina Panthers’ who went to the NFC Championship in it’s second year of existence. The Houston Texans is in it’s 7th NFL season and haven’t even been to the playoffs, yet Polian built a team that won at least 2 playoff games in only 2 years!
Peyton Manning makes it Wayne on them hoes!!!!
Nobody said he couldn't build a team
But to build a team and then not let them finish the job is disgusting. He’s made some great personnel decisions, but not going for the win with history on the line is as boneheaded as it gets….especially when we had a 5 point lead and bottom feeder team on the horizon.That overrides the good stuff he’s done. He’s also an arrogant prick and has no respect for the people who pay for the tickets to see the game. I’ve had enough of him and his pulling-the-plug attitude.
Colts are without integrity !
I have been a Colts fan since 1959 when I first saw Johnny U play. There’s been great years, awful years, and in-between years. But throughout I was never embarrassed to be a Colt fan, that is, until now. If Caldwell had just pulled Manning and another star or two, maybe it would be forgivable. But he pulled everyone he could and still have 11 guys on the field. Doing so absolutely eliminated any chance that the Colts had to be even competitive. We FORFEITED the darn game. We said to hell with honesty and integrity. Too bad for those teams competing with the Jets for that last playoff spot.
The NFL needs to fine Caldwell at least as much as it fined Belichick and should fine the Colts organization at least $1 million plus loss of their first pick in the 2010 draft. This stuff must never be tolerated. FIRE CALDWELL NOW.
I'm sorry
but having the NFL find Caldwell or the Colts is just plain stupid – the Colts WON 14 games, they clinched home field, the wrapped everything up – because they did that they have the ability to rest their starters, they earned it so they can do whatever they want.
Counter
First off, welcome to the blog and thank you for your comments.
Second, one of the consequences of Caldwell and Polian throwing the game is that the team and the org can no longer take the moral high ground on issues that are “for the good of the game.” Intentionally losing a game that could have resulted in an undefeated regular season is not good for the game of football, no matter what justification Polian and Caldwell can bring up for it. The call creates apathy towards the competitiveness of football, and anytime the competitiveness of a sport is called into question, the sport slowly dies. Baseball and basketball have died each year in the wake of steroids and corrupt officials. Now, we have undefeated teams tanking games and then telling their fans to go screw off.
Bottom line, when you piss off the fans, they tend to have loooooong memories. and it is the fans that make these sports possible.
SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account so you can post a FanPost, make a FanShot, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.
Who's to say
that there won’t be people saying the Colts were trying to hand pick who made it into the playoffs. Would it benefit us to have the Jets as opposed to the Steelers? Is that a league violation to do that? Maybe Polian decided that we had a better chance with the Jets winning and if so is that strategy or unethical?
Did we INTENTIONALLY lose the game?
Come on, you don’t really think that Caldwell told Painter go out there, fumble, and let the Jets score. Obviously the best chance of winning was in 18’s hands but isn’t it better to find a balance between playing and resting rather than having it one way or another.
If we totally rest the team doesn’t play for a month, if we go full throttle there’s a higher risk of injury, I’m sorry but if the Jets started blitzing like crazy and started to get to Manning then I would think that the reactions would be different. And I know the Jets didn’t sack him but that doesn’t account for late hits.
And I agree, fans have long memories but it’s your team, you should support them in the end especially when they didn’t ruin their chance at getting to/winning a Super Bowl. As long as they can still win the big one should this be as big an issue as it is?
And thanks for the welcome – I look forward to trying to be a regular here.
Yes, we did
It wasn’t a “let’s lose” statement but it was a decision that made losing the only possible result.
If Caldwell didn't know
that the personnel moves he made would result in a loss then he is not a very good head coach. The result was inevitable. He had a better chance throwing random jersey’s into the stands and marching those people on the field than the bums that came in.
Good point
Also, if the issue was to prevent starters like Peyton Manning from getting hurt, why not just let Manning hand the football off three-and-out for the rest of the game? The offensive production would have been nearly the same as Curtis Painter’s production, sans game-changing turnover.
SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account so you can post a FanPost, make a FanShot, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.
Or
If you were really afraid of him getting hurt then why play him at all or in the Jacksonville game? Why bother playing Buffalo? Let them forfeit it! The league has a rule for fofeiting that says you can do so if the team is unable or UNWILLING to participate.
