Sad day for Indiana

I have only lived in Indiana for a little over a year, so I still consider myself an outsider, but I am probably just as upset at the days news as native Hoosiers.  Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis colts made official today, what many have feared since the Colts finished with the NFL worst 2-14 record, and earned the top pick in the draft.  But this isn't just a story that effects Hoosiers alone, it has affected people all over the country.  That is fitting, considering Peyton Manning is much bigger than the Indianapolis Colts.  There are, of course, mixed feelings on the issue.  Most are upset with Irsay, and rightfully so.  But there are a few who feel that Peyton Manning isn't as big or important as people have built him up to be.  I disagree VERY much with the last statement, and share the sentiments of most Peyton Manning fans.  I remember the debate before the 1998 NFL draft.  Will the Colts use the #1 pick to select Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf?  Both were reguarded as the top QB's to come out of college in several years, and the type of QB you could build a franchise around.  The Colts selected Manning, and the rest is history.  And as of today, that's exactly what it is.  History.  The question is, what kind of history.  Peyton Manning was not just another person to wear a Colts uniform.  Since moving to Indianapolis is 1984 and before Manning came to Indy, they were mediocre at best.  After drafting Manning, 14 years ago, they have had 2 loosing seasons.  That means 12 years of winning records, playoff appearances, 2 Super Bowls in 4 years, winning one of them.  And 1 of those loosing seasons was this year, where he sat out because of injury.  As a starter, he was 12 out of 13.  Even John Elway, Joe Montana, and Dan Marino had loosing seasons.  Manning has been dubbed, rightfully so, as one of the greatest QB's to play the game.  His biggest threat is not his physical abilities, but his mind.  Oh, and lets not forget the 4 MVP awards, more than any other QB in NFL history.  I became a believer when they Colts came to Kansas City following the 2003 season.  I watched in awe, as Manning single handedly picked apart the Chiefs defense.  I knew after that game, he would be one of the greatest ever.  So needless to say, Colts fans have become accustomed to winning.  That made this past season especially tough for Colts fans.  But winning is not his legacy in Indianapolis.  Ask yourself this, what would the Colts be had they selected Ryan Leaf with that draft pick??  What would the Indianapolis landscape be like if the Colts had been mediocre over the last 14 years??  He has been nothing but classy since he came into the league.  Indianapolis, and the new Lucas Oil Stadium is only a month removed from hosting one of the greatest Super Bowls in history.  The Colts have played indoors since moving to Indianapolis, so why did it take 28 years for Indy to host a Super Bowl?  Would the Colts have this new, magnificent stadium without all the winning Manning has brought them?  And without this new stadium, Indy would not have even been considered to host a super bowl.  So, the greatest event in Indiana history would not have even been a dream, had Manning not brought his winning ways and class to Indianapolis.  And if you watched any of the Super Bowl coverage, you would see that I am not the only one that shares this mentality.  Some one brought up the point of Dan Marino in Miami, asking if the Dolphins had the #1 pick in that draft, should they pass on Manning because they already have Marino.  That brings me to my next point.  I don't see how you could pass on a proven winner like Manning or Marino for a college player with no experience what so ever.  You have no idea what you're getting.  Not only that, but why did the Dolphins not have that #1 pick?  Because Marino was playing and they were winning.  Had Manning played this season, and the Colts won their division again, this would not be an issue at all.  Manning would be getting his bonus tomorrow and life would be good for all Colts fans.  And don't even try to mention the Favre/Rogers mess.  Rogers was drafted several years before the Packers traded Favre and Rogers had several years to prepare.  Here you are cutting loose a proven winner and throwing a rookie into the fire with no training what so ever.  Manning started and played in every single game for 13 years.  That is very unprecidented, specially in recent years.  It's almost unheard of for someone to make it through 1 season injury free, let alone 13 years.  Irsay and the Colts learned absolutely nothing from last year.  They are going to take Manning's money and give it to Andrew Luck.  There will be nothing different than the past 14 years, except that Luck is no Peyton Manning.  Irsay thinks he can do better, but he is sorely mistaken.  I almost feel bad for Colts fans, because this is only the beginning of a rough patch.  IU fans know all too well, from experience.  After many years of winning and championships under Bob Knight, they fell to average.  Kelvin Sampson was supposed to be the savior.  He was supposed to bring the Hoosiers back to championship form.  