Whitlock on Manning

[Hammock Parties]

Faith in Manning biting Colts now

Peyton Manning, the gold standard for game-day preparation, left the Indianapolis Colts totally unprepared for this football inevitability.

Even in this era of two-hand touch on the quarterback, no one — not Tom Brady or even Brett Favre — plays them all. Not in the NFL.

There is a price for going all in with one player for such an extended time, and the Colts are about to pay it.

That is not written to undervalue the rewards reaped from No. 18. Whatever the toll for his neck injury, back pain, potentially lengthy stay on the sideline and Indy’s unpreparedness for his absence — and I think the penalties could be steep — you can argue Manning was well worth it.

Manning’s value to and impact on Indianapolis exceeds Michael Jordan’s to Chicago, Favre’s to Green Bay, Muhammad Ali’s to Louisville, and Larry Bird’s to Boston.

Beyond the regular-season victories, the playoff appearances, the Super Bowl title and the passing records, Peyton Manning gave my hometown an identity. He took the Nap out of “Naptown.” He made out-of-towners acknowledge the success of former Mayor Bill Hudnut’s transformation of downtown Indy from parking lot ghost town to bustling, trendy entertainment destination. Manning made the Hoosier Dome rock and Lucas Oil Stadium a suitable location for the Super Bowl.

Manning arrived in Indiana in the last days of Bobby Knight’s reign at Indiana University and shortly after the state ruined its two most cherished and famous traditions, single-class high school basketball (Hoosier Hysteria) and the Indy 500 (Tony George’s split with CART).

Manning led a football revolution. A state defined by basketball and a city known for open-wheel racing fell in love with football and the home team’s goofy quarterback.

High school football now rules the state. My alma mater, Warren Central High, a powerhouse since the days of Jeff George, is now a football factory, a contender for the mythical national championship, home to more than 15 Division I prospects. My Warriors will have a difficult time winning the big-class state championship. That’s how good football has become in a former basketball state.

Peyton Manning embodies Indiana the way Bobby Knight once did. Knight was a dictator who lorded over an empire not entirely his own creation. Manning, surprisingly, is a dictator, too, albeit a kinder, gentler one. Because he is solely responsible for creating Indy’s football culture, Manning’s stranglehold on the Colts is firmer than Knight’s grasp was on Indiana basketball.

After a fluky, Mike Davis-led run to the Final Four, Indiana basketball collapsed sans Knight.

I can’t imagine the Colts surviving a week, let alone a season sans 18. They’re not remotely prepared. Manning never gave them the freedom to prepare. For years he required his personal valet, Jim Sorgi, be retained as Indy’s backup quarterback. In the mid-2000s, Tony Dungy brought in his old Tampa quarterback Shaun King to back up Manning. King had playoff and regular-season experience. He outplayed Sorgi in the preseason. King was cut.

Curtis Painter was being groomed to be Manning’s new valet. But Painter simply can’t master the art of pretending to be a capable clipboard holder. He’s terrible. The lockout didn’t mask or excuse his incompetence.

The Colts have drafted two quarterbacks since 1998 (the year Manning was plucked at No. 1): Sorgi in the sixth round of 2004 and Painter in the sixth round of 2009.

The Colts have never taken Manning insurance. Recent signee Kerry Collins is not insurance. He’s a retired fire extinguisher.

According to Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz, Manning experienced (unreported) neck problems throughout the 2010 season and tried all kinds of non-surgical solutions early in the offseason before agreeing to surgery in late May. Manning signed a new, $90 million contract in July.

Manning got his money before anyone truly understood the seriousness of his neck injury. Manning took care of Manning. He made it difficult for the Colts to take care of the Colts. Surgery in February might have allowed the Colts to consider selecting a quarterback high in the latest draft.

The Packers picked Aaron Rodgers when Favre was 36, still healthy and taking every snap. Manning is 35.

What’s even rougher for the Colts is their entire offensive system is predicated on having Manning at the controls. For the last decade, Manning has been Indy’s offensive coordinator. He ran the offense on the field and consulted with Tom Moore on the sideline. Moore is gone. So is Tony Dungy. You can make a pretty compelling case Manning is Indy’s head coach. Jim Caldwell simply wears the headset.