NYKING welcome but i got to dissagree
first of no he didn’t tell painter to go out and fumble or anything but they also didn’t set him up for success, and also asked him to carry the team the rest of the game without giving him help with a run game. i pointed it out earlier in another article that they ran the ball a total of 3 yes three times with painter in. you can not honestly tell me that the outcome of that was going to be good.
first your right and it concerns me cause now we are resting for 3 weeks but according to brock they are not worried about momentum. also dont use the higher risk of injury cause that is just false. there was no higher risk in this game to any of the players than in any other game this season. let alone no higher risk to peyton in this game of injury than in any game in the other 12 seasons fo his career.
anyway hope to see ya around more
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
by TheAngelsColts on Dec 28, 2009 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
It's not about last week's game.
It does not matter that we won 23 regular season games in a row. It matters that in this one game we intentially did not attempt to win. We impacted several other teams’ chances to make the playoffs. We sold tickets to fans but didn’t give them an honest effort. We said to every 3-13 team that ever tried to win that last game of the year that they were fools. We said it’s okay to lose game to improve your draft position. We have said a lot of ugly things.
Good points
If a 2-12 team intentionally did not try to win a game in order to improve their draft position, they would be slaughtered in the press. But that team could very validly make the arguments that the game didn’t have any post-season implications for them whatsoever, and that resting their starters was done in recognition of the long-term benefits to the team (in this case, better draft position).
How are these not the same arguments that the Colts’ management is making now?
this is what the organization is trying to say, i just hope that the result is what they want and that is a SB win
It is not the season that is remembered later,it is who held up the trophy at the end.2hell with the whiners.
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
by TheAngelsColts on Dec 28, 2009 12:30 PM EST reply actions
Good point
The message sent from the Colts management is their way is right and anyone who thinks counter is wrong. However, by openly and aggressively saying this, even to the point of insulting their own fanbase, the results must match with their philosophy.
In other words, the must win the Super Bowl or management and the coaches will look like complete and utter buffoons. The Colts will also forever be labeled and losers and quitters, and there will be little (if any) rational defense against that label.
SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account so you can post a FanPost, make a FanShot, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.
come on, BBS`
didn’t you get the memo? The NFL has been around for many, many, many years, but the Indianapolis Colts are the first team in the history of the NFL (Or the CFL, for that matter!) That is incapable of playing a full 16 game schedule. Whats going to happen if they go to 18 games? 14-4 will be the best they can do. Maybe every Colts player should get the Bob Sanders treatment! Just leave them all in bubble wrap till the playoffs. Hopefully they can still get there. And if not, just remember kids, its O K to quit.
Never doubt Peyton Manning, he’ll make you look silly
Joseph Addai is a good running back.
Im a douchebag, an asshole, and I'm rarely right.
Absolutely right
The Colts must at least make the Super Bowl. If it’s one-and-done AGAIN, our Colts, and Peyton in particular, will be remembered forever as the guys who “rested” and then choked. Polian’s own legacy is at risk, too. He guided the Bills to four SB disappointments as well as with the Panthers.
In this decade, we are often mentioned as a candidate as the team of the decade. If we win this next Super Bowl I believe that we have a legit claim. If we go one-and-done again, we would also have a legit claim as the biggest disappointment of the decade. We had at least 4 and maybe 6 Hall of Famers including a guy some say is the best QB of all time. One SB win and an armful of one-and-dones is not a great record.
What they don't realize is.....
that everyone will in fact remember this season….whether we win a superbowl or not. If we win it all, everyone will always wonder would could have been if the coaches didn’t decide to bend over and take it up the ass against the Jets. If we lose a playoff game, then we’ll still always wonder what would have happened if the coaches would have just let the goddamn guys play for once at the end of a season. Either way, they’ve totally blown it. They did more damage last night to Indy than we can possibly comprehend.
I'm embarassed and ashamed
Caldwell and Polian even put our franchise in this position that the Fans and Media have turned on him, let the Tar-and Feathering begin if we don’t make the SB
My worst fear
is that we have broken the bond between our guys and our team. I suspect it’s safe to assume that none of our guys have ever laid down on a game before. As the TV spanned their faces, they looked none too happy, especially Peyton. Let’s hope that none of them vote with their feet at the end of their current contracts because of this stunt.
Imagine Peyton, Reggie, Dallas, or any other of our key guys in a Redskins uniform, or worse, a Patriots uniform. If it’s not about the game’s integrity, then it’s all about the money. If it’s all about the money, how much do you think Jerry Jones would pay to sign Peyton after 2010?
