Colts call on fans to quit posting messages about Sunday's game

The fallout from Sunday’s misguided decision by the Colts to tap out from their pursuit of perfection continues.

Last night, team president Bill Polian’s weekly radio show ended 10 minutes early, just as a caller had Polian on the ropes regarding the logical disconnect between resting injured starters for a meaningless game and pulling healthy starters from a close one.

Now, a reader points out that the Colts have asked folks who post messages on the team’s official “Fan Forum” to quit complaining.

Under the heading “Enough is enough,” site moderator named “TubaGuy” makes this plea:  “Up to this point we have been letting people vent and get their emotion
out.  I think it has been needed, and we didn’t want to shut it down. 
However, now it’s getting to the point of being childish and VERY
repetitive.  At some point, probably Tuesday or Wednesday, it is time to
move on.  Whether you agree or disagree with the coaching move, this forum needs
to move forward.  We still have a lot of playing to do, and we need to
come together and focus on the future.  Let’s move on, people. . . .”

Though it’s not the first time an NFL team has tried to nudge the discussion on its message boards in a different direction, the fact that the Colts find themselves in this predicament reconfirms that the organization grossly underestimated the local reaction to the abandonment of the quest for perfection with less than 1.5 regular-season games to play.

So either the Colts aren’t too smart, or they’re extremely arrogant.  We’ll let PFT commenters debate this and any other topic for as long as they want.

UPDATE:  In a tweet from “MyColts,” the Twitter page of MyColts.net, a fan site owned by the Colts, the team says that “Tuba Guy is a fan and a volunteer,” which apparently is supposed to make us regard the message as irrelevant.  The problem, as we pointed out in response, is that TubaGuy also is a moderator, which means that the Colts have authorized him to speak on their behalf within the confines of the team-owned message boards.  Moreover, the fact that the Colts have not removed their moderator’s post asking fans to talk about something other than Sunday’s game ratifies TubaGuy’s words.  (We suppose we’ll eventually get an e-mail from someone with the Colts explaining that the person who handles the Twitter page for MyColts.net is also a “fan and a volunteer.”)

157 responses to “Colts call on fans to quit posting messages about Sunday's game

  1. Either Pey Pey was also upset about it, or his mangina hurt and that was the reason for the change.

  2. NO risk, NO reward. Ask the Pats if the stress to go undefeated was too much. I think the Gmen were the reason they lost, not the stress. Grow a pair Ponies.

  3. I think the whole perfect season thing isnt the issue with alot of fans. I think the issue is the philosophy that healthy players need to rest in fear of injury. Fans, me inparticular, dont agree with this philosphy because it hasnt worked. Players need to play. They need to keep that “edge”. Do I agree with the move to sit the starters?…NO… Do i understand it?…YES. How sad it would be had Manning been in the game and got hurt and ended his season. I wonder how the irrate Colts fans would feel then? I assume as fickle as most bandwagon fans.

  4. The really dumb thing here is that the topic would have run out of gas by Wednesday anyway. By bringing up the subject the Colts are just prolonging it and added some fuel to the fire in the form of censorship charges.

  5. …take it on the chin fellas. People have a right to plant your gutless call into the dirt. man up…since you didn’t Sunday night…..

  6. There is truly a difference between “resting injured starters for a meaningless game and pulling healthy starters from a close one”. Look players are going to do what they’re told and they’re going to say the right things in an interview (of course Peyton would say “follow orders with all your heart”; he’s not THAT stupid).
    But seriously, as a player, you want to WIN…I guarantee you that not ONE of those players on that Colts team was saying “I hope they pull us so we can stay healthy and hopefully get to the superbowl”! They were all talking about PERFECT SEASON! Sure, they have nothing to lose…they’re in the playoffs and that will take care of itself… but this team was POISED in THIS GAME and the REMAINING SCHEDULE to go PERFECT!
    They should have let them PLAY!!!

  7. Here we go again. Set up a forum for the fans BUT if many of them don’t agree with you try to suppress their opinions. Sounds like the Tampa sports writers who simply remove comments that expose them or Raheem as buffoons. This clown, Tubelover, even refers to his own bloggers opinions as “childish”. Smart move, clown. Obamalamadingdong will be proud.

  8. I said it once, I will say it a million times…
    I am not a fan of the Dolphins, but I know they were undefeated Super Bowl champions in 1974 without looking it up. I cannot tell you who won in 1973, 75, 76, 77, etc… without looking it up.
    I can tell you when my team won the Super Bowl off the top of my head, but the other winners are not IMMORTAL. That is the difference. Going for it transcends even a super bowl. If they do not win the super bowl this year, then it was a waste not going for it. period.

  9. Not being a Colts fan I still am upset at the fact that any team would what I call throw a game. Say what you want but that is exactly what i call it.
    This also flies in the face of players and coaches always saying winning is the most important thing, not necessarily how you win but just win. The object of playing is to win and not lay down. the NFL should be concerned that this one team actually manipulated the playoff picture.

  10. lame move by a lame franchise. telling your fans how they should react is ridiculous. i hope this team falls on their face in the playoffs.

  11. @ RodgersIsn’tAPussy
    Wow someones a lil angry this morning!
    Hey cheeseball, the packers suck bad and theVikigns and your poster glory boy whooped your ass twice. Get over it, it’s only football. WAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

  12. The fans are spot on, and they have a right to be angry. Let me put on my neutrality hat for a moment…
    Colts fans are sick and tired of being compared to the Patriots. They’re sick and tired of hearing about 3 Superbowls vs. 1, and Tom Brady’s 2 SB MVP’s, and now, they had a *real* chance to go 16-0 and a legitimate chance to go 19-0. The biggest obstacle to this happening was Polian/Caldwell, not Jets/Bills.
    Without trying to start an argument – Colts fans felt if they went 19-0 they would legitimately be in the “Team of the Decade” conversation. Now, they’re not (even if they win the SB).
    If I were a Colts fan, I’d be mad as heck about what happened Sunday.

