STATEMENT FROM BEST OWNER IN SPORTS, JIM IRSAY

[poizond13]

Mr. Irsay's thoughts echo my own, so I thought I would post them:


Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay spoke outside the locker room after his team’s 24-9 loss to Baltimore in Sunday’s AFC wild-card playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium.

“It’s been an incredible, incredible year. In 40 years, I haven’t seen one like it. I really haven’t. We’ve had the greatness. I felt the Lombardi Trophy in the rain in Florida. So many different things that we’ve done through the years. This year was incredible, tough. It was special and unique in so many different ways.

“I couldn’t have imaged this type of year that it was going to be and the credit to think that we could get this thing reorganized and win 11 games and go through the adversity with injuries and a coach fighting a life and death illness, and then have the coach that was holding it together ending up in the hospital today. What can you say? There’s not much you can say except if adversity builds greatness and strength and those things, then we just added a lot of adversity in our bank.

“I thanked everyone. I’m just thankful to God (head coach) Chuck (Pagano) is standing their healthy and feeling good (after battling leukemia). What a ride it’s been. Like I said, one of the most special years not only in Colts history but in the history of the NFL, 90-plus years, you just don’t see many years like this. We wanted to continue, obviously we didn’t get it done today, but I know the guys fought with everything they had to get it done. Obviously the future, to say it’s bright is an understatement.

“Work to do, get back into it, getting ready for 2013, couldn’t be more excited. It makes it quite frankly difficult because now all of a sudden we’re playing against an 11-5 watermark and never expected that going into the second year. You usually think, well, we won three games the first year in ’98 and it took us until ‘04 before we won our first playoff game. To come this far and do the things we’ve done with the adversity we’ve had, it’s really hard to put words to it.

“It’s an incredible story. I just thank everyone in there for the character, all the men, the coaches, the players, Reggie (Wayne), Robert Mathis, Adam (Vinatieri), Antoine (Bethea), I don’t want to leave any of them out, the veteran leadership, what they brought to us was incredible. The new coaching staff and the new front office is outstanding. Like I’ve said, if (GM) Ryan Grigson doesn’t get (NFL) Executive of the Year, I don’t know how there could even be a legitimate Executive of the Year. For someone to come in and do what he has done, with the limited cap space, with the injuries, with the coach who was fighting life and death and all those things, and to win 11 games in this league, just an incredible job.

“I think our fans and the whole city is so proud of this group of men, coaches and players for the joy they brought, the lessons outside of football, the way Chuck has affected so many lives, that people are in hospital beds using him as an example to fight their way back to health to live again. It’s really a story that is amazing.

“So, as painful as it is, you guys know, walking out of playoff losses is one of the hardest things you can do. It hurts like hell because it’s so hard to get into the dance. Only 12 out of 32 get in. It’s not like the NBA, where it’s 16 out of (30) get in. To win 11 games again, which I think is tied for third most in the whole league, after what we faced, and where the roster was, and where the cap was, and where the weaknesses were with the offensive line, and all the things that Ryan had to deal with and Chuck, and to all of a sudden have Bruce (Arians) come ill on the day of the playoff game, that’s just hard to imagine. It’s just very hard to imagine. Like I said, apparently adversity was something we were going to face this year and we faced it with a lot of strength and courage.”

Question: Jimmy, is Bruce OK? What can you tell us about Bruce Arians?

“You know I feel Bruce is. I think they’re doing extensive testing. There doesn’t appear to be anything extremely serious, life-threatening. I have his wife coming in on one of our airplanes. She’s probably already here to go to the hospital.”

Question: Bruce will be here overnight, it sounds like?

“Bruce will be here overnight for observation. At first they thought maybe it was a migraine headache that he had had younger in his life that appears when you’re dizzy, you have certain physical problems but this type of migraine doesn’t cause massive headaches. The diagnosis is unconfirmed right now. (His wife) is here and we’ll make sure we have a group supporting Bruce and hopefully getting him back home tomorrow. We’ll see what the doctors say here. I have no reason to believe there’s been a stroke or anything extremely serious, but again, it was important enough for him to be taken to the hospital and be evaluated thoroughly before we get him back on a plane and fly him back to Indy. That’s going to transpire over the next 24 hours and we’ll see where we’re at.”

Question: How’s your health, by the way?