Did you see the NFL Channel
“Paths to Perfection”. In one of Caldwell’s post-game locker room talks, he said “Way to play like champions, there is no quit in this team.” How can he have any moral authority in the locker room demanding they not quit but he himself quit on the team and the regular season. Maybe he should read the signs HE posted in the locker room.
Question here...
Who the hell runs the team on the sidelines anyway? Is it Caldwell or Polian? For some reason, I feel Polian is way too involved in the actual game plans, and decisions. At least that is the image that the team is showing. Is Caldwell that passive that he defers all these decisions to Polian? Who is the Pussy here…Caldwell or Polian…or BOTH!!!
My opinion is that you play to win Super Bowls…period. While the nice winning streak and decade long streak are great…only 1 SB victory leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If they don’t win this year…I put all the blame on Polian and Caldwell.
What is Polians record as a GM in Super Bowls anyway? 1-5? He can rot in a sack!!
And like BBS said..even if they win the SB I will NEVER forget the Jets game!!!
"If me and King Kong went into an alley, only one of us would come out. And it wouldn't be the monkey."
"I don't really trust a sane person."
"I never met a man I didn't want to fight." The one and only Lyle Alzado
yes it is weird and this came down from polian which is just wrong
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
by TheAngelsColts on Dec 28, 2009 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
Polian is in charge
and we should all be okay with that. He builds great football teams. There can be no question that it was his call to lay down on this game given his style and HUGE implications of the decision. No head coach would ever lay down on a game without direction from on high in any sport.
That being said, Caldwell is still the guy most responsible for the stunt. Polian is the business guy who will make BUSINESS decisions ahead of FOOTBALL decisions. As a FOOTBALL man, Caldwell should have understood integrity issues laying down has on the game. Caldwell was placed in charge of the organization’s football effort and as such it was his job to LEAD. He should have said the integrity of the game trumps the short term benefits of “resting” our star players. He should have said, “I’m the coach and I will uphold the integrity of the game, the players, and the fans. Fire me if you want, but as long as I lead the team on the field, we will give an honest effort.” He didn’t. FIRE CALDWELL NOW.
we dont have to be ok though with what he said about and to the fans
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
by TheAngelsColts on Dec 28, 2009 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
Get BBS some smelling salts
This post continues the overdramatic whining that has occurred in the past day. I did not like what the Colts did, but got over it pretty quickly. They will be as healthy heading into the playoffs as ever. Life, and the season, goes on.
This line struck me as the most absurd: “Even if the Colts go on to win it all, fans will always view the team as an under-achiever.”
Really? Not by me. I will applaud a team that won 7 games coming from behind in the 4th quarter, one that overachieved despite what looked like several hopeless situations. A SB win will make everyone forget Sunday very quickly.
Since when did it become "winning is the ONLY thing"?
We all critizied the Patriots over their spygate scandall but our trangressions are okay if we win? Sorry, I don’t buy it.
Sports are all about the good things we do. If winning is the only thing that counts then become a fan of politics. Cheating is all they do, you’ll love it. In sports, it’s about effort, fair play, sportsmanship… it’s about our heros. Yesterday we didn’t see our heros long enough. We saw our politicians looking for an advantage.
Appears Addai was hurt
in the Jets game. Maybe smart to pull starters. It may have spooked Caldwell.
umm where did you get that. there was no indication of that anywhere
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
by TheAngelsColts on Dec 28, 2009 2:11 PM EST up reply actions
A Tough Call
This is first post but have been a Peyton fan scince he first showed up at UT many years ago. It is he that brought me to the Colts and the class act it is. As a coach myself I love what they have stood for but this is really a no win situation at this point.
Is it possible that we may have lost a star to injury yesterday or quite possibly next Sunday, sure but we will never know. Which leads me to the “no win” situation. If we fall short of the ring this year it will be no doubt to every Joe that is is because we rested our player yet again (and they got rusty). If we do infact win the SB, as I’m sure we will, the question of what could have been will sting forever.
As a fan, I love Bill and what he has done, I live outside of Buffalo and know his career well but what sucks now as a fan is that we will never know. Once again, as a fan, we will be defending this decision to all our bros for years to come. Damn.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Stampede Blue
Related FanShots on Stampede Blue
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Sadly, the Pro Bowl may continue to exist and be held in New Orleans
- Giants’ Coughlin nowhere near retirement at age 65
- Seahawks trade for Kellen Winslow; hope to make 2-TE sets more productive
- All reports positive after Peyton Manning’s first organized team activity in Denver
- Ryan Tannehill won’t start right away, according to Dolphins’ owner
