Peyton's place
It's a rough topic to think about for a die-hard Colts fan. For many, Peyton is the only player they've ever seen take meaningful snaps. He was transcendent; watching him play against a defense and finding the open receiver was as close as sports come to poetry or a breathtaking Chopin etude. His preparation was unmatched. His intangibles were what separated him from QBs of equal physical talents: not just being able to make the throws, but knowing that you were going to make the throws and convincing the defense that they couldn't stop you. Remember a couple years ago, when Bill Belichick went for it on fourth and two deep inside his own territory because he didn't want to give Peyton the ball back with under two minutes left? That was what separated Peyton from other elite QBs, knowing that he could go Keyser Soze on you at anytime. It made Colts fans complacent; we didn't know how good we had it.
Your heart says that you don't want to see Peyton go, that he means too much to this city not to retire as a Colt on his own terms. He won a Super Bowl for this city, and essentially built Lucas Oil Stadium, which is bringing the big game (and the prominence and local economy stimulus that comes with it), to Indy this February. There's a children's hospital that bears his name, and his charitable outreach is impressive. With apologies to Uncle Reggie, Peyton Manning is the most important professional athlete this city has ever had. And we could be four months away from discarding him in a cold, mathematical business move.
Conventional wisdom says there's only one logical thing we can do: draft Andrew Luck with the top overall pick after either trading or cutting Peyton (cutting being the more likely of the options, as it's unlikely that anyone outside of Dan Snyder is going to trade for Peyton and be on the hook for the $28 million roster bonus he's due in March, and the Colts won't pay it just to draft a new QB a month later), and move on to a post-Manning landscape.
Your heart says that you don't want to see Peyton go, that he means too much to this city not to retire as a Colt on his own terms. He won a Super Bowl for this city, and essentially built Lucas Oil Stadium, which is bringing the big game (and the prominence and local economy stimulus that comes with it), to Indy this February. There's a children's hospital that bears his name, and his charitable outreach is impressive. With apologies to Uncle Reggie, Peyton Manning is the most important professional athlete this city has ever had. And we could be four months away from discarding him in a cold, mathematical business move.
Conventional wisdom says there's only one logical thing we can do: draft Andrew Luck with the top overall pick after either trading or cutting Peyton (cutting being the more likely of the options, as it's unlikely that anyone outside of Dan Snyder is going to trade for Peyton and be on the hook for the $28 million roster bonus he's due in March, and the Colts won't pay it just to draft a new QB a month later), and move on to a post-Manning landscape.
Those of us in Indy with rose-colored glasses (me among them), will cite that with the new CBA, keeping both Peyton and Luck at a new low rookie wage-scale price isn't unthinkable, though it cripples the team to try to build around either QB for the present or the future. Also, it's unlikely Luck would want to sit for more than two years at the most, and might try to Eli-force a trade out (and no, the irony isn't lost on me there) if the Colts pick him come April. Which brings us back to looking towards the future with Andrew Luck, and letting Peyton go to finish his career elsewhere.
Pujols and Peyton
[Full disclosure: When I wrote the original draft of this column, I made a joke about seeing Manning in another uniform being akin to Cardinals fans seeing Pujols in a Cubs next year because 1.) the image of him playing for St. Louis' most hated enemy seemed like a funny and easy way to rile up any Cards fans, and 2.) at the time, I didn't think there was any way he wasn't staying put. He meant (maybe still means, we're too early in the five stages of loss to tell yet) as much to that city as Peyton does to Indy. I never thought he'd go somewhere else just to chase money. When I went to bed Wednesday, the Marlins had essentially completely dropped out of the contest, and all the baseball insiders I was reading made it seem Pujols would be back with the Cardinals next year. When I woke up the next morning, he was am Angel.
I don't think Pujols and Peyton's situations mirror each other completely (just like Pujols and He-Who-Took-His-Talents-To-South-Beach-And-Shall-Not-Be-Named-On-This-Blog are less comparable than some irate St. Louis fans would lead you to believe), but there are several parallels. Both are stars that outshine their current or former market. Both were the driving forces in bringing championships to their respective cities. And both are aging to the point that they might not be worth the money they'll be making at the end of their current contracts. Pujols' deal was a reported $254 million for 10 years (That's "I'ma buy me an island" kind of money), which will put him at 41 years old at the end of the contract (and that's the conservative estimate. Remember, there are a lot of people around baseball that think he's two to three years older than he says he is). This is perhaps do-able in the AL, where he can play the Jim Thome-perfected "Old Guy Who Hits the DL Every Few Games" routine, but this would have been a crippling contract after about year six for an NL team like the Cardinals. And I think most Cards fans know it was the right move business-wise, but it still hurts to see a player like that go. To all my Cardinals friends, I can only offer a sincere "sorry," and a promise to buy the first round after Dan Snyder inevitably backs a Brinks truck into the Manning driveway.]
The end of Indiana (Jones)?
For what it's worth, I don't think it is Peyton's last year. His replacement is coming closer than we expected, but I don't think we know his name yet. I don't think [owner] Jim Irsay will ever trade or cut Peyton if he still thinks he can play (and when it's your franchise player, your owner gets to make that call). I think Irsay will do everything he can to either make Manning and Luck co-exist (doubtful), or find out Luck's willingness to sit for a few years isn't there, trade for more picks, and get into "win-one-for-Peyton-now" mode. Then maybe take a QB with the first pick in the second round (practically where Andy Dalton landed last year) and go from there (Don't think this is that crazy of an idea. Remember, we live in a world where Alex Smith and Joe "Freakin'" Flacco lead teams are in first place in their divisions).
There's improvements to be made all over this team, and that includes the front-office (Polian has had some really weak drafts in recent years, setting us up for our current predicament) and coaching staff (Jim Caldwell has to go. Sorry, but you don't get to go 0-fer and get another chance. If Irsay has any brains in that rock-n-roll loving head of his, he'll fire Caldwell when the game clock hits 0:00 on New Year's Day and be knocking on Jeff Fisher's door the next morning). But past all of that, the question still remains, do you take Luck or do you gamble on Manning's health for a few more years?
In a league where one hit can end your season or career, a situation where one player has a lot more years left in him than the other, and a price tag that makes it supremely easier to build around the talented rookie than the hailed veteran, it's an easy decision for your head to make.
But not for your heart. That's what really sucks.
But not for your heart. That's what really sucks.
Brian Spicklemire is a composer and percussionist, staunch Indianian and current graduate student at Butler University. Check out his work on Soundcloud and on his website at http://www.brianspicklemire.com.
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