APNFL rules generally prohibit team personnel from commenting on college players who have yet to be certified for entry into the draft. Thus, when Colts owner Jim Irsay talked to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports about Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who still has one more year of college eligibility, it appeared that Irsay could be in line for a strongly-worded letter from the league office. Along with a requirement that Irsay make an involuntary donation to the charity of the league’s choice.
That won’t be happening.
“It was well understood by Andrew Luck that he would have been the top pick or a top 5 pick if he came out after LAST season,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello explained via email. “He decided to stay. The comment you cite [from Irsay] is not the type that is of concern in terms of influencing underclassmen.”
Specifically, Irsay said the following about Luck: “Guys like that come along so rarely. Even if that means that guy sits for three or four years, you’d certainly think about taking him . . . you see what Green Bay did with [Brett] Favre and [Aaron] Rodgers and you’d like to be able to do the same thing.”
We agree with the notion that Irsay didn’t say anything that would make the NFL a more enticing option for Luck. But it was our understanding that the league employs a bright-line rule in matters of this nature.
Apparently, the league doesn’t. Which means that it’s now open season for other owners, coaches, and General Managers to make similar comments about Luck.
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Luck will be a Colt this time next year.
In other words if Irsay were to say that colts would draft Bob White from Timbuktu university in next year draft he would have been fine?
Has Irsay ever had to work a day in his life?
Irsay is kind of a snake in the grass, if you ask me. Something about the guy just makes me suspicious of him.
Rules are for players and coaches, not owners….owners are in charge of firing and hiring the guys who enforce the rules….
I bet he will be a Dolphin.
Apparently, the league doesn’t. Which means that it’s now open season for other owners, coaches, and General Managers to make similar comments about Luck.
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And won’t that be a hell of a lot more fun than 32 owners and GMs saying “no comment” because of some stupid rule?
Why a media member who get indignant about the league allowing people to speak their mind is beyond me.
*WOULD get indignant* I mean.
Obviously.
Damn you, demon scotch.
Very nice…..the OC at Stanford is the son of the Colts President….not suspicious in the least. At least they could try and hide the tanking of the games just a little?
I’m willing to bet Luck has a Colts playbook already!
Just back off Colts. The Andrew Luck sweepstakes is Miami’s party and you’re not invited. What, 14 years with Payton Manning isn’t good enough for you? We’ve been in the wilderness a LONG time. Suffered enough. 0-16!
too bad!
Irsay = curse word in Baltimore
beretta69d Brian Polian is a special teams coach, same position that he’s failed at all over the country. He’s as poor at his job as his two other brothers that daddy hired at Indianapolis. The three of them together wouldn’t know if a football is blown up or stuffed. Maybe because daddy never made them go out there and actually do something for themselves.
Luck does not sound any different than those other “pro-ready offense” QBs who haven’t performed well in the NFL? Why does he get a free pass while all the other QBs have to “prove” themselves? Talk about a free handout…
Can’t believe how our sports media now pick and choose as to who’s automatically qualify to be an elite NFL QB and who has to “prove themselves” *coughCam Newtoncough*.SMDH
Don’t criticize the NFL for finally having some common sense.
That would totally blow my pretty toes off if the Colts wound up with my dream pedicurist after having Peyton for so many years.
People are waaaaaay too confident that Andrew Luck is the next John Elway or something similar. I realize he has “all the tools”, but you can never account for what is going through a young man’s head. There are no guarantees in the NFL Draft. For all we know, Landry Jones might be the next big star to break through.
Enough about all of this Luck talk. He could be Ryan Leaf or Jeff George for all we know about him.
What a crock!
There have been many players in the past who also knew they would be high draft choices and wouldn’t be influenced by comments made by team personnel, yet the teams weren’t allowed to make such comments about them. So why is Irsay getting a free pass?
And it’s not a stupid rule. Knowing that a team would pick you if you’re available gives the player leverage he otherwise doesn’t have. Luck now knows Indianapolis would pick him if he is available, where before he might think they wouldn’t because they have Manning. So if Luck would prefer to play for the Colts organization he can now use his new found information to force his way to that club. Whereas if he doesn’t know he may be more inclined to go to the organization who has the first pick (presumably).
There’s a multitude of reasons for this rule and the NFL chose to look the other way when it come to the Colts. Perhaps it’s a new Polian rule. You think the league would give a pass to say, Cincinnati, Jacksonville or Oakland if they had done this? I think not.
Maybe the league just feels sorry for Irsay? The Colts are doing a lot this year to inspire that kinda feeling.
There are certain franchises that get a pass from the league office. The Colts are one of them.
It is unfortunate that the rules aren’t enforced uniformly by the league but that’s the way it is.
Probably should have went after Ryan Mallet tbh…
What I think is interesting is that all these probowl players or so called in the past are probably not making the probowl this year because Manning is out. Reggie Wayne clearly is the team’s second best player, now we can see that in the lightest of lights. But look at Dallas Clark, Joe Addai, Collie, Gonzo and Freeney and Mathis, even Wayne. Their numbers are at career LOWS in every stat this time this year. Also, Bill Polian, Jim Caldwell and the rest of the coaching staff, front office is not that good neither, clearly everyone has benefited from their jobs because of Peyton Manning and not deservingly I might add.
You could put the kids from South Park in charge and still make the playoffs with Peyton Manning