1. Gotta start with the ousting of Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. Manning was released by the Colts this afternoon in lieu of forking over a 28 million dollar bonus that Manning had in his contract. ( I don't even know why we have contracts in the NFL nowadays since no one seems to abide by them.) Media and football analysts, coaches, and former players have all weighed in on the issue telling fans that this was about money, business, rebuilding, and Manning's neck injury. Blah, blah, blah.
First of all, the neck injury. Does anyone really believe that Peyton Manning was told he shouldn't play by doctors and is ignoring that advice because football is everything to him? If you do, then I've got some timeshare points to sell you because Peyton Manning isn't stupid. I don't believe that football is as important to Manning as it was to Brett Favre. That being said, I do think he feels he still has game, that his injury is healing to a point that he can play, and that he still has the drive and the need. So why shouldn't he play?
Secondly, the Colts are rebuilding. Since when? Since team owner Jim Irsay went nuts at the end of the season and began firing everyone in sight? Since he decided he was letting Manning go? I keep hearing all this brouhaha about drafting Andrew Luck in the first go around and how he is the answer to the Colts rebuilding. Oh, yeah. What happens if in his first game he is hit low or hit high and knocked out for the season? What happens if the hype is too much for him to handle and he chokes? What happens if he isn't able to make the transition from college to the NFL? What happens if he isn't all that he is being made out to be? Anybody remember Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe and Matt Leinart?
Lastly, this is a business and it comes down to that in the end. And at times like this isn't that sad? That loyalty, fourteen years of service, and exceptional work don't matter one hill of beans in the end. I don't believe any organization anymore. I don't believe they love players. I don't believe they are committed to players. I don't care that so and so signed a multimillion dollar contract. Because in the end it - doesn't - even - matter. The NFL is a business and Jim Irsay is a businessman. And until the fans say enough is enough and stop purchasing merchandise with their favorite players splayed on the front and back it ain't going to change.
I watched the news conference. I'm glad there was a conference. I'm glad that Irsay at least had the decency to step in front of a mike, the city, the state, reporters, and fans and say good-bye and thanks to his star quarterback for the last 14 years. That's more than the Steelers did for Hines Ward. I don't know that Irsay came up with the idea. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that it was all Manning's idea, but it happened. I don't know Irsay, but he came across to me as believable when he choked up. I wasn't sure Manning thought he was at first, but when Irsay talked about their beginning and how the two "kids" learned the NFL together, I think Manning remembered, and it was almost an "aha" moment, something that might have been lost altogether during these last few months. Peyton, as always, gave a great good-bye that was heartfelt and sincere. Why aren't we touting him for President? There is no one more humble than Peyton Manning. But make no mistake. He thinks he is great and he believes he will be back. I for one can't wait to see where he will land.
2. Which brings me to that very question. Where will Peyton Manning go? Teams being suggested are Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Washington, and the Jets. Taking them one by one I eliminate the Jets. I don't see Peyton Manning working with Rex Ryan, although the locker room sounds like it needs him. San Francisco is where Tony Dungy thinks Manning would fit, but didn't Jim Harbough coach Andrew Luck at Stanford? Plus Harbough just had great success with Alex Smith this year. Don't see him chucking him to the sidelines. Seattle? Way too cold for Peyton Manning. Washington? Gee they did such a great job with the other veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb...not. That leaves Arizona and Miami, two teams in great weather conditions. Arizona has a leg up with receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and Ken Whisenhunt is certainly about winning as he has things to prove to the Rooney family who didn't hire him after Bill Cowher retired. Plus Arizona is already sprouting billboards begging Manning to "sleep here" as a mattress company jumped on the bandwagon with cleverness. As for Miami they have a huge need for a quarterback and are willing, it sounds like, to offer Peyton whatever he wants. Plus...I've seen first hand how they treat their quarterbacks in Miami. I will never forget being in Ft. Lauderdale for work and having a helicopter fly directly over my head so close I could see the occupant; one Dan Marino being flown to Sunday's game in Miami. Just saying...
3. The New Orleans Saints with a "bounty" pool. Been big news the last two weeks. The news being that the New Orleans Saints ex-assistant coach Greg Williams kept a pool to pay out to defensive players who caused injuries to or knocked out opponents. My question is who leaked it? The sad thing is that the owner, coaches, and general manager knew about it and did nothing. Even worse than that? The NFL knew about it back in 2009. What did they do? Fine them? Suspend players? Fire coaches? Nope. They told them to knock it off. Knock - it - off.
Big bad NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sure cracked down on players the last two years for hits, redefining the way the game is played and changing the rules. What? He just forgot about the Saints and their hit men? Oh, sure he is all over it now. As usual, taking his time and gathering evidence. What did he have back in 2009? He didn't have any trouble issuing fines on the players this year within a couple of days. Why so long when it comes to this?
I've listened to former defensive players justifying their "bets" on fumble recoveries and interceptions as just a little side game with one another. One player talked about how it was like the betting that goes on with professional golfers. ESPN's Hannah Storm shut him up by reminding him that no one is getting hurt by the golfing bets. Listen. I understand betting goes on. I understand things go on in the work place all the time that might not be considering copacetic, but we are talking about something illegal. Paying a man to go out and hurt another man is illegal in this country. The NFL has got to do more within this organization to straighten out a lot of the wrongs that this league has been doing and continues to do. How many Super Bowls are going to end up with an asterisk?
And where is the outrage from fans? The NFL slapped the Saints' hands three years ago for what they knew was something illegal, as well as against the NFL's own rules. Three years ago and they are just now following up? Because someone talked? Gee, this certainly reminds me of something else...doesn't it Penn State officials? How come Sean Payton isn't being ripped into like Joe Paterno was? Because it didn't involve kids? It just involved paying someone to injury another human being? The world was outraged when Michael Vick was dog fighting. Where is the outrage over men destroying other men?
I for one am tired of it all. Either leave things alone or change it. You can't have it both ways. As in most of the things in life change happens. The NFL has got to decide what it wants to be now in this era of changes and then it has got to see that everyone is coming into compliance. Goodell has got to stop his wishy washy ways. Players have got to start acting like employees. Owners have got to start weeding out those employees who aren't toeing the line.
Oh, and look, that leads us back to the beginning of this blog. Perhaps if all of that happens then the players* who come in daily, do their jobs, take a team to the highest level, donate time outside of the job to the city, devote time to the fans, and show loyalty for, say fourteen years, then maybe, just maybe, those employees would get to stick around til retirement.
*Good Luck Hines Ward & Peyton Manning. May you continue on with your successes and make your former teams weep. I am pulling for you both.
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