  13. The “sitting” didn’t start until Dungy arrived. The Colts are 1-3 when resting their players. All 4 games where @ Indy.
    08 Lost Chargers 23-17
    07 Lost Chargers 28-24
    05 Lost Pittsburgh 21-18
    04 Won Denver 49-24

  14. I would side with the “aren’t too smart” opinion.
    The team that brought you the famous quote “our idiot kicker” now presents “our idiot Head Coach/GM”.
    Of course they have every right to rest players, but against AFC team striving for a playoff spot in front of a home crowd in a stadium the taxpayers help fund?
    VERY BAD IDEA.
    The Colts need to let their fans vent (I am a life long Raider fan and know about fustration with a team) and cross their fingers they win the Super Bowl.

  15. The Colts need to get over it. Really, would they rather the fans complain about a losing season, a terrible QB, or missing the playoffs for the 5th+ consecutive season? Cause that’s what a lot of other teams fans are complaining about.

  16. Once you take your foot off the pedal it’s tough to get back to the front of the race.
    How can the coaches get that killer instinct back in the team after letting it go?
    Such a huge mistake. And it’s not like they were blowing people out. Coming back to win games in the 4th quarter for seven games in a row shows the team had heart, and the coaches stripped that away from them.

  17. Real fans dont need to whine about 1 game. what about the 13 straight home winning streak?
    for 13 straight home games all that season ticket holders have had is the joy of victory and some people think they bought a crappy product? If you were a Lion’s fan with a 0-16 record then i would have to agree with that ,but how many season ticket holders have had a 15-1 or 14-2 season to backup their purchase?
    Also there is news that the Polian show didn’t end 10 minutes earlier it was the Hank FM feed ,if you were listening to the show on AM the Fan, the show was completed and ended as usual. Please verify your story like real journalist do florio, a call to the involved radio station maybe? como’n man!!

  18. I urge every non-Colt fan to register on this message board and let the Colts know how gutless their decision was.

  19. I would be ticked if I spent all that money on tickets.
    Freaking front office types STILL don’t get it.

  20. I’m amazed that a 13-1 team is receiving so much scrutiny for something teams do every year around this time. If Manning had gotten hit in the knee late the same fans would be calling Polian an a-hole for keeping him in for too long.
    I thought Colts fans were smarter than that…

  21. Ha!!!
    It’s “childish and VERY repetitive” to rightfully call out a organizational philosophy that is gutless and the antithesis of what sports are about?
    But somehow it’s not “childish and VERY repetitive” for an obsessively jealous and bitter Colts fanbase to whine about the Patriots winning three very legitimate Super Bowls this decade and bring up Camera Hunt at every opportunity.
    If anything, I’d rather have my Patriots toe the line and inadvertantly go too far in their competitive desire then a gutless bunch of quitters with a losers mentality who cry “no mas”.

  22. Sooner or later a rookie (coach, player, whatever) has a rookie moment. Looks like Caldwell had his this week. If you’re gonna rest your starters, then rest them… but to awkwardly pull them in the 3rd quarter seemed very amateurish…

  23. Hey Commissioner Goodell, do you still want to see an 18 game regular season? So that the Colts could throw their final 5 games, instead of their final 2???

  24. Going 19-0 is too much pressure? Ya right, if anything they have even more pressure on them now than ever. If they lose in the playoffs, it’ll be because they took their foot off the gas at the end of the season. If they win it all, none of the fans will appreciate it because they’ll think back to how they had the perfect season and gave it away. This is a lose-lose, and the players on that team are feeling pretty upset that they weren’t allowed to keep it going, by a rookie coach who hasn’t proven anything. They may be saying the right things but you could see the disgust on their faces on the sideline, and it wasn’t just Peyton. I’m a Pats fan, and even I’m disgusted by what they pulled.

  25. Forget the perfect season angle- the Colts strategy of resting starters for the playoffs flat out doesn’t work. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. In 2005 and 2007, they rested their starters and lost early in the playoffs. In 2006, although they were 12-4, they were in a tight race to the end, played everyone, and still had to play wild card weekend. Result? Super Bowl Championship.
    The fact is, while Polian is certainly a great GM, he is also a pig headed, stubborn, ego maniac. He would rather lose his way, than win someone elses.

  26. I’ve heard some comments that this game was meaningless. I have a feeling a lot of Colts fans would beg to differ.

  27. Sounds like Barack Obama telling people not to be fear mongers while Al Queda is plotting to blow our airlines out of the sky.

  28. Schism….Manning along with other stars aren’t on the same page as the coach. Where are all the articles? Come on Florio – I expect more out of you. Start making up rumors!!!! You aren’t afraid to do it when it’s the Vikings.

  29. Losing the undefeated season is one thing…but the biggest problem is the rest. They get the 1st round bye which is only good because you have to win one less game. The Colts did this a few years ago where they basically didn’t play for 3 weeks…as they are doing now, and lost in the 1st round….count on that again especially if they draw the Pats.

  30. Most of those forums are run by fans themselves, so the Colts may not have anything to do with that.

  31. WWNYGD
    “Your team” won the Super Bowl in 1973 following an “immortal” season in 1972…not 1974…I hereby challenge your fanhood…clown.