“My health is good besides I probably need a hip replacement (laughs). Don’t want to get it, but you know, probably slated as the season ends, I may be getting a hip replacement. I’m trying to avoid it with the injections and those sort of things, but my health is good besides orthopedically needing a new hip. We’ll see if that’s something I end up having or not. I’d like to avoid it if possible.”

[Space Bear]

Listen... hear that?

It's the sound of nobody giving a fuck.

[poizond13]

Hear that?

It's the sound of nobody giving a fuck.

3/4 top threads on this board are Colts related. Somebody gives a fuck.

[poizond13]

Congrats to the Ravens! They were the better team and deserved to win! Congrats also to Ray Lewis, best linebacker in history IMO. People say he has lost a step, but that was not the case today, he was a beast.

[poizond13]

Here's my analysis of this game and why the Ravens won.

Firstly, having Bruce Arians out certainly hurt us and was another obstacle to overcome in a season full of them, but it wasn't the reason we lost. I thought Clyde Christensen did a good job with play calling, and it didn't look much different than what Bruce would have called. I would like to see Christensen take over as offensive coordinator if Arians leaves for a head coaching job, as expected. Having said that, it's going to hurt you when you have someone calling plays who hasn't done so all year, and was not expecting to do so until the day of the game.

However, this game was lost on execution, not play calling. On offense, like I said before the game, it starts with protection, and that was once again horrible today. There's no debate, we have one of the worst offensive lines in football, and it will be a priority during the off season. I expect it to be totally revamped through the draft and free agency. Luck was under duress nearly every play. His best plays came when he was able to escape the pocket and throw on the run, because he very rarely had a clean pocket to step into and throw. I give Luck a very high grade for his performance today, given what kind of protection he had.

Receivers let the team down as well, minus Reggie Wayne. Drops, mistakes, bad routes were the norm. They're a very young group, so I'm guessing the pressure of the game got to them, which is understandable. I think this is a great group of receivers that we will build around for next year, they just had a bad game.

Our main problem on offense wasn't moving the ball, which we did all day. It was finishing drives with touchdowns, which clearly we could not do. We also could not capitalize on their 2 turnovers, which is very costly. These are things that are hard to do on the road in a playoff environment, but they are necessary to win playoff games. This team will learn that and benefit from this experience.

Defensively, it was pretty simple: too many big plays. Boldin destroyed us. We had no corner that could cover him. We've had a lack of depth at corner all year, and it finally bit us in the ass big time. Another major area where we will need upgrades. We did a good job of limiting Rice, other than one play. However, we allowed too many big runs for Pierce, which helped them set up the pass. Overall, not a great defensive effort. Hard to win when you allow that many big plays.

Overall, we played like a young team on the road today, which is what we are. The loss is painful, as any playoff loss is. But in the big picture, this game gives us so much experience to build on, and it's going to pay dividends in the years to come.

[killeverything]

How many fucking threads are you going to start about your pathetic little football team? Jesus.

[Machado]

How many fucking threads are you going to start about your pathetic little football team? Jesus.

Colts lost!!!
Excuses coming fast and furious
courtesy of P13

[poizond13]

How many fucking threads are you going to start about your pathetic little football team? Jesus.

Colts lost!!!
Excuses coming fast and furious
courtesy of P13

Thanks for reading.

[killeverything]

Chokestrong.

Luck is carrying the Manning torch ( not the 2x SB champ one, the overated one ) of getting his ass handed to him in the Playoffs.

[dtmfs]

I sincerley aplogize to every colts fan for tanking last season on purpose to draft another Jeff George, at least Jeff George actually had a strong arm that's probably what bothers my drunk wrinkled ass the most. We're truly fucked wirth this guy as He seems to be color blind, Oh well I'm still rich and I even managed not to urinate on myself today unlike last week(those who follow me on twiiter know what i'm talking about LOL). Well gotta go find out If Pagano's Cancer has returned, at least him beating it twice Will be a good way for us to keep that whole angle going and sell a alot more bracelets. Thanks to all the sucker colts fans for actully buying into the hype this year. ONEANDDONESTRONG!!!!!!!! -Jim Irsay.

[poizond13]

Chokestrong.

Luck is carrying the Manning torch ( not the 2x SB champ one, the overated one ) of getting his ass handed to him in the Playoffs.

Yeah, choked.. in a game where we were 7 point underdogs. He's a fucking rookie, moron.

[dtmfs]

Chokestrong.