The Colts aren’t going anywhere without Peyton Manning.

I think Bill Polian is the best general manager in football and maybe the best in all of professional sports. But he can’t fix this. The whole organization is built around 18.

The success (Super Bowl, new stadium) and failure (only one title and consistent offensive stinkers in the postseason) of the Colts the past decade can all be directly tied to an overreliance on Manning. I wrote a column about this issue in January when the Colts lost to the Jets in the playoffs.

I believe Manning wanted and manipulated the organization into being singularly attached to his rare talent. It was fun calling the plays and signing the record contracts that go along with being the most important player in football.

Sunday won’t be fun, and it just might foreshadow what’s in store for the Colts moving forward.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Oops, sorry I missed it. Cool.

NooB

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Dayze

NooB

Yeah, no kidding. I even looked at the schedule to check for sure, before I posted it. I blame Cassel.

[Bearcat]

According to Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz, Manning experienced (unreported) neck problems throughout the 2010 season and tried all kinds of non-surgical solutions early in the offseason before agreeing to surgery in late May. Manning signed a new, $90 million contract in July.

Manning got his money before anyone truly understood the seriousness of his neck injury. Manning took care of Manning. He made it difficult for the Colts to take care of the Colts. Surgery in February might have allowed the Colts to consider selecting a quarterback high in the latest draft.

Heh, he goes on and on and on (and on) about how important Manning is to the team, then writes like Manning knew how serious it was and just wanted a pay day. Of course he played with it last year and held off on surgery until he absolutely had to do it.... he's that ****ing important. Manning didn't screw them out of solid backup... that's ridiculous.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Heh, he goes on and on and on (and on) about how important Manning is to the team, then writes like Manning knew how serious it was and just wanted a pay day. Of course he played with it last year and held off on surgery until he absolutely had to do it.... he's that ****ing important. Manning didn't screw them out of solid backup... that's ridiculous.

Agreed. The Colts made the mistake of not drafting a decent backup for the past 2 or 3 years. Cant blame them too much though, Manning has basically been "Ironman"

Nobodies at major fault here, every Dynasty has to end at some point....

[lcarus]

Once I saw the title of this thread, I started to think it may be how Peyton's injury occured.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Agreed. The Colts made the mistake of not drafting a decent backup for the past 2 or 3 years. Cant blame them too much though, Manning has basically been "Ironman"

Ironman or not, it's ridiculous to basically ignore the backup QB position altogether year after year after year. You're begging for disaster sooner or later, and now they're about to receive what they've been begging for.

I'm not saying you draft a 1st round pick at the position, but seriously, they haven't invested *anything* at the position in 10 years...

[Amnorix]

Here's the link to Colts' drafts:

http://www.fftoday.com/nfl/drafttrac...am&TeamID=9001

In the 13 drafts since drafting Manning in 1998, the Colts have used a grand total of TWO picks on Quarterbacks, both occurring very late in the 6th round (28th pick each time, coincidentally). It's just dumb.

Patriots in 11 drafts (with Brady "in hand"), by comparison:

2011: Mallett, high 3rd
2010: Robinson, late 7th
2008: O'Connell, late 3rd
2005: Cassel, mid 7th
2003: Klingsbury, late 6th
2002: Davey, mid 4th


Bottom line is that the Colts pretty much intentionally said "**** it, if we lose Manning we're dead anyway, so we're not even going to try to have an adequate backup."

Good luck with that.

[mikey23545]

Originally Posted by DJJasonp

I'm convinced Jeff George has compromising photos of Whitlock and himself.

FYP.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

Whitlock on Manning

Can you post a GIF?

[PunkinDrublic]

I'll bet even Jeff George himself is getting sick of being mentioned in Whitlocks lame ass football columns.

[BigMeatballDave]

I'm sure Payton will give some money back...

[PunkinDrublic]

Originally Posted by Dave

I'm sure Payton will give some money back...

He'll make it back by landing a neckbrace endorsement.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Can you post a GIF?

You want us all to go blind?

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Can you post a GIF?

google image search "gay interracial"

[bevischief]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

I haven't seen anything that says Manning will miss the entire season. So what if he misses a game or two.

He is out for 2-3 months...