  32. RodgersIsn’tAPussy says:
    Oh well. I can’t wait to see the Vikings lose in the playoffs and all will be right in Packerland.
    ______________________________
    Wow, so all will be right in Packerland as long as the Vikings lose? Pretty pathetic that “Packerland” fans are more worried about the Vikings than their own team.

  33. wow – talk about contempt for the fans. If the Colts go one-or 2- and done this will go down as one of the great PR disasters of all time (right after Tiger) – How stupid can you get?

  34. I believe the Colts did the right thing! The team has very little depth at key positions, particularly at QB. Plus the game was meaningless in their pursuit of a Super Bowl. If the players do not like it, then they can go out and show management their displeasure by blowing other teams out in the playoffs………This is about winning the Super Bowl not an undefeated regular season………….

  35. So if the Colts are truly afraid of players getting hurt are they going to cancel practice too? Of course not. Now the Colts are going to face the Bills this week and they cannot even attempt to try to win this game or they will create even more drama around week 17. So they will mail in their second in a row. Sad. You know that Manning’s only SB win came during a wild card season when he had to play all the way through the season without losing the competitive edge. History is not on their side on this…

  36. The Colts make one bad move after another come playoff time. They get in their own way. Manning saves his worst games for the playoffs, and now it would seem the management is exactly the same. Not going for a perfect season was bad enough, but to continue the controversy by calling on the fans to stop their justified complaining is even worse. Especially with the argument they made, which blames the fans, and makes it out like they are whining.
    Now, if the Colts had said something like: “We underestimated the fans desire for a perfect season. We were thinking of what would be best for our team and our chances at getting to the Superbowl, and in that process we took some actions that have greatly upset our fans, and for that we apologize. We understand that you are upset, and we have heard you. We simply ask that we now leave this episode behind us and move on to the upcoming game against the Bills and the playoffs,” that would have been better. It would seem that the Colts do not appreciate their fans at all.

  37. aw geeze, Packers fans are STILL whinning about that whole Brett Favre thing? Rodgers isnt a pussy, but dude, you definitely sound like one. No, this isnt a Packer message board. That cry baby tune youre singing is about two seasons old. No one cares. Especially after you lost twice to the Vikings. No wonder you worry about being banned on Packers message boards. You sound like youre gay for Favre and youre made he left you for another guy. There are definitely plenty of homo message boards for you where you can go cry.. maybe get a hug.. paint some rainbows.

  38. hey wwnygd,
    the dolphins were undefeated in 1972 (super bowl was in ’73), not ’74…so much for “not having to look it up”

  39. 45 years a Colts fan and while yes, I was upset they didn’t go for the perfect season (actually the way they waved it in front of our eyes and then cruelly yanked it away), I am not ready to burn my Freeney, Mathis, Wayne and Manning jerseys just yet. I think this has blown WAY out of proportion. Let’s keep our focus on the shiny bauble at the end of the tunnel. Let’s get ready for the Patsies in the Div Round and the B(D)olts in the Super Bowl (sorry, AFC title game).

  40. Fans are allowed to vent their frustration. If you paid to go see that game, you have every right to vent your frustration.

  41. Thats great….post articles saying not to post things about the Colts pulling Peyton Mangina…well what did you think you would get…you got it….more posts!!
    I also heard in Minneasoda they are asking all fans to stop posting about ALL DAY’S fumbling problem and Favray’s spat with Chilly.
    I also heard Texas Tech fans need to stop posting about the coach locking kids in the closet for 3 hours.
    I also heard…………

  42. i have just been calling the front office (317) 297-2658 then press 0, to voice my displeasure. they should have their feet held to fire.

  43. I do not understand why people who posts have to cuss and swear to get their point across, the person named Rodgers etc, etc, should grow up and get a little class. This post was about Indy and had nothing to do with the Vikings.

  44. TubaGuy probably has no affiliation with the Colts other than being a moderator on their boards. I know the mods on other teams boards have no affiliation witht he team and certainly do not speak on their behalf. But hey here’s to yet another misleading post title for hits. Keep up the cheezy work princess.

  45. People post curse words cause Florio lets them, and to me, thats pretty badass. This is the internet, where the definition of class is unknown nearly everywhere.

  46. Sorry TubaGuy. This story is not going away that easy.
    Patriots fans had to endure 4th and 2 criticism for a very long time. The Colts quitting on a perfect season is 10X a worse decision than Belichick’s so accept the fact the criticism against the Colts is not going away in just a couple days.
    As a Patriots fan, I can’t get enough of it!

  47. Yeah, maybe enough is enough, but if the Colts go one and done, that scab will be torn off with conviction!

  48. “…caller had Polian on the ropes regarding the logical disconnect between resting injured starters for a meaningless game and pulling healthy starters from a close one.”
    Of course if Manning had been sacked and lost for the season ala Brady then all would have been for nothing.

  49. Good luck with that Colts Forum admins cause it won’t stop. Only want to stop it would be to close their forums. And I can’t blame players/fans to be upset I would be.

  50. Has anybody considered the logical reasoning that maybe, just maybe, you want to get your second and third stringers some live game action at the end of the season in a meaningless game, in case you are forced to go to them in the playoff games? I mean, I know nobody certainly wants Manning to go down, but remember Cincinnati didn’t want Carson Palmer to go down either but Kitna did have to come in…. with Painter having essentially NO gametime experience, isn’t it more prudent to put him in and get him some live snaps? It’s ridiculous that anyone thinks that the “perfect” season is an obligation for any team that has serious plans on going far into the post season. Maybe, just maybe, it isn’t the thought of protecting the starters… maybe its more a thought about getting some younger players some experience in case you are forced to use them in a game that does matter.