Luck is carrying the Manning torch ( not the 2x SB champ one, the overated one ) of getting his ass handed to him in the Playoffs.

Yeah, choked.. in a game where we were 7 point underdogs. He's a fucking rookie, moron.

He's always choked dumbfuck, couldn't get over the hump in college and is destined to repeat that shit in the NFL. When the pressures on lil' leprechaun beard shrinks....Well He throws a few picks then He shrinks.

[poizond13]

troll troll troll troll

[poizond13]

Chokestrong.

Luck is carrying the Manning torch ( not the 2x SB champ one, the overated one ) of getting his ass handed to him in the Playoffs.

Yeah, choked.. in a game where we were 7 point underdogs. He's a fucking rookie, moron.

He's always choked dumbfuck, couldn't get over the hump in college and is destined to repeat that shit in the NFL. When the pressures on lil' leprechaun beard shrinks....Well He throws a few picks then He shrinks.

Hey troll, what channel was the Dolphins game on this weekend? I couldn't find their game.

[killeverything]

Chokestrong.

Luck is carrying the Manning torch ( not the 2x SB champ one, the overated one ) of getting his ass handed to him in the Playoffs.

Yeah, choked.. in a game where we were 7 point underdogs. He's a fucking rookie, moron.

And one who got his ass handed to him. Get used to it. Oh yeah, you happen to be a Colts fan. Losing kinda feels like home right?

[poizond13]

Chokestrong.

Luck is carrying the Manning torch ( not the 2x SB champ one, the overated one ) of getting his ass handed to him in the Playoffs.

Yeah, choked.. in a game where we were 7 point underdogs. He's a fucking rookie, moron.

And one who got his ass handed to him. Get used to it. Oh yeah, you happen to be a Colts fan. Losing kinda feels like home right?

What's your team, boy? I've never seen you post here before, are you new? My team is the Colts, the team with the most wins in any single decade, ever.

[Facedown]

My team is the Colts, the team with the most wins in any single decade, ever.

Noticed you edited that pretty fast.
Would you like me to prove you wrong AGAIN regarding this statement, trollboy?

[dtmfs]

What's your team, boy? I've never seen you post here before, are you new? My team is the Colts, the team with the most wins in any single decade, ever.

[Facedown]

are you new?

Seems to be your new go to retarded statement.
You've said that to people who joined in 04, 05 and 06.
Pathetic troll is pathetic.

[killeverything]

One Superbowl in that time frame. Two in the sixty years they relocated to your hick state. That's not exactly dominance stupid little faggot.

I have no choice but to post here. You keep littering the boards about your pathetic little football team. One that ONCE AGAIN didn't win the superbowl. Oh and I pull for my birthplace's team, San Fran. Better than Indy, but then again, that's like picking on the retarded kid.

Chokestrong.

[dtmfs]

One Superbowl in that time frame. Two in the sixty years they relocated to your hick state. That's not exactly dominance stupid little faggot.

I have no choice but to post here. You keep littering the boards about your pathetic little football team. One that ONCE AGAIN didn't win the superbowl. Oh and I pull for my birthplace's team, San Fran. Better than Indy, but then again, that's like picking on the retarded kid.

Chokestrong.

Oh shit, 5 titles to PeePee's 1....well 2 counting Baltimore, the city in which they got clownstomped today.

[dtmfs]

Better watch it KE, P13 knows how to rip efficient QB's lke montana and young to shreds, they were no Andrew George.

[Kamikaze_Russo]

Here's my analysis of this game and why the Ravens won.

Here's my anal-ysis of your thread...

[poizond13]

Gross.

[dtmfs]

Gross.

You see the same thing in the mirror everytime You try to brush that ginger mess Yet You Foe the guy?? makes no fucking sense.

[poizond13]

Bob Kravitz: The end of this Colts season is really just the start


BALTIMORE -- Magic, it appears, has an expiration date.

After all the compelling, inspiring stories, after all the ridiculous fourth-quarter comebacks, after the greatest comeback of them all -- Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano's return after being diagnosed with leukemia -- the magical mystery tour is over.

Ravens 24, Colts 9.

Too many big plays for Baltimore. Too much pass-rush pressure on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Too little sustained offense from a team that couldn't find its mojo, or the end zone. Too many deep balls to Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin, who had his way with Colts defenders Cassius Vaughn and Darius Butler.

