Though Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian isn’t retiring any time soon, his son, Chris, has taken a big step closer toward replacing his 66-year-old father once he decides to pack it in.
The Indianapolis Star reports that Chris Polian has been named the team’s General Manager as part of joint contract extensions with both Polians, which will keep them with the team beyond 2012.
Chris Polian, a long-time employee of the Colts, often has been mentioned as a possible candidate for jobs in other cities, but he never has come close to leaving Indy. It now appears that he won’t be leaving at any point in the near future.
“I was willing to make a financial commitment to the management side
of this organization to keep Chris off the market,” owner Jim Irsay told the Star. “Chris
is going to be here and play a dominant role. I’ve been around Chris
for a long time. Whenever Bill is ready to retire, or semi-retire,
we’ll move forward with Chris.”
Wasn’t the Irsay’s considered one one the WORST owners in football, at one point?? Guess there is hope for Daniel Synder after all!
Robert Irsay was considered the be one of the worst owners. Jim Irsay is a very different person and an exceptional owner, one of the best. If Jim Irsay was considered a horrible owner, there’s no way the other owners would have rewarded Indianapolis with a Super Bowl.
Kinda Bush league that his kid just auto gets a job with the organizationa and stays around long enough to work his way to this spot
“Kinda Bush league that his kid just auto gets a job with the organization and stays around long enough to work his way to this spot”
Anyone who knows anything about player personnel in the business (which you obviously don’t) knows he’s a quality front office asset. You have any facts about his actual performance which leads you to believe this isn’t a good move? I’d guess you just “auto” hate Polian/Irsay/Colts.
“Kinda Bush league that his kid just auto gets a job with the organizationa and stays around long enough to work his way to this spot”
——————————
Chris Polian has largely been in charge of the scouting efforts that have yielded so many good players for the Colts over the years.
It’s nice to actually know things before you go talking out your ass.
Great way to skirt the Rooney rule. Name a successor in advance.
Interesting. I was just talking about the Bills possibly going after Chris Polian at Thanksgiving dinner. Thought it would be a good move. With so many jobs opening up, Irsay did a great job by ensuring that Chris wouldn’t be going anywhere.
The only way the Colts would allow a promotion to be unwarranted or without merit is if his name was Chris Irsay and even then, they wouldn’t name a GM who couldn’t hold his/her own water.
Did his last name being Polian help him get a job? Of course. Would it allow him to be in the position he is in without knowing the business? Of course not.
I think what helped Jim Irsay become a good owner was his time serving as General Manager for the Colts while his father was still alive. Jim Irsay was an average GM (which is putting it kindly) and I think getting his ass handed to him at that job has really helped him now as the owner. It made him realize he only knew so much about football and he needed to hire really good people and stay the hell out of their way. Which is a lesson a lot of other owners could learn.
I would have loved to have Chris Polian in Washington as the GM. Chris Polian has been in the NFL since the early/mid 90′s when he was a scout with the Panthers…he’s worked his way up through the ranks, been trained by one of the best, who just happens to be his dad. Calling him bush league is whats bush league.
Indiana is legendary for its nepotism. Like the de-motivational poster says, “Nepotism: We promote family values here almost as often as we promote family members.” Besides, there are too many Polians in the league apparently due to their divine birth-rights of NFL GM & personneldom.
People can say what they want about how the Brown family runs the Bengals, but at least they stick to football. The Rooney’s run Pittsburgh like their own little fiefdom. Have wedded family members to other royal NFL houses like the Mara’s.
Everytime a multigenerational family member that isn’t an owner gets a job in the NFL without having played D1 college or pro-football or worked their way up from the mail room is clearly getting their Paris Hilton legacy check from their family.
It’s all over the NFL if you just look and people wonder why there’s such bad coaching and personnel decisions in this league sometimes? Well in NFL coaching and front office positions more often than not there’s at least 2 people with the same family name or a relative in common.
Oh well, the NFL should change its personnel slogan to “It’s how hard you work; It’s who you know or who you bl*w.”
And we in Cleveland are stuck with the Clueless Lerners …All Lerner has to do is Look West to twoards the next State Over to Learn How to Run A Franchise . The Irsays are very savy .
Surprised you didn’t insert a quote about front office positions also need to follow the Rooney Rule. It’s ok to let the lawyer out to play everyone now and then, just don’t let him get carried way.
He may know football; but it’s still Nepotism.
Irsay is very much the hypocrite to allow this and then waive the flag of cause when Limbaugh flawed character wants to own a piece of a franchise.
The message is clear – self-made men (i.e. Limbaugh, albeit a quasi-one) have to fight for everything they have; while, the Polians can promote from the good-ole-boy system.
How do you vote to allow an “open” vetting process for coaches, but we stop the line at front office stiffs?!?
It was bad form…no matter what the boy’s qualifications…
@Miamian
Perhaps you should do some research before implying that Chris Polian got the job without working his way up and because he is Bill Polian’s son.
http://cms.ibj.com/ASPXPages/6iframes/FrontEndArticlesDetailPage.aspx?ArticleID=14243&Noframe=1
“‘He grew up in the locker room and in the front office,’ said Marv Levy, who was the Bills coach when Bill Polian was president. ‘I was always very impressed by his focus, enthusiasm and sense of direction even at a very young age. Now, there’s no question to almost everyone around the league, he’s on his way.’
Some of Polian’s earliest NFL experiences came while running errands and carrying the headset cord on the sidelines for Levy, who retired in December as Bills general manager.
‘Nothing was below Chris, and he has no sense of entitlement,’ Levy said. ‘And he was intent on soaking up all the information he could along the way.’ ”
Time will tell if Chris Polian has what it takes to keep the Colts at the same level they’ve been at over the past decade.