  51. Regardless of whether it’s true or not many fans in many NFL cities feel that the Integrity of the game was violated. Colts fans obviously feel they were robbed and Polian and his management team will follow in lock step to sell them that the Superbowl will be the ointment for their burn.
    I find it strange that Goodell will jump up from behind any rock to address or fine the smallest transgressions by the league’s players but in an instance that a Member of the NFL Competition Committee and a team General Manager decisions causes such a furor nationwide he is sight unseen.With respect to the Colts fans it’s not just an issue for them.
    Trying to manipulate free speech on a message board is unwise. If Colts Board members are not violating terms of service they should have their say. I mean honestly what do they have to talk about anyway this week? Manning”s three snaps in Buffalo to keep his streak alive?
    Oh, I guess streaks do matter then…

  52. why don’t they lay down when it’s time for the play offs all that did was show every team in the playoffs that if you take manning out of the game the colts will lose their edge and be one and done in their first playoff game. that loss took the wind out of there sails for there season .

  53. I completely understand fans venting their frustrations. I also don’t think they should stop, because the team isn’t “moving forward” as they said, they are going to sandbag around, disgracing football for one more week. Keep posting, fans. Maybe we can change the culture around the NFL so the expectation is to play all your starters whenever possible. If they get hurt, that’s called football. It’s what they’re paid to do.

  54. Funny thing is if the Colts go 18-1 and win the superbowl the decision on sunday looks even worse. Their superbowl win will always be tainted, could’ve ahd it all.
    All the more reason to always play to win.

  55. Football is just a game, right? Relax people. Some of you are acting like Polian just smacked your mother around.

  56. I am a Pats fan. I was in Arizona when the Pats lost to the Giants. That loss had nothing to do with trying to go 19-0. It was because the Giants made more plays when it counted (including the Eli escape and the Tyree miracle catch). Indy has a 1st round bye and home field. If they want to win the SB, they need to win 3 games regardless if they are 15-1, 14-2 or 16-0. Winning against the Jets and Buffalo in the last 2 games would be easy. Then the team and the players have a shot a place in history. Taking that from them is insane. Manning, Clark, and Wayne risked injury playing in the 1st half. There is always a risk. By pulling the players and giving away the game, the Colts risk losing the locker room. They’re done.

  57. # Maddog says: December 29, 2009 11:24 AM
    RodgersIsn’tAPussy says:
    Oh well. I can’t wait to see the Vikings lose in the playoffs and all will be right in Packerland.
    ______________________________
    Wow, so all will be right in Packerland as long as the Vikings lose? Pretty pathetic that “Packerland” fans are more worried about the Vikings than their own team.
    ____________________________________
    Not a Pack or Viking fan, but both these teams fans are overly concerned with the matchup against each other. All youu have heard from Vike fans on these boards is we beat the Pack twice.
    That’s great, but you have lost 3 out of 4 to other teams in the last month.

  58. The NFL is a business. The fans pay and deserve to see the stars. The TV networks pay and deserve to broadcast stars playing in competitive games. If I owned CBS, I would be on the phone to Goodell demanding that he give them what they bought; Peyton Manning playing football on Christmas weekend.

  59. Once again, we have the Indianapolis Colts throwing a game and deciding who is going to make the playoffs!
    When is Roger Goodell going to address this team’s illegal activities? people can complain for three years about the god-damn “Spygate” “Cheatriots” crap, but not a word is said that the Colts have repeatedly thrown an NFL game which had direct playoff ramifications.
    If that’s not a more serious problem than an NFL team trying its damndest to win, ten I should be watching World Cup Soccer.
    By the way Pollian, the poster here is right: “resting” your players – with a perfect season on the line or not – has NEVER WORKED for you. The Colts owed it to their fans, the league, football fans around the country, and most importantly, TO THEIR PLAYERS, to try for that perfect season.
    Peyton Manning could get hurt in the third game of any season against any penny ante crap team. What sense does it make to keep him out of ANY week of football? Manning and the Colts players had every right to be pissed.
    For the record though, did anyone see Manning pull a Favre and refuse to come out of the game????

  60. TubaGuy can go choke on his valve tubes. Polian and the Colts are quitters, and their fans have a right to bitch.

  61. Sooners- You can’t bring the free speech argument into team-run internet forums. It’s essentially the same as going into work, cursing out your boss, and then complaining after he fires you that he’s violated your 1st amendment rights.
    We don’t have freedom of speech EVERYWHERE.

  62. The “Indianapolis” Colts will never live up to the Baltimore Colts legacy. This is another reason why

  63. If the Colts had no intentions of winning the game, then they should have let their fans know, so the Colts fans would not waste their hard earned money buying tickets to a meaningless game. The Colts organization also needs to refund the season ticket holders for that one game. I guess the NFL believes that we should pay our hard earned money just to be in the near presence of these football Gods. Not me, when I can scrounge enough money to go see a game, I want my team to do everything possible to win. I don’t give a damn about their record at that moment in time. I just want go to a game where my team wins. If the teams don’t understand that, then maybe they will win people quit going to these meaningless games.

  64. Randy Moss takes a lot of heat for “taking plays off.” Shouldn’t the Colts be blasted for taking a game off? I think the bigger picture for the Colts players (and certainly something that can’t be sitting well with Manning) is that the organization is not committed to winning every game. Don’t teams expect its players to never give up?
    Absolutely pathetic decision on the part of the Colts not to go for it. No way Caldwell made that decision and at this point maybe that’s really where the focus needs to be. I don’t blame the coach and certainly not the players. Instead of generalities, focus the blame specifically on who made the decision.