How did that work out??  They are just now getting to average, and are still a few years away from championship form.  I guess another way to look at it is, all that prepared them for what the Colts are getting ready to go through.  All jabs aside, Colts fans have every right to be upset with this decision.  Peyton Manning has been a class act his entire time in the league.  He has done more for one city and state than anyone could have ever dreamed when they drafted him.  My feelings are that for everything Manning has done for his (Irsay) orginization, that Manning deserved to leave on his own terms, when and how he wanted.  Manning even handled the press conference with class, trying to defend Irsay.  He (Irsay) tried to cushion the blow and save face by saying "the #18 will never be worn again."  You think that makes up for this??  I think most Colts fans would MUCH rather see the #18 on the field, than hanging from the rafters in the stadium that HE helped build.  Colts fans aren't fooled by any of this.  They see Irsay for what he is, a back-stabbing, selfish, classless, idiot, just like his father was.  Those that know me, know that I will be sitting back, waiting for this to backfire and laugh my @$$ off when it does.  I am a firm believer in, if you're a fan, you're a fan for life, through good times and bad.  Chiefs fans grew accustomed to winning under Marty Schottenheimer in the 90's.  With the exception of a few years under Dick Vermeil sandwiched in between loosing, the Chiefs haven't been the same.  They traded Trent Green to the Miamai Dolphins and haven't recovered since.  I didn't agree with that decision, but I stayed loyal to my team, as most Colts fans will.  Reguardless of where "Luck" falls with the Colts, this will go down as one of the saddest days in Colts history, and possibly even Indiana history.  I personally am looking forward to see where he ends up.  With all that's transpired over the last several months, that team will be getting a very fired up and motivated Manning on his way to winning the "Comeback Player of the Year" award, and his 5th MVP trophy.  Reguardless of where he ends up, I will always be a fan and supporter of Peyton Manning.

SHAME on you...

This is a great time of year for baseball fans such as myself.  Teams are reporting for spring training, which means Opening Day will be here before we know it.  It's like training camp for NFL fans and midnight madness for college basketball fans.  It's the anticipation of great and exciting things to come.  Well, today's news put a huge damper on that mood.  Last fall, only a few days after announcing Ryan Braun won the National League MVP award, it was announced that he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED's).  This vioation carries a 50 game suspension, since it was his first offense.  Many fans, myself included, felt that MLB should have stripped Braun of the MVP award, and they dropped the ball.  Braun also announced that he would not give up the award, which would be the respectful thing to do if you cheated to win that award.  He also said that he was going to appeal the results of the test.  Well, as bad as MLB botched that, they made it FAR worse today.  MLB announced today that they sided with Braun.  Now, to clarify, Braun's appeal was not based on the results of the test, but with the handling of the "sample".  He did not despute the results of the test, he said that his sample was mishandled.  So he got off on a technicality.  As an avid baseball fan, it pains me to say this, but MLB should be ashamed of themself.  What message are we sending here??  How often are people upset that someone gets away with murder because a detective didn't handle the evidence properly, even though that evidence proves their guilt??  The trial of Jim Williams, was one of the first murder trials that actually tried the evidence, not the defendant.  He was aquitted on a technicality.  The movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is an excellent movie and tells this story more in depth.  But perhaps the most famous trial of evidence was the aquittal of OJ Simpson.  Whether it's murder, or PED's, bottom line is, it's cheating.  So, basically we are telling our young kids it's ok to cheat, just make sure there's a way to get around it.  I am so disgusted with this decision.  Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were condemned by fans and abandoned my MLB and they didn't even have physical proof, i.e. a UA test.  They have physical proof of Braun's cheating and he's not even getting a slap on the wrist.  He gets to keep his MVP award, not serve his 50 game ban, and gets to go on playing ball as if nothing happened.  There is no question there is a difference in the game since they "suposedly" cracked down on PED's.  The most obivous stat, the homerun, has been down.  I'm not sure of the exact stat, I'd have to look it up, but I don't think anyone even hit 50 HR's last year.  Even if it's not right, there hasn't been anyone even close to challenging the HR record.  There's no arguing that the stats have been down the last few years, and I'm sure MLB doesn't like that.  They are probably afraid they will loose fans if that doesn't change.  