Colts G.M. Ryan Grigson Is Pulling Your Leg

New Colts G.M. Ryan Grigson is a bit of an enigma, partly because he's new to the job and we haven't had a lot of time to get to know his tendencies. One thing that I have picked up on (and this is just my own, personal observation) is that Grigson is often completely full of sh*t when it comes to disclosing information to the media.

However, when he is pulling their leg, he doesn't do it in a f*ck you sorta way, ala Bill Polian. He just kind of does it, and expects that no one will care because... well, the team is coming off a 2-14 season and local media in Indianapolis is softer than Play Dough. Bashing the new G.M. right now for not being 100% truthful isn't something the Indianapolis Star (or anyone else locally) is likely to do because it just isn't in their interests.

These are media entities owned by mega corporations, folks. It's all about business, not journalism.

I, on the other hand, am very interested in highlighting Grigson's inconsistencies and his (somewhat) tendency to just out-and-out bullsh*t the media and the fans. Personally, when people feed me a load of crap, I find it amusing if they do so in a fun or creative way. I understand coaches and front office people can't be 100% truthful. I just ask that they not be so blatant and obvious when they package their lies. Don't give me a box of dog turds and tell me that it's a birthday cake. Be inventive! Be crafty! Dress the lie up in a fancy bow! Maybe add a dancing clown, or the equivalent: The on-air talent at sports radio station 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis not named JMV or Rakestraw.

Just don't insult my intelligence (which shouldn't be that hard to do). Don't tell me one thing, do another, and expect me or others not to notice or care.

Examples of Grigson effectively lying to your faces and not caring:

1) On March 26th, Ryan Grigson was quoted as saying:

As of right now, yes we’ll utilize a fullback. We also can utilize a tight end in a fullback type role. Those things are all evolving as we move forward here and see what we actually have to actually pick in this draft.

Roughly six weeks after saying this, Grigson cut Ryan Mahaffey and traded Chris Gronkowski to Denver. The Colts currently have no fullbacks on this roster, and now Grigson is apparently telling Indianapolis Star reporters like Phil Richards that the team has no plans to use a fullback in 2012. Grigson gets a bit of an out with his tangling semantics, saying things are "evolving," but come on. Saying "as of right now" in late March, and then cutting everyone who plays a specific position in May, is a bit sketchy.

2) Somewhat related to the above example, at his Day Two presser for the 2012 NFL Draft, Grigson was gushing about the Colts finally getting two "legit tight ends" in Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen. The follow-up question immediately after Grigson made that comment was, What about Brody Eldridge? Eldridge was a 5th round pick of the Colts in 2010, and, as of that presser, he was still on the team. The "legit tight ends" comment was a shot at Eldridge, intentional or not on the part of Grigson. It was especialy biting after Grigson spoke well of Dominique Jones, a free agent the team had brought in who spent much of last year playing in the Indoor Football League. When asked about Eldridge's future status with the team, Grigson answered:

Colts GM Grigson says TE Brody Eldridge still has a place on roster.

— Phillip B Wilson (@pwilson24) April 28, 2012

One month later, Grigson cut Eldridge. No explanation was given. Eldridge was then immediately claimed by the St. Louis Rams off waivers.

Now, to be fair, these examples aren't HUGE MEGA LIES that should warrant the attention of the Warren Commission or a Senate oversight committee. At the end of the day, I'm not crying because Brody Eldridge was cut, or that Chris Gronkowki was traded. However, I am seeing a bit of a trend here, and it is something I plan to keep my eyes on as Ryan Grigson grows more and more comfortable in his G.M. role.

Please note that I like many of the moves that Grigson has made this offseason, and, from a purely football perspective, he's impressed me. However, the Colts have a bit of a P.R. problem. The local community is flaky towards them, and fans are still mad at Jim Irsay because A) He's crazy, and B) Because he bumbled the war of words with Peyton Manning during the Super Bowl in Indianapolis this past February. People are also a bit worn down by all the nastiness left behind by the Polian Regime, a group that repeatedly treated fans and media like garbage partly because local media rarely called them out on it (and, in many cases, assisted them in that treatment with one of the enablers being the Star's Phil Richards. It wasn't until the Colts were mired in an 0-12 start last season that these local media types actually grew a spine.

If Grigson is going to get into the habit of blatantly bullsh*tting the media, then that it something that could come back to bite him and this franchise should the Colts struggle in 2012.

Again, for the people out there who say I'm Mr. Poopy Pants and that I don't prance around enough in my cheerleader outfit, I like Grigson and the overall job he's doing. However, just because I like the job the person is doing doesn't mean I'm going to look the other way when they bullsh*t me. Also, just like Grigson's views on the fullback position, my opinion of him is ever "evolving" and "fluid."