  65. they are 14-1.
    and they are complaining about what?
    i wish i was as spoiled as a Colts fan. They win 23 straight games, and are mad that they lost one. my god! the earth is coming to an end!
    did you see how terrible your team is without manning? now imagine manning gets hurt in that game, and THAT’s the team you’re left with for the playoffs.
    Great move by the coach. He showed you first hand how Manning is the team. not worth risking injury.
    i’m a vikings fan and i’d LOVE to be in their position. atleast your teams starters are not failing more and more each week and flushing their only chance at a superbowl down the drain.
    you’ll get over it when you win the first playoff game. then you’ll understand how meaningless 16-0 is.

  66. Yeah, this really needs to be called what it is: throwing a game. Just because they’d wrapped up home-field advantage and did it out in the open doesn’t mean they didn’t throw the game.
    As others have pointed out, one of the worst aspects of it is *how* they did it–keeping the starters in through the third quarter and then arbitrarily pulling them, when everyone from players to fans thought they were watching a real game.
    If you want to rest your starters, don’t start them or pull them much earlier. This way was just jerking everyone around. They kept the players in longer than was needed to “keep them sharp”, which exposed them to further risk of injury; then they pull them when most of the game is over and the risk of injury has dropped a great deal. It looked indecisive, even panicky, like some executive was waiting for just the right time to do it, and couldn’t decide when that was.
    To cut the team off one and a quarter games from likely–*very* likely–perfection is just a cowardly choice.

  67. I don’t think the Colts fans should ever let this go. I don’t have a lot of money and I still see my team at least 4 times a year because I love the game and I support my team. They get paid to play the game. They get paid to show up 16 times a year. It’s a disgrace that they pull all of their starters and throw their final home game when they have a chance to make history. An organization that was seemingly above all reproach has lost all integrity. But business is business.

  68. I am from Indianapolis and have been a Colts fan for years, through the good and bad. The decision to pull players goes against the basic business ethics of an NFL franchise team…you are there to try and win games to the best of your ability. It’s their JOB, they get paid to do this and surely nobody’s contract says that they should only try to win when they feel like it. Those players and coaches make huge salaries to win games and by pulling players on Sunday’s game, they were not trying to win the game to the best of their ability. It’s as simple as that. It was the wrong move.

  69. I’m a Colts fan and a member of that forum. I haven’t posted on that forum ever. In fact I’ve never read it since signing up.
    I’m going to go post now.
    To the Colts I say, “BOO!”

  70. People will keep complaining and Tubaguy(not very knowledgeable) and his other moderator Peytongirl992 or something(very frumpy okay fat with a bitch like attitude) treat that place like it’s Mr. Rogers neighborhood.
    I’ve had 17 accounts there and not one time have I said anything anywhere near as offensive as this post here and I’m still posting there too.
    Therefore when Egoman Polian has them take it offline because people are calling him an idiot and dissing his “football logic”.
    Colts fans should sign up at coltfreaks.com where they let you bitch, moan, call Brady a fruit, and don’t treat it like it’s 5th grade playground.

  71. Ok… so they were pissed.
    This is not the first time that a team that has nothing to play for in the standings sat their starters so this talk of a refund is retarded.
    Having your team lock up home field through the playoffs is a good thing and they do need to move on already.
    As much as I hate those old, red faced Dolphin a-holes and wanted them to finally go away it is no big thing.
    What did the Patriots get for going 16-0?
    The goal is to win the Super Bowl and you do not get a second ring for going undefeated.
    If that was so then they could have given one to the Vikings.

  72. To the loser Pats fan who claimed the Colts fans are jealous because NE has won 3 super bowls. You’r wrong. Colts fans, like the fans of 30 other teams in the NFL know that the Pats CHEATED their way to 3 super bowl wins. Sorry. No one is jealous of a cheater. And the Pats are the biggest cheaters in NFL history. And they got caught. So try again loser.

  73. I don’t agree with this sentiment that the fans deserved more from the team. Everyone who went to that game knew going in that resting starters was a very real possibility. Any ticket holders had a chance to sell their tickets ahead of time. The Colts have given Indy hell of a team this year, and the playoffs are going through their place. That’s a pretty cool thing, and whining and bitching about one loss just creates a distraction that the team doesn’t need, and in my opinion, doesn’t deserve.

  74. @ NFL_1974
    ‘ I assume as fickle as most bandwagon fans.’
    With that comment I’m going to assume you yourself are a member of the colts forums, b/c if you go over there, you will see multiple posts with people accusing others of being bandwagoners and and fair weather fans. The funny thing is I don’t think any of those posters realize the meaning of those words. No one is hopping on the bandwagon now that they did a stupid thing and flushed potential history down the drain and no one is being a fair weather, i.e. dumping the team for a loss, because you see it’s not about the loss, it’s about the QUIT and that’s exactly what the powers that be did, QUIT.
    My point is if you’re going to come up with a generalized insult for all, you might ought to understand what you are referring to before you just randomly toss a commonly used term. Because if it’s not accurate, you look stupid. However, when you put irrate, that pretty much gave away the stupid part.

  75. This is not news says:
    December 29, 2009 11:26 AM
    Who cares what a bunch of internet posters say?

    Internet posters buy tickets and merchandise, although hopefully a whole lot less in Indy. Personally, I’m waiting for the No. 18 Colts jersey with “QUITTER” sewn on the back…

  76. Colt fans need to fall inline with the teams direction and shut up. Bill Polian is your leader and Panty Manning is his tool. Enjoy the rest of your season Dolt fans!!! No Super Bowl for YOU!!!!