What MLB should be more concerned with is what will result from this decision.  Several years ago when the PED subject came to light, MLB had no choice but to do something and start enforcing it.  Well, much like Mr. Braun, they have found a way to get around the system.  It appears to me, they want to see baseball return to what it was several years ago, and this decision just opened that door.  They have found a way to allow players to "juice up" and still maintain they are fighting the problem.  Just pick on a few players that no one likes from time to time, i.e. Manny Ramirez, and it looks like they are holding up their end of the bargain.  I am a huge baseball fan and my feelings are that PED's are ruining the game.  My grandfather was one of the best pitchers southwest Kansas has ever known, and he never used any kind of drug to assist him.  He used good old fashioned hard work and effort, plain and simple.  People today have become lazy.  They want to be the best, with as little effort as possible.  They don't want to put in the effort and hard work past players, who made the game what it is today, did.  Then how do they respect the hard work of those players?  By cheating to demolish their records.  Today's decision says the MLB is ok with that.  I don't think I've said enough how upset I am by this decision!  It is wrong on so many different levels.  Then there's the ever famous, special treatment of athletes.  What would happen if my employer made me take a drug test tomorrow and it somehow tested positive, even though I've never had an illegal drug in my life?  I'd be fired and probably never able to get a descent job again in my life, as it would always be with me.  How much luck would I have if I tried to protest the results of that test?  Absolutely none.
I love baseball and always will.  I hope other baseball fans share the same disgust that I do over this decision.  I don't want to see people boycott the game or anything drastic like that, but I really hope the fans express their discontent to MLB in some way.  While this decision is embarrassing to the sport of baseball, we should be much more concerned with the message we are sending our young athletes.  Go ahead and cheat, just don't get caught.  And if you get caught, figure out a way around it.  I'm sorry, but that is just wrong.

Big happenings in Indiana

The state of Indiana is buzzing right now.  If you're a sports fan, it's the place to be.  This weekend in particular.  The obivous attraction right now is Super Bowl XLVI.  Downtown Indianapolis has been a buzz with the Super Bowl Village, and NFL Experience leading up to Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium.  We went to dowtown Indianapolis Tuesday to check it out.  It was definately the experience of a lifetime.  I got within 5 feet of several ESPN personalities.  Indianapolis went all out for this.  They closed of several streets downtown for the Super Bowl Village.  They put down artificial turf over one street.  They have a zip line set up next to the convention center that goes over the street of turf.  The convention center is the host to the NFL Experience, and the NFL shop.  ESPN took over the Pan Am plaza, and the Lids Locker Room inside the Pan Am building.  I have heard nothing but good things about how great the city of Indianapolis has done.  I talked to someone today who has been to 3 super bowls, and never had near as much fun as he had the last two nights in downtown Indy, and was headed down there again tonight.  Nothing is guarranteed, but if all the reviews are a sign, it's very possible the big game could be back.  But, local people are not surprised at all by this.  They have hosted multiple Final Fours, the Big 10 tournament, as well as the Big 10 championship game in football.  Indy knows how to put on a party.  Then you have the Indiana Pacers, who are playing much better basketball this season, riding a 4 game win streak into tonight, hosting the Orlando Magic.  But for most of the population of Indiana, there was something much bigger going on today.  The in-state rivalry between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Indiana Hoosiers tipped off at 7 pm tonight.  The Super Bowl may be tomorrow, but tonight belonged to college basketball.  I have been a Purdue fan since I was a little kid.  Their coach, Gene Keady was from Larned Kansas, a few towns over from where I grew up.  I always thought it was pretty awesome that someone from a small town in western Kansas could be a successful head coach like that.  I also had a tremendous amount of respect for Bob Knight and the success that he had.  I always liked Purdue more, but didn't really dislike IU.  I moved to Indiana a little over a year ago.  I have been able to follow Purdue a lot more since moving here.  This year I have been able to go to Mackey Arena and watch a few games.  Needless to say, I'm hooked.  I will always be a KSU Wildcat fan, but Purdue is a close second.  But my attitude towards the Indiana Hoosiers has changed drastically.  The main reason for this is their fans and the IU bias.  Tonights game illustrates why I dislike IU as much, if not more than I do the Kansas Jayhawks.  