This isn't how Hollywood movies are supposed to end. This isn't the way Angelo Pizzo wrote it in "Hoosiers" or "Rudy." In the end, the plucky little team wins, and everybody rushes the floor, or the field, and puts the hero on their shoulders.

And didn't you see it happening again with the shocking news that Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians would miss the game after being taken to a hospital? Didn't you see them rallying around B.A. -- #BruceStrong --and finding another way to win a one-possession, fourth-quarter game?

But ...

No.

The better team won Sunday, even if the Ravens are in for a jolt when they face Peyton Manning and the Broncos next weekend.

This isn't about Sunday, though. This is about all the Sundays yet to come. This is about a rookie-laden team that has accomplished something most of us didn't think was possible until three years down the line.

Here's what I found when we talked to team owner Jim Irsay and Pagano and players in the locker room:

I found a team that was wounded and hurt and disappointed, but hardly crestfallen.

I found a team that was enormously proud of what it accomplished this past year, a team that can't wait to see how good they can be with another couple of draft classes, a few free agents and some experience.

"I really hope I'm a part of what they're building here," offensive lineman Mike McGlynn. "Because there's a different feeling here. It's a business, sure, but it feels more like a family. This whole year, it felt like we were playing for so much more than just ourselves. It was an amazing thing."

It was amazing, borne, as it was, from the harshest circumstances imaginable. Will anybody ever forget how they pulled together the first week of Pagano's absence and came back to beat the Packers? Will anybody ever forget the stirring emotional speech Pagano made to his team after the home victory over the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 4? Will anybody ever forget the feeling in Lucas Oil Stadium when Pagano returned and the Colts, playing for nothing, knocked off the Houston Texans?

"It's been an incredible, incredible year," Irsay said as he stood outside the team's locker room. "In 40 years, I haven't seen one like it. I really haven't. We've had the greatness. I felt the Lombardi Trophy in the rain in Florida. So many different things that we've done through the years.

"This year was incredible, tough. It was special and unique in so many different ways. . . . To go through the adversity with injuries and a coach fighting a life and death illness, and then have the coach that was holding it together ending up in the hospital today. What can you say? There's not much you can say except if adversity builds greatness and strength and those things, then we just added a lot of adversity in our bank."

Pagano walked around the locker room and hugged every player. A bond was built this season, and it will be hard to break.

"We've got the foundation; the foundation is set," Pagano said. "We said we were going to build one on rock and not on sand, because you can weather storms like this and you can learn from times like this. The disappointment they feel right now, that's what's going to propel us to 2013. That's what's going to motivate us to come back and work even harder. We've got a young group and we've got a bright future."

Imagine another one or two draft classes. Imagine a couple of free agents with the oodles of money GM Ryan Grigson figures to have available under the salary cap. Imagine Luck, and Vick Ballard, and T.Y. Hilton and all the other rookies after another couple years of experience.

It's pretty obvious what the Colts need. The first order of business must be upgrading of the offensive line. They need to find a replacement for Dwight Freeney (and his name isn't Jerry Hughes). They need another cornerback if they choose not to re-sign Jerraud Powers. They need another wide receiver to upgrade over Donnie Avery, who was quiet the second half of the year.

Mostly, they just need time.

There was another small, touching moment here Sunday, one you didn't see on television. It happened after the game in the hallway outside the Colts locker room.

Former Ravens player and employee O.J. Brigance is five years into his battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). He sits in a wheelchair. He breathes with the aid of a breathing tube. To speak, he focuses his eyes on a pad with letters. When the sentence is typed out, the electronic voice -- the machine is called a DynaVox -- speaks for him.

"Chuck," Brigance said to Pagano in the moments after the game, "you've inspired me so much."

Then, in a year with a lot of tears, Pagano welled up again, and had to re-compose himself before talking on the radio.

Pagano and this team inspired us all this season. They made a town fall back in love with its football franchise.

It's the end of a season, but it's really just the start.

[poizond13]

Hey troll, what channel was the Dolphins game on this weekend? I couldn't find their game.

Why won't he answer the question?

[dtmfs]

Bob Kravitz: The end of this Colts season is really just the start


BALTIMORE -- Magic, it appears, has an expiration date.

A magical season of turnovers had an experation date?? No fucking shit!

[poizond13]

Thanks for helping to turn this into the unofficial Colts forum. I couldn't have done it without you.

[dtmfs]

No problem