  77. FlourideSoldOut says:
    Funny thing is if the Colts go 18-1 and win the superbowl the decision on sunday looks even worse. Their superbowl win will always be tainted, could’ve ahd it all.
    All the more reason to always play to win.
    LOL! You must be a Pats fan. I’ve never heard such logic. They win the SuperBowl and because they didn’t go undefeated the title is tainted? How could it be tainted?
    I think people are making much more of this than it warrants. You have to believe a guy named “TubaGuy” is exactly the type of guy that would try to use his power to ban people from a forum. I’m sure it’s the only power the guy has ever known.

  78. I never thought that any Owner, Coach, or GM could do more to piss off a fanbase than Al Davis and Matt Millen have done over the past decade with the multitude of bad decisions they’ve made. But whoever was involved in making this decision accomplished that in 1 day.
    I hate the Colts, and would never want to see them go 19-0, but I wanted them to lose their 1st game of the season the right way. Not by laying down. If they went on to go 19-0 and win the superbowl, good for them. I’d be wrong about them going 16-0 only to lose their 1st playoff game. Wouldn’t be the 1st time I’ve failed to predict the future.
    The point is, people are always talking about sportsmanship and this was one of the most “unsportsmanlike” acts that has ever been done in team sports. It robbed, not only Colts fans and Players a chance to see/make history, but every fan of the NFL the chance to debate with each passing week whether or not they were going to do it.
    I’m a White Sox fan and I can imagine how pissed I would’ve been if Ozzie Guillen would have yanked Mark Buehrle when he had a perfect game just because his pitch count hit 100. And that’s been done what, 17(?) times before.
    I thought I’d love it every time I saw that pouty, disappointed look on Peyton Mannings face, but I genuinely felt bad for the guy on Sunday.

  79. Straverse:
    I was not speaking about 1st amendment rights, but posting in forums as I said :
    “If Colts Board members are not violating terms of service they should have their say.”
    I would think that your employee /employer argument is an example which violates terms of service.

  80. Two separate thoughts…….
    1. Bill Polian, not so much fun when you are the recipient rather than the dispenser of attitude. Maybe you consider this next time your egotistical, arrogant self comes out at someone who can’t give it back to you. Like in 2 minutes when you get your coffee at Starbucks and the $7.55 an hour clerk inadvertently drops two or three grains of sugar on the floor.
    2. As a lifetime Patriots fan, I wish the 2007 Patriots had lost a game rather than going for 19-0. And said it at the time. By the playoffs, they seemed exhausted from the whole spectacle. And very flat in the Super Bowl. I’d rather win a Super Bowl than go 18-1, with the only loss being the Super Bowl.
    3. Colts fans, what would you be saying if the team went for 19-0 and Manning suffered a major injury in a meaningless game? Not concerned? What are the chances of 19-0 or even winning 1 playoff game with Curtis Painter?

  81. this was a gutless move by the colts. I am shocked by the lack of outrage by the national media. If the Steelers or Pats pulled a gutless move like this, they would be lining up to bury the teams. The colts get a pass, but the colts have won more regular season games than anyone this decaded and they only have 1 title, pretty sad, but gutless team cant win tough games. Thank God for wonderful sites like this, you tell us the real story, thank you.

  82. # mnmaverick says: December 29, 2009 11:20 AM
    Sounds like Barack Obama telling people not to be fear mongers while Al Queda is plotting to blow our airlines out of the sky.
    —————————————————————
    More like George Bush ignoring the warnings that Al Queda was plotting to fly planes into buildings and then sitting in a classroom like a constipated deer in the headlights when he was told that it really happened on his watch.
    The election was more than a year ago.
    Get over it Sara.

  83. One thing I don’t understand is this: if Polian had decided to throw the game to protect his starters, why did they play in the first half? Is there some unknown law of physics that protects starters from injury in the first half of football games?
    It doesn’t make sense to me.
    Throwing a game in front of your fans who paid big money to see their beloved Colts is bad karma. I hope it bites them in the playoffs.

  84. A team that is playing single elimination football has an edge over the Colts, because they are already united, struggling, and desperately focused as a group of men.
    If I was Caldwell I would have unveiled a goal of perfection to keep his team fighting and united to the goal of perfection.
    You are risking a lot that you will be able to whip your team into a frenzy of instense, instinctive, and reactive football after 4 weeks of “it doesn’t matter”.

  85. The Colts’ actions on Sunday smacked of FEAR. Lots of fear. Fear of injuries, fear of losing in the playoffs again, fear of the Chargers.
    Their FEAR is stronger than their JOY in winning. You attract what you FEAR, and the more emotion you have about it, the stronger the attraction is. The Colts appear to be very afraid.

  86. # realityonetwo says: December 29, 2009 12:14 PM
    Internet posters buy tickets and merchandise, although hopefully a whole lot less in Indy. Personally, I’m waiting for the No. 18 Colts jersey with “QUITTER” sewn on the back…
    ————————————————————–
    Make sure you get a road jersey with “Loser” sewn on the back too.
    Never mind… everyone already knows.

  87. mnmaverick says:
    December 29, 2009 11:20 AM
    Sounds like Barack Obama telling people not to be fear mongers while Al Queda is plotting to blow our airlines out of the sky.
    ————————————————–
    88 replies to this article so far, 87 of them involved football
    only your dumbass brings politics into it
    i bet you’re against socialism too, you hypocrit

  88. The Rural Juror says:
    December 29, 2009 12:34 PM
    If the Colts don’t anyone to get hurt, can’t they just forefit the game all together?