Those of you who know me, know how much I dislike the Jayhawks.  Their fans are very arrogant and self absorbed.  They had two big wins, at home, and all the IU fans winning it all.  They have only won 2 games on the road in the Big 10.  Assembly Hall is one of the most "home town biased" arenas in the country.  Even on the road, they get more calls than most of the home teams.  The officials did not determine the outcome of the game tonight, but they certainly gave the edge to the Hoosiers.  When comments are made about the officiating IU fans are quick to criticize the comments, yet when they loose, they are just as quick to criticize the officials.  I guess when you get all the calls, you expect nothing less.  I was unable to get tickets to attend the game, so I had to watch it on Big Ten Network.  TV analysts are supposed to be unbiased.  Yet, watching this game was just like watching Dick Vitale call a Kansas Jayhawk game.  They were slobbering all over the Hoosiers all night.  Then there is the media bias.  Purdue is not a spectacular team.  They are an average team.  They are in the middle of the Big 1o, where they belong.  They are inconsistant.  I have no issue with admitting that.  But, Purdue and Indiana have similar records and Purdue is actually ahead of Indiana in the Big 10 standings.  Yet, Indiana is ranked #22 in the country.  I don't believe Purdue should be ranked, but Indiana does not deserve to be either.  IU fans insist that they are the best team in the Big 10.  They WAY over-hype the Hoosiers.  As I said earlier, after one win over Kentucky, there automatically put them in the NCAA tournament and talked like they were the best team in the country.  Indiana is way over rated, yet according to their fans, they are under rated.  They are no worse, or no better than Purdue.  Indiana may have won tonight, but that does not mean they are the better team.  There is no doubt they have more talent.  They have more talent and more potential, yet they are still behind Purdue in the standings.  They can not win outside the home town bias of Assembly Hall.  I would say that they are under achieving this year.  With the weapons they have, they SHOULD be one of the top teams in the Big 10, yet they are 6th in the standings, tied with Purdue.  So, IU fans will continue to run their mouths, and my dislike for them will continue to grow.  Every team has good years and bad years.  Every team has ups and downs.  You can't win them all.  IU may have won tonight, and may win when they meet again in March, but the future is very bright for Purdue.  Next years recruiting class is supposed to be better then the class that included Moore, Johnson, and Hummell.  So, enjoy it while it last IU fans, because it won't last long.  Boiler Up!!

No loyalty

Loyalty in sports is a topic that stretches between different sports.  So the topic can be discussed pretty much year round.  We often see athletes that move on from somewhere for better money, benefits, etc.  There are a few big names that have done this in recent years.  The top 2 that probably come to mind is Lebron James and Albert Pujols.  Both are the top players in their respective sports.  Albert Pujols recently signed a long term deal with the Los Angeles Angels, after spending his entire career in St Louis.  He wanted a long term deal that would keep him in STL for the remainder of his career.  He wanted to be a Cardinal for life and was willing to take less money to stay there.  His demands were more based on years than money.  He wanted a 10 year deal, which would allow him to retire with the same team that brought him up after the retirement of Mark McGwire.  The Cardinals orginization dropped the ball, and only offered him a 5 year deal.  Pujols handled the handled the whole contract negotiation admirably, I think.  He refused to let it be a distraction to his team.  He said, with emphasis that if a deal wasn't reached before the beginning of last season, it would not be addressed again until after the offseason.  And he and the Cardinals maintained that agreement.  He entered free agency after the Cardinals would not meet his 10 year demand.  He flirted with a few teams.  I figured he would end up in Miami.  After it appeared another team would meet his demands, STL retracted their original offer and offered him the 10 years, but it was too late.  The damage had already been done.  He reached a deal, and will now retire and LA Angel.  At the time, I thought this had to be one of the biggest botch jobs in sports history.  You have the best player in baseball who wanted, and would take less money to remain in your city, with your orginization through his entire career, and you let him go.  It wouldn't take long for this to be upstaged, which I will get to in a moment.  The other athlete, Lebron James, turned his back on the city of Cleveland after carrying the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference Finals.  He took his services to the Miami Heat for better money and a ligitimate shot at an NBA title.  He was the only man in Cleveland and single handedly carried the franchise the whole time he was there.  In Miami, he has help.  Teamed with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat made the NBA Finals in his first year, despite a slow start to the season.  