A baseball player on a Colts blog?  I know baseball is a topic that doesn't get discussed much here.  With the discussion in the main stream media about Jim Thome and his 600th home run, it got me thinking about the big picture of milestones in football.  Why is it that the baseball world seems to revolve around these numbers and the football world doesn't?

Baseball people pour over stat books and box scores for days without end.  They invented a way of running a team that was totally stat based (Sabre-metrics and MoneyBall).  You think of records in sports and it's baseball numbers that come to mind.  715 and 755.  56 and the once hallowed 61.  4,256 and .400.  Most sports fans see those and know what they are and what they mean.

Totally different for football.  There are plenty of number to stare at in the NFL.  Check out mgrex's Winning Stats.  This system takes advanced stats and uses them to predict the outcome of games (fairly successfully I might add).  There are also sites out there like Pro Football Focus and Advanced NFL Focus but they are still seen as a underground movement in the football world.  

I have a couple theories as to why this happened.  

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Credit to radtad for first linking this story in a FanPost.  According to Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, the Colts have met face-to-face with Peyton Manning and presented a contract proposal to their Pro Bowl quarterback.

According to sources, the offer (unsurprisingly) is more lucrative than the four-year, $72 million dollar (with $48.5 million guaranteed) contract offered to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.  We already assumed that would be the case, as is evidenced by this article.

Reportedly, Colts president Bill Polian is attempting to offer Manning a deal based around a five-year time frame that would allow the Colts the financial flexibility to surround Manning with some significant free agent talent.  To quote ESPN:

Sources say team president Bill Polian presented a pitch Thursday that the Colts want more cash flow to build the talent around Manning with a more aggressive offseason that could include a few key free agent signings. Even though the Colts will remain a franchise that builds around the draft, they have signed just four free agents since Manning signed his last $98 million contract in 2004.

If the Colts can come to an agreement with Manning and if a new collective bargaining agreement is in fact negotiated, we very well could see an unusual offseason sight in Indianapolis: a free agent spending spree.  It's worth noting, in that case, that there are a few high profile free agents that will potentially be available on the open market in some Indianapolis areas of need, included but not limited to: Patriots guard Logan Mankins, Cowboys tackle Doug Free, Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane and Baltimore safety Dawan Landry.

The team is working with a March 3 deadline to get this deal done, so look for an announcement sometime in February.  Manning will be the league's highest-paid quarterback -- for how long is anyone's guess -- but key to this contract will be literature.  The Colts will have to structure it so that it allows them to add some pieces to compliment Manning and set the team up for some serious title runs down the home stretch of Manning's illustrious career.

This morning, Bill Polian issued a statement regarding Eric Foster's situation:

We are aware that a civil action seeking monetary damages has been filed against Eric Foster.

The alleged incident was investigated by law enforcement officials at the time the allegation was made. The appropriate authorities decided that there was no basis for charges to be filed.

Based upon those facts, we have no reason to take any action, or to make any further comment on this matter. Eric Foster is a member of our squad and will participate in our off-season program.

Putting on my super translator, this is what I read:

1. Someone is trying to squeeze money out of a professional football player.

2. The cops already decided the claim was bogus.

3. We're not doing anything and we expect Foster to show up at camp.

Now don't get me wrong.  Even though I am a staunch believer in the notion of "innocent until proven guilty," I am also a big member of "where there's smoke, there's fire," and "if there's fire, this guy should be gone" club.  But when Bill Polian sticks his neck out there to defend a member of the team like this, it should cause us all a little pause.

With about 300 news outlets spreading the word the other day that Foster was being sued in a civil case, hopefully there will be as many who spread Polian's defense of the... defenseman.

Good morning! Happy Easter and Passover to all those celebrating.

Last night, we saw the Butler Bulldog play in the NCAA Final Four for the first time in their school's 112 year basketball history. In front of a home crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, host of the Final Four, the Bulldogs defense strangled the Michigan State Spartans, defeating them 52-50. Bulldogs' Gordon Hayward had 19 points and nine rebounds.

Though SB Nation has no Butler blog, our Indiana Pacers blog knows a little something about Hoosier basketball, and they had this to say about Butler's win last night [emphasis mine]:

Hopefully Larry Bird has enjoyed watching Butler this weekend. Hopefully he's extrapolated the concept that defense counts for something in the game of basketball. Hopefully he sees that a 33-year-old coach understands this concept and always has, while the guy kneeling on towel near his team's bench has never, and will never, grasp the concept that defense matters. Hard work on BOTH ends of the floor matters. It's great watching Butler. We fans actually enjoy watching great defense.