    Exactly. And forfeit the next game against Buffalo too. I mean really, why are they playing it, or any other game that has no playoff implications this coming weekend for that matter?

  89. I read a couple people bring up the Competition committee, and the league’s response (or lack of) – I haven’t heard this much silence since Roethlessburger’s rape accusation.
    Seriously though, I’m not even a Colt’s fan but I want to see an investigation by the league of the entire organization -from the owner on down- and I want to know if anyone in that organization either bet on the game or played fantasy football for money. That’s something they should be concerned with.

  90. I really can’t imagine if the Colts go 18-1 or 17-2 and win the Superbowl that it won’t be good enough for the fans.
    They need to figure out a way to beat the Chargers instead of worrying about what their final record will be.

  91. And the Pats are the biggest cheaters in NFL history.
    Damn, and here I thought it was the “special salary cap” Broncos of 97 – 98
    Or the “Steroid Steelers” of the late 70’s
    Oh well. Opinions vary.

  92. “straverse says:
    December 29, 2009 12:10 PM
    I don’t agree with this sentiment that the fans deserved more from the team. Everyone who went to that game knew going in that resting starters was a very real possibility. Any ticket holders had a chance to sell their tickets ahead of time. The Colts have given Indy hell of a team this year, and the playoffs are going through their place. That’s a pretty cool thing, and whining and bitching about one loss just creates a distraction that the team doesn’t need, and in my opinion, doesn’t deserve.”
    So, just a quick question…what is worse, a team that wants to win so badly that it tries everything-even cheating, or a team that gives up on trying to win while they have a shot at an historic perfect season? Sorry Patriots haters, I think the majority hold quitters in much higher contempt than cheaters.
    I actually believe that the Colts couldn’t take the pressure of going for perfection. (“You didn’t beat me-I didn’t try to win.”) What a bunch of pussies.

  93. Couple of thoughts…
    The Colts players definitely wanted to go for it…that’s why they do what they do, it’s why they compete…to win. Kudos to them for towing the company line, but anyone could see how bothered and antsy Manning was on the sidelines. As a Pats fan, it was awesome to see the return of the “Manning face”…it’s been a few years since we’ve all seen it.
    I am also guilty of finding some level of enjoyment when witnessing the fan’s anguish at the Colt’s decision to puss-out on the game. I think the fact that the Patriots missed out on 19-0 almost hurts more to the fans, than the players. As fans we all put our hearts and souls into our team and always want to be on top. The fans could taste it and from the NE area, I could have definitely seen the Colts go 19-0 if they so chose to.
    They won games every which way they could. Teams walked away wondering how they lost to the Colts when they obviously outplayed them for the majority of the game. From my perspective, that’s how the Patriots were back in 2003-04. They didn’t overwhelm anyone, but made the plays when they most counted. The Colts this year have been the same way. Maddening? Yes. A fluke? No.
    I think the Coaches and management took that away from the players…this will simmer for awhile and may manifest itself later on this year. It’s not going away in a couple days. It may never go away…an NFL team spit in the face of doing something historic and even worse, not trying to win. I don’t know, but the football gods will NOT take kindly to this. The unleashed their wrath on the Pats by letting them go all the way to the doorstop of perfection…only to pull the rug out at the absolute last second.

  94. I can’t wait for Arlen Specter to call for a commission to be made to debate the NFL’s anti-competitive behavior.

  95. Another thought…
    We saw what happened last year when Brady went down..the cornerstone of the Pats franchise gone for a year. What happened…they still won 11 games. That’s either good coaching, a good draft pick, or both.
    Talk about depth…what do you think the Colts would be without Manning at the helm and Painter at QB. From what I saw, they’d be 3-13 at best.
    The pussing out of the Colts showed me quite a bit more than I think we ever wouldn’t have known. I’m happy they did it for many reasons.

  96. @Philtration says:
    December 29, 2009 12:38 PM
    “More like George Bush ignoring the warnings that Al Queda was plotting to fly planes into buildings and then sitting in a classroom like a constipated deer in the headlights when he was told that it really happened on his watch.
    The election was more than a year ago.
    Get over it Sara.”
    —————————————————————
    More like the Clinton administration repeatedly ignoring CIA calls for the assassination of Obama Bin Laden. They had him in their sights many times and were denied by the White House.
    Unfortunately they called Bubba and asked for permission when he was getting a smoothie from Monica in the Oval Office. He had other things on his mind (and her dress) that day.
    Get over it Hillary.
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4540958/

  97. Fwiw, that board is quite possibly the worst board in sports. Say one bad thing about the Colts and you get banned. Trust me, I know. And I’m a Colts fan.
    Having said that, all this uproar is pointless. The Colts have done this before, they’ll probably do it again. And they’re not the only ones who’ve done it.
    So to all the bitter Pats fans saying they’ve somehow “damaged the integrity of the game”, I say suck it. They earned the right to do as they please, courtesy of winning their first 14 games.

  98. Shaenfreuder- I’m not sure that I agree that the majority of folks hold quitters in much higher contempt than cheaters. Maybe we can get Vox to compare these comments to the ones posted after the spygate thing broke. That said, I think the Pats just got reckless with the video stuff, especially considering Mangini was on the other sideline. I find it hard to believe that taping wasnt way more widespread.