The biggest drama is starting to unfold now in the NFL.  Peyton Manning was unable to play a single down this season, having to undergoe neck surgery for the third time.  The Colts would find out just how valuable Manning was to them, after finishing the season with the worst record in the NFL at 2-14.  Manning has carried the Colts for most of his career, much like Lebron James did in Cleveland.  Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL, and possibly one of the best of all time.  There will always be a comparison between the Manning brothers about who is better, Eli or Peyton.  What makes this comparison unfare is the difference between the Giants and Colts orginizations.  The Giants have given Eli weapons to work with, like a good running game, many tight ends and receivers to throw to and a defense to back it up.  Peyton has had none of that, with the exception of Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.  I'm sure it was tempting to him to go somewhere else, with some weapons, yet he remained loyal to the city of Indianapolis.  Living where I do, less than an hour from Indy, I've heard a lot more about this.  He wants to remain loyal and retire a Colt, but the decision may be out of his hands.  At first, it appeared that the Colts had learned their lesson.  But as time went on, it appeared maybe they hadn't.  Jim Irsay, team owner, cleaned house, including firing the Polians, Bill, the teams President, and Chris, the team's General Manager.  The new general manager decided it was best for the coach, Jim Caldwell to go as well.  Last week, Manning made a few comments about the Colts facility, saying it is "not a good environment to be around."  This and other comments ticked off Irsay.  Now, the newest development is saying that Manning's fate has already been decided.  It appears the Colts are ready to hitch their wagon (no pun intended) to Andrew Luck.  To me, this is a VERY risky move.  Everyone has made Luck to be the Next Peyton Manning.  He hasn't even played a down in the NFL yet!!  I remember when the Colts drafted Manning, there was another QB that was supposed to be better than Manning.  The Colts drafted Manning and passed on Ryan Leaf.  Ask the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys how Ryan Leaf turned out.  Ask the Arizona Cardinals how well Matt Leinert worked out.  Carson Palmer has been successful, but hasn't lived up to the hype of his draft expectations.  Opposing coaches in the Pac 12 have said that USC QB Matt Barkley is a better QB than Luck.  I would put more stock in their opinion than an biased analyst.  My point is, a #1 pick is just likely to be a bust, as a success.  I don't understand why, when you have a loyal, proven winner, with at least 5 years left in his career, you would want to take this gamble.  Manning has made it know that he wants to remain a Colt.  Irsay apparently wants to part ways with Manning.  My blood runs Chiefs red, so I'm not a Colts fan, so I can say this.  Because of the way this has all been handled, I hope Luck is a bust, and this backfires on Irsay and the Colts.  Even if Irsay does a 180 and decides to keep Manning, it shows that they didn't learn a single thing from the last year.  If they keep Manning, you will be devoting almost all of your salary to 2 quarterbacks.  They will have to pay Luck, a #1 draft pick's salary.  So, this will prevent them from signing anyone to help out on offense, or defense.  So, Manning will continue to carry the team on his shoulders, then pass that on to Luck when he retires.  I am not, and never will be a general manager.  But, if I were the Colts GM, I would realize I have the best QB in the NFL and try to get someone to help him out.  I would use the #1 pick to draft either Justin Blackmon (WR) of Trent Richardson (RB).  It is possible to draft a good franchise QB late in the draft.  The #2 QB in the league (Tom Brady) was a late round draft choice.  I have wondered a little from the topic at hand, but it does tie into it.  People always say that there is no loyalty in sports anymore.  The days of a player staying with one organization their entire career are over.  Most of the time these comments are directed at the players who are going somewhere else for better money.  An interesting sidenote to this, pitcher Cliff Lee left the Texas Rangers for the Philadelphia Phillies for more money and to be a part of the "dream team" pitching staff.  He wanted to win a World Series.  Well, the Phillies were eliminated early by the eventual World Series champs, the St Louis Cardinals.  Meanwhile, the team he left was one game away from a World Series title.  These are the type of players usually refered to in these comments.  But there are organizations like the Colts and Cardinals who treat these few remaining players who want to be loyal like a stray and kick them to the curb.  A person gives most of their career to them.  Wins them a championship or two, and it means nothing to the owners and management.  Who can blame the players for moving on.  There is no loyalty in sports any more, but it's just as much the fault of the organizations as it is the players.