Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell said today he understands fans are angry about the decision to pull quarterback Peyton Manning and other key starters while leading Sunday against the New York Jets. The first-year NFL coach made the personnel changes to ensure the health of his regulars for the playoffs, and as a result the Colts quickly coughed up a five-point lead in the third quarter and lost 29-15 to end their record 23-game regular-season win streak. Caldwell essentially stuck to that unpopular choice. "It's probably my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. I can focus in. I can narrow my scope," Caldwell said of a controversial decision that's the buzz of a sports talk nation. Once you make a decision, you have to live with it. You certainly weigh all the options before. You take a look at all the things that could occur. But once that decision is done, you keep moving." Source: Indianapolis Star
Well, heck that. I want to see a 19-0 team just to see the look on Don Shula and Mercury Morris' stupid faces...
holy crap. i saw on tv this morning that some Indianapolis City Councilman is demanding that the Colts refund everyone's money from the game on Sunday. I can't believe some of the goobered crap that people are saying about this situation and most of it is coming from Colts fans. My dream scenario for the playoffs is now that the Colts win the Lombardi Trophy, insist that the trophy read 'Colts' only without 'Indianapolis' on there and then announce during the celebration parade that they're moving to Los Angeles effective immediately................ freaking ungrateful fans .................... ok, now I'm getting all wound up over this too ............. :icon_cheesygrin:
I think it was the timing and situation when they (Caldwell & Polin) pulled the starters is making this a controversy. If Indy were ahead by at least two possessions instead of just five points at the point Manning & co were pulled, this may have been a different manner. But I guess we'll never know for sure how that would've played out.
yes, i've heard that theory but the only reason someone would be upset at the way it was actually handled is because they feel personally entitled that the Colts organization owes them a full-blown attempt at 16-0. The fact is that the Colts have only 1 team goal, which is winning a SB and they felt what they did was in their best interest of protecting their ultimate goal. No fan is 'entitled' to an organization throwing their team goal out the window just to satisfy their wishes. The people who think the Colts should have thrown aside their ultimate goal to satisfy them personally are self-centered, narcissistic egomaniacs. The world doesn't revolve around them but they still think it does.
Don Shula and Mercury Morris were probably sipping champaigne the second Manning got pulled from the game against the Jets.
Anyone who thinks Caldwell was wrong on this call is clueless. This team has NOTHING to prove to anyone. They have gone undefeated this whole year. They have the best quarterback in the biz. They've won close ones and not-so-close ones. This isn't a team that needs momentum heading into the postseason. They've been there, they know what to expect. All these numbskulls need to http://www.superficialgallery.com/Celebs/albums/albums/userpics/10001/STFU-Penn-animated-avatar.gif
Couldn't agree more. While the opportunity was there to go 15-0 and continue for an undefeated season, they were looking at the bigger picture on capturing their third world championship. Bill Polin to this day I bet still has losing Jim Kelly on his mind in the '92 season finale against the Houston Oilers which was a meaningless game for the Bills since they already had everything locked up headed for the playoffs. Polin was the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills back then. If Indy were up by more than five when this happened, I think the Colts could've held on for the win granted if Painter didn't screw up unlike how it really unfolded. The Undefeated Season has lost some of its luster imo ever since the Patriots two years ago were undefeated in the regular season, their first two playoff games but lost Super Bowl XLII. They started to lose steam down the stretch and finally caught up to them in Glendale. The Colt fans may have wanted to see their club have a chance at a 19-0 season which New England couldn't accomplish but the Colts organization looked at the big picture and did what was in their mind the right decision moving forward by trying to win another Super Bowl and get there as healthy as possible. This whole thing is a double edged sword in my mind. The Colts organization would've really gotten lynched if Peyton or any Colts key member got serious injured in a "meaningless" game in their mind against the Jets. You just can't please everyone all the time. Sometimes you have to do what you think its best for the team and fans moving forward into the postseason.
The Colts have previously won two Super Bowls in 1970 and 2006. They won their first in Super Bowl V when they were the Baltimore Colts.
Yeah well that is another argument for another thread from this born and raised Baltimore Boy. :icon_cool:
I can completely comprehend with that. It was still pretty crapty the way the Colts were just uprooted in the middle of that snowy March night in 1984. People might say get over it but its easier said then done. Only born and raised Baltimoreans like yourself MG would understand how the Colts meant to them even with the Ravens now in town.