  99. This is why the Colts are once again as threatening as a crippled lamb in January.
    Even when they are 14-0, they will still find some reason to implode.
    This is why the Colts have great regular season records every year, and totally stink it up every January.
    Colts suck, Peyton sucks (he still can’t win the big one, but Bob Sanders and his defense sure can), and even when their new coach does the right thing, everyone gets all pissed off about it.
    Is Caldwell the only guy who saw how exhausted the 17-0 Patriots were going into the Super Bowl? he made the right move.

  100. boltschick,
    you attract what you fear?
    That makes as much sense as any dumb ass claiming Phyllis I throw like a little girl Rivers has a shot at MVP.
    Get back in the kitchen.

  101. The Colts never seem to learn that this whole “resting starters” thing never works. They had a legit shot at making history and they opted to throw that chance away by taking the chickens**t approach. If they do win it all, it’ll be barely remembered in a few years, but no one would ever forget 19-0.

  102. I really think the 19-0 thing is secondary to pulling people in a close game at home – why do that? Why not start off the game with no Peyton if you are afraid he will get injured? Was he playing in the first half because he needed the reps? If I was a Colts fan with a ticket, I would have also not minded a heads up that the team would quit and save my money and watch the game at home.

  103. I’m a diehard Steelers fan and am forced to project out against the Colts mgt. All I saw was a coach quitting on his team and on the fabulous fan base of Indianapolis Colts. It was just a cowardly thing to do. The Colts chance at perfection was well in their reach as well as sticking it to their arch rivals. A perfect season to end a decade that no doubt would have resulted in the Colts being named “Team of the Decade.” A title that would just scrape away at Belichick until he died. The decision was just a coward act by a coward coach. The fan base deserves better; much better. If the Steelers ever had a chance at perfection, they better take it. I’d give up 2 SBs for one perfect season! And in the chase they lose a franchise player or two; well atleast they tried; at least they tried!!

  104. “However, now it’s getting to the point of being childish and VERY repetitive. At some point, probably Tuesday or Wednesday, it is time to move on”
    that sounds like a great point.. they let the fans vent.. and they pretty much seem to say the same things over and over and now they need to get over it and get ready for the playoffs.. ask the Patriots how good it was to play all 16 weeks and go perfect during the regular season..

  105. WOW. I hate the Colts.com forum (full of the lame pom-pom crowd usually) and TubaGuy (overzealous moderator) as much as anyone – there are far better Colts forums out there – but this post is just ridiculous. By your logic, Florio, any post on an official team forum is represented by that organization.
    I suggest you take a look at the cesspool of a Jaguars message board and update us on what kind of messages the Jags organization is standing by. Hell, you don’t even have to go to the boards. Just look at what Vic Ketchman is saying!
    It blows my mind that you actually think there’s a story somewhere in here.

  106. “So either the Colts aren’t too smart, or they’re extremely arrogant.”
    Probably a little bit of both – but both go straight onto Polian. He made a stupid call, and has shown his arrogance once again. You can’t put this on the players or the fans.

  107. When you go to a team’s official NFL Forum, and hence their message board/forum, you have to realize there’s always the chance you’re going to be censored. Period.
    As others have mentioned in this thread, there are far superior message boards out there for all NFL teams that aren’t subjected to such abject moderation.
    Peyton Manning gets sacked once every 47 dropbacks this season. Was he going to throw 47 passes in this game? I seriously doubt it.
    And I agree with the other views: If you’re going to sit your starters, then just sit them from the first snap. Letting the Colts get the lead, and THEN benching them smacked of throwing the game, their perfect season, and tossed the playoff fortunes of no less than 5 AFC teams up in the balance with it.
    Bill Polian is showing why his franchise has won exactly one Super Bowl with Peyton Manning at QB.
    Seven 12 win seasons mean little when you only have 1 championship to show for it.
    Ask Yankee fans how they felt between 2001-2008, despite making the playoffs almost all of those seasons, and having the highest payroll, not finishing the deal.
    The Colts are blowing this season, just like they’ve blown so many others. And either the Patriots or the Chargers are going to send them packing.

  108. “So to all the bitter Pats fans saying they’ve somehow “damaged the integrity of the game”, I say suck it. They earned the right to do as they please, courtesy of winning their first 14 games.”
    ^^^^^
    Actually, by taking that tact, they are not only violating the spirit of competition, and sports as a whole, but it severely compromises the integrity of the playoffs, and who gets in, and who is left out.
    For instance, the Colts actually decide to play a full game against the Broncos, and Denver loses. The Colts decide to fold up their tents against the Jesters, who go onto win. I’m no playoff scenario guru, but it doesn’t take a genious to figure out that both Denver and the Jesters now are 8-7, and the Jesters control their own destiny thanks to the Colts despicable approach to the game of football, and Denver could be left out because they happened to play and Indy two weeks before they started throwing games.
    A very disturbing and disgraceful approach to competition, one that undermines why we all care about sports to begin with.

  109. Pretty soon everybody will change their twitter accounts to blue colors and carry the slogans “Where is their voice” and ” Free Indy”.

  110. I wonder how this would have played out if not for the Childress- Farve soap opera the previous week. In the absence of the QB/coaching conflict issue, Manning would have probably prevailed to push for at least one more TD before benching himself. The key concept here is BENCHING HIMSELF. Since when does a rookie HC prevail over a veteran and legendary QB? The plan to rest the starters must have been a preconceived gameplan for the second half. No one expected it to be a close game by then. The fact that they were too inflexible to have a Plan B may indicate that Caldwell isn’t calling the shots – Polian is. Perhaps he just shrugged at Manning and said ‘ That’s what the old man wants’. In any case, really bad karma for the Colts. The Farve/Childress controversy has undermined the