Michigan State had a helluva run through the tournament, especially when you consider that their best player, Kalin Lucas, tore his Achilles tendon in the Elite Eight Sweet Sixteen round. Coach Tom Izzo, who might be the best coach in all of college basketball, said this after the game:

"If I was not playing, I'd be a Butler fan," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "I like they way they play, I like their story. They play like a Big Ten team."

The Butler Bulldogs go on to face the Duke Blue Devils in what is surely to be billed as a David v. Goliath story. Butler is a tiny college of 4,000 kids. Duke is a powerhouse. When it is all said and done, this championship game is shaping up to be a microcosm of the entire 2010 NCAA Tournament, which (for me) has been one of the best in recent memory.

Other topics to discuss this Sunday morning:

• Colts looking to sign Chargers left tackle Marcus McNeill
• BBS makes his selection in the 2010 SB Nation Writers Mock Draft
• Stampede Blue will cover the NFL Draft live from Radio City Music Hall

Chat away. Hope you enjoy the day.

The Wednesday report is mercifully short with 4 players injured and a day off. Unsurprisingly Anthony Gonzalez, Kelvin Hayden and Adam Vinitieri sat out injured. The very odd addition to the report is Jim Sorgi, who managed to injure his right shoulder in some way, despite not having played in 2 weeks. Getting the day off was Dwight Freeney. He was hobbled a bit after taking a chop block Sunday so I'll be watching for him on report tomorrow.

Colts.com link

A long list over on the Pats side. Missing practice were;

LB Eric Alexander (Groin), WR Julian Edelman (Forearm), DE Jarvis Green (Knee), C Dan Koppen (Knee) T Matt Light (Knee), S Brandon Meriweather (Foot), RB Sammy Morris (Knee)  WR Brandon Tate (Knee), RB Fred Taylor (Ankle), DE Ty Warren (Ankle).

That's two starting linemen, a starting RB and one of his backups, both starting DEs, the teams 3rd and 4th WRs and a starting safety. That looks like the kind of report the Colts usually take into big games.

Oddly Randy Moss is listed both as sitting out practice for non-injury reasons, and as fully participating in practice with a shoulder injury along with Tom Brady (Right Shoulder), and Shawn Springs (knee).

Pats link

The biggest surprise of today is who isn't on the injury report. Bob Sanders is absent from the report indicating that he got his first full day of practice in of the season. Also missing from the report is Kelvin Hayden who has struggled since preseason with a hamstring injury.

The players who are on the list are Adam Vinatieri (knee), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Marlin Jackson (knee), Tim Jennings (calf) and Jamey Richard (illness).

One new addition to the Colts report, plus good news and bad news about Colts defensive stars.

Joseph Addai was limited in practice today due to a hand injury. Dwight Freeney was back practicing fully after missing practice all last week and getting yesterday off. Bob Sanders sat out today after getting limited work in the last two days. Anthony Gonzalez, Kelvin Hayden, Marlin Jackson and Charlie Johnson missed a second day of practice.

Colts.com link

On the Titans side Nick Harper returned to practice and Keith Bulluck moved from limited to full participation. Jason Jones, Vincent Fuller and Colin Allred remained out. Cortland Finnegan and Stanford Kegler remained limited.

TitansOnline link

Gary Brackett was back at full participation in practice and Bob Sanders saw limited reps, but Hayden and Gonzalez remain sidelined and were joined by Charlie Johnson (knee) and Marlin Jackson (knee). Dwight Freeney got the day off leaving his health a mystery for now. Both Hayden and Marlin sitting is concerning. Hayden had hoped that last week would be the last he would need to miss for the hamstring issues he's had, but he stressed the importance of being back full time rather than bouncing between playing at partial speed and sitting out injured all year.

Colts.com link

On the Titans side CB Nick Harper sat out, while Cortland Finnegan was limited. Both starting OLB Keith Bulluck and his backup Stanford Kegler were limited. Rotation DT Jason Jones missed practice as did backups Colin Allred and Vincent Fuller.

TitansOnline.com link