Once Manning retires, that definitely won’t be easy, but few teams would be able to keep it up in the salary cap age after one of the best QBs in history retires (just ask Dolphins, Green Bay and 49ers fans).
I think I’ll take the opinion of someone like Marv Levy over random people posting comments on the Internet.
Romo Witten His Pants says:
November 26, 2009 11:16 PM
Great way to skirt the Rooney rule. Name a successor in advance.
That doesnt apply to GM”s, just head coaches.
Random capitalization Of Words confuses Me.
“The Indianapolis Star reports that Chris Polian has been named the team’s General Manager as part of joint contract extensions with both Polians, which will keep them with the team beyond 2012.”
No way. The world ends on December 21, 2012. Haven’t you heard?
Miamian says:
November 26, 2009 11:36 PM
Indiana is legendary for its nepotism.
Do you just like to type? WTF is that about?
@ miamian
Thank you for the asterisk in blow. Good thing because I would have been offended had you not added it.
@RomoWittenHisPants:
I believe the Rooney rule only deals with coaches. Plus, the Colts have now had back-to-back African-American head coaches…I think they have done more than many teams.
# Osterhouse says: November 26, 2009 10:47 PM
Kinda Bush league that his kid just auto gets a job with the organizationa and stays around long enough to work his way to this spot
What the f*** world are you living in ???!!! You’re either very stupid or just don’t get out of the basement much.
@ Miamian
“People can say what they want about how the Brown family runs the Bengals, but at least they stick to football.”
Dude, seriously… are you even listening to yourself? At least the Bengals stick to football? You are talking about one of the worst run franchises in HISTORY. Habitual losers whose only bright spot were a guy named Boomer.
You mentined 3 teams: Bengals, Steelers, Colts.
Bengals – one of the worst run franchises ever because they are so cheaply family run. I believe one of the last teams in the league that wont even sell their naming rights to their stadium. Get with the times… get money to pay Free Agents and evolve.
Steelers – Runs it like their own personal fiefdom? Well that fiefdom has produced 2 Hall of Fame coaches (and perhaps one in waiting) and 6 Superbowls, more than anyone in the history of the league.
Colts – Since Manning was drafted in 1998, no team has won as many games as the Colts. Plus with a Superbowl championship, it puts the franchise over the top. Plus they have won at least 12 games in each of the last 7 years (including this year)… let me say that again… at least 12 of 16 games for 7 straight years. All under one GM, Bill Polian. Polian Jr. will hopefully carry the torch, but like Manning, he has grown up around the game. Im sure he took less money to stay in Indy knowing that ole’ Billy is gonna leave soon and he’ll take the reigns.
I dont know bro, it just seemed like your post was strictly anti-Polian just for the hell of it. Please look at things objectively…
I find it amusing so many people who don’t know anything about personnel are saying it’s nepotism, while so many others are saying they wish Chris Polian was their team’s GM.
If Chris turns out to be half of the executive of his father, it’ll be a good move.
Just look at Bill’s string of first-round picks since ’98. Ridiculous. Come to Chicago, please.
Renewing contract/ promotion = more money
Isn’t this the team who just laid off 20+ people? But they can afford to give the Polian’s more money??????
What do they have on you Mr Irsay?
Next Polian on pay role is Brian. He will be available after this season.
Here I go: one at a time.
bmerryman: ” Anyone who knows anything about player personnel in the business (which you obviously don’t) knows he’s a quality front office asset. You have any facts ”
Dude the fact is anyone who knows anything about the Polians KNOWS Chrissy is NOT ALLOWED to make ANY decisions before he passes it by daddy.
FACT: A coouple of years ago Chrissy wrote up contracts for some players they ALL had to be rewritten.
FACT: There are better and more qualified/ experienced men in the NFL than Chrissy to have such a title.
FACT: there is no way that you are not related to or on the Colts payrole.
FACT: Almost every person in the NFL reads these articles, and they know the truths.
lezmaka
Jimmy is not an owner he is a puppet. He did not earn the team he inherit it. Awarding Indy with a superbowl has NOTHING to do with Jimmy being a good or bad owner. Is all political.
Reptar:
“Chris Polian has largely been in charge of the scouting efforts that have yielded so many good players for the Colts over the years”
No Chris Polian has not been in charge of scouting for years. After he came from Carolina, where he was an assistant, he was a pro scout. Dom Anile was. Chrissy has NEVER even college scouted. The college scouts do a ton of the hard work.
Next you will be saying Chrissy handpicked Peyton. He was not even in Indy yet.
Corkscrew:
Chrissy is not going anywhere. “they” said he was being considered for the Brown’s this past year. The Brown’s never invited him there…. It is all a hoax to get Jimmy to give them more money.
Facts Domino:
“Did his last name being Polian help him get a job? Of course. Would it allow him to be in the position he is in without knowing the business? Of course not.”
He would not be GM with any other team at this point if he was not a Polian. Honestly, he would probably be a pro scout at most.
Sal Tynuts:
Chrissy was not a scout at carolina.
However, I would hire him elsewhere, because he would have to confer with Bill and you would get Bill’s advice for free!!!
Lezmanka (again)
anyone who knows anything in the NFL KNOWS that Napolian and Levy are VERY good friends. So his opinion does not count, and Levy is getting senile.
jersey73: Dungy was Irsays pick not Polian. If memory serves me correctly, Charlie Weis was who Polian wanted.
Uncle Tuna;
“He may know football; but it’s still Nepotism.
Irsay is very much the hypocrite to allow this and then waive the flag of cause when Limbaugh flawed character wants to own a piece of a franchise.
The message is clear – self-made men (i.e. Limbaugh, albeit a quasi-one) have to fight for everything they have; while, the Polians can promote from the good-ole-boy system.”
RIGHT ON.