Colts Owner Jim Irsay Tweets Response to Religious Freedom Act

Indiana governor Mike Pence recently passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and it has been met by a loud uproar across the entire country in opposition to the bill and in favor of tolerance and inclusion.

Indiana sports franchises such as the Indiana Pacers (NBA) and the Indiana Fever (WNBA) have both released statements against the bill, as have the presidents of Indiana University, Butler Universtiy, and DePauw University.  The NFL is also "studying the law and its implications," and this is a significant factor considering that the Scouting Combine is held annually in Indy and that the city wants to host another Super Bowl.  The Big Ten Conference is also considering their options, as is the NCAA.

It was only a matter of time before the Indianapolis Colts commented on the situation, and while they haven't yet released an official statement, team owner and CEO Jim Irsay took to twitter to offer what appears to be a response to the RFRA bill.

The Colts have always embraced inclusiveness, tolerance, and a diverse fan base. We welcome ALL fans to Colts Nation. ONE FAMILY!

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) March 30, 2015

The "ONE FAMILY" is a reference to the Colts' newest marketing campaign: "ONE," which follows in the footsteps of other such campaigns like "COLTSTRONG."  The franchise told the Indianapolis Star that the unveiling of the new slogan around the same time that the RFRA bill was passed was purely a coincidence, but either way, the team's owner seems to be using it in response to the bill.

Irsay talked about how the Colts embrace inclusiveness and tolerance, and those are characteristics that will continue to define the franchise as they move forward with the "ONE FAMILY" slogan this season.  It's unclear what the fallout will be moving forward from the bill, but it does seem as if the Colts and Jim Irsay are the latest in a long line to publicly object to it.