Sorting Through The Colts Predicament

Has there ever been a more interesting build up to the NFL Draft than this year? The Indianapolis Colts' dismal season earned them the first overall pick and what they have now is a conflict. Peyton Manning's well-documented neck injury kept him from playing the entire 2011-12 season and the Colts suffered greatly. It is clear how much of an impact Manning had on that team and it is realistic to think that, if he was healthy, Indy would have won at least 10 games. He's that good. However, there is no way to tell if he will ever be fully healthy again and that is why the Colts have tough decisions coming up. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is widely regarded as the top quarterback in the '12 Draft Class and he is nearly a lock to be shaking Roger Goodell's hand first on draft day. But what about Peyton Manning? A few years ago it would have been ridiculous to say that Indy might cut Manning, but now it's a real possibility. In this post I will discuss what each group/player should do with the current situation, starting with Luck.

Andrew Luck, Stanford QB
If I'm Andrew Luck then I am begging the Colts to take me. Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre don't exactly have the ideal relationship but look at Rodgers now. It doesn't hurt to learn from a living legend. If Manning is still in the blue and white Luck should come in with the mindset that his time will come. If he does his work and keeps quiet then there is no reason why Manning shouldn't welcome him in with open arms. Sure, Luck could get drafted and step into the quarterback role right away, but let's look at how well that has gone for guys like Ryan Leaf, Cade McNown and Joey Harrington. Elite quarterbacks in college usually end up in bad situations and they never reach their potential. A guy like Alex Smith has finally found what he was looking for, but it took him years. Rodgers is in pursuit of his second Super Bowl and has established himself as one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL. I could see the situation in Indy being very similar to Green Bay's a few years ago.

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts QB

Nobody likes to have to check over their shoulder to see what's waiting behind them. That's especially true for a future Hall of Famer. We see it all the time in sports, a legend's career is coming to a close and the future star is waiting. That is a rough time period for any veteran. However, we don't know how good Manning could be if he gets back on the field. He may come back and be his old self. That is highly unlikely though, and if the injury is as bad as it sounds, then he should retire. That's my opinion but it makes sense. Retire a Colt and go out on good terms with the organization, the fans and his teammates. Also, a neck injury isn't something to mess around with because the ramifications of reinjuring it could be costly. Now, if doctors clear him and say he can go play then by all means he should go out and play. I just want to see him in a Colts jersey and if that doesn't happen then I would like to see him retire. He is a top five quarterback in history and will be in Canton as soon as possible so there is nothing left for him to prove. Don't be a Brett Favre. That's the best advice I could give Peyton Manning.

Indianapolis Colts organization
The Colts are in the toughest spot of anybody. The easy decision is to draft Luck at number one. That's the smart thing to do and it's the right thing to do. The hard thing will be deciding what to do with Manning. Like I said above, if he can play then let him play while Luck sits and waits his turn. If the Colts think he has lost his magic then I think they should advise him to retire and offer a position on staff as a mentor to Luck. That would be the ideal situation, but the reality is it probably won't happen. I think if you are the Indy front office you just have to make sure there is good communication with Manning and make sure that the relationship isn't sullied. He has been the face of the Colts since he was drafted and it would be a shame to see him leave in anger and try to get "revenge" on the organization by signing with a division rival or another team.

In my mind the perfect situation would be that Peyton Manning gets to play two or three more years at a high level for the Indianapolis Colts while Andrew Luck sits and learns from him. Manning then retires and Luck steps in and keeps the Colts at the top of the AFC standings. The two have a good relationship, unlike Favre and Rodgers, and it becomes one of the best stories in sports. However, I'm smart enough to know that that probably won't happen. We are still a few months away from the NFL Draft but there is no doubt that this will be a story that draws much attention and will disected from every angle. Tough decisions will have to be made and we could have to say goodbye to Peyton Manning. Something that would come too soon.

Too Much NFL Draft

Mel Kiper: NFL Draft guru

Hello everybody, I want to apologize for the long gap between this post and my last one. With the school year winding down I had quite a bit of homework to do, but now it's bloggin' time once again! Last night ESPN televised the first round of the NFL Draft in primetime and there were quite a few surprises. The NFL and the NBA are two exciting drafts to watch, especially to a die-hard fan. The casual fan can probably make it through two days of the NFL Draft and can probably watch the entire NBA Draft since it is only two rounds. However, the NFL Draft is the most overhyped thing in sports. Seriously, the Super Bowl ended nearly three months ago and ever since the final seconds ticked off ESPN has had Mel Kiper and Todd McShay analyzing the draft. Who cares what they have to say?!?! It's unbelievable how two guys can get a job off of guess work. Again, I think the NFL Draft is fun to watch but I don't need the hype and analysis for three months leading up to the event.

Mock drafts are silly because they are never true. Sure, they are fun to read but does the world really need a new one from ol' King Kiper every single week? Hold on, don't think to hard because I can answer that one for you-- NO. I can handle the analysis the week before the draft and during draft day but the mock drafts every week for three months and the constant Sportscenter segments irk me. Yet, I shouldn't be surprised that's how it is because that's the way ESPN operates these days. The sports juggernaut can't simply report on a story. They must drill it into the viewer's head with every single minute detail they can possible give. They have given a new meaning to the term "maximum coverage" and that's not necessarily a good thing. There was so much coverage on the draft last night that ESPN was scrolling tweets from NFL players at the bottom of the screen. That's the sort of thing where I just want to say stop. We can only handle so much coverage, so much opinion and so much analysis. ESPN throws so much at it's viewers that it becomes irritating and boring. By the time tomorrow rolls around we don't even want to talk about the topic with our friends or the people at the workplace. The subject seems worn out.

LeBron James on ESPN for The Decision

This summer may have been the worst ever for two reasons. The Brett Favre Saga and the Miami Heat Big Three being assembled. ESPN had a field day with both stories and was even generous enough to televise The Decision live with LeBron James and Jim Gray. Gosh, that was great to see LeBron sitting on stage with little kids (who he donated money too) sitting all around him and Jim Gray, the only broadcaster with low enough standards and morals to appear on the show, interviewing him. The event became a complete mockery and the famous line, "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach," will forever be etched into our minds. Just when you thought that was the worst of it, it got worse! ESPN showed highlights of the Heat's big bash to introduce their three superstars and Sportscenter was clogged with stories on Miami. Every single person seemed to have an opinion and ESPN was their platform to speak about the Heat.

Around the same time, Brett Favre was going through his annual dilemma on whether to play football or not. Looking at the calender I would say in about exactly two weeks we could hear from Favre saying that he wants to come back this upcoming season. Last summer was the worst it has ever gotten with teammates going down to Mississippi to basically kidnap Favre and bring him to Minnesota. ESPN was there for that and Ed Werder followed Favre around like a lost puppy, broadcasting his every move to the world. Finally when a decision had finally been made the analysts could come out and start guessing where the Vikings would finish.

It was an unbelievable time for The Worldwide Leader in Sports and one that, for me at least, wrecked public opinion of the company. ESPN has almost become the sports reality network and no small detail slips by them. The Heat's tears, Brett's nude pics and Cam Newton's latest workout are all covered 24/7 for all fans. Again, I love to watch the draft and I love to watch sports but ESPN has gone too far with their coverage. It's one thing to be The Worldwide Leader but stop throwing so much information at fans about one topic. To all my readers: have fun watching the next three days of draft coverage. After that, Mel Kiper will go back into hibernation until next February.