As he does every week, Colts vice chairman Bill Polian conducted his regular post-game interview with team radio announcer Bob Lamey. Last week, Polian used the interview to sling insults at Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz and the sources who reached out to him for a scathing article on Bill's son, Colts general manager Chris Polian. Polian seemingly called Kravitz and his sources 'rats who lie about people,' and it was a statement that did not seem to sit well with Colts owner Jim Irsay, who used Twitter last week to take a shot at Bill for his 'rats' comments.
This week, Bill chose not to use his post-game interview to needlessly insult the media. Instead, he used it to do what he normally does: Spout useless platitudes and continue to support 'dead man walking' head coach Jim Caldwell.
He also used the post-game interview to assert that Peyton Manning will indeed be back and healthy for the Colts in 2012. It was a statement that read as rather odd considering Manning is still not healthy three months after spinal fusion surgery.
The statement was also oddly timed when you consider that the loss today against the Jaguars, coupled with the Dolphins and Rams winning, tags the Colts as the most likely to have the No. 1 overall in the 2012 Draft.
Aka, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
During the post-game interview, Bob Lamey talked to Polian about how 'better days are on the way.' In response to this, Polian said that he expects Peyton Manning 'to be back with us next year, healthy.' It was a statement clearly aimed at fans, perhaps intending to let them know that, when Peyton returns, things will get better.
Again, this statement was odd considering that Peyton confirmed two weeks ago that he is still healing slowly. It read even more curious when considering the Colts (0-10) lost this afternoon and both the Dolphins (2-8) and the Rams (2-7) won. This means the Colts are firmly is the 'Suck 4 Luck' driver's seat, and if Indy drafts Andrew Luck then that effectively ends the Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis.
Luck and Manning cannot coexist on the same team. Luck wants to play right away, and Manning (if healthy) has no interest in leading a rebuilding effort at 35-years-old.
Other stupid things Bill Polian said during his post-game interview:
'You're never as bad as you look when you lose, even when you're 0-10.'
'I can't fault our front seven. I can't fault Bethea. I can't fault Caldwell.'
'We're not playing with [an offensive] line that's characteristic of us, in terms of personnel.'
As I've said all year, continuous losing is making it more and more difficult to foresee Bill and Chris Polian in the front office for Indianapolis next season. Should this team go 0-16, and it look s very likely at this point, I don't see how Jim Irsay comes off as anything but a weak, indecisive owner if he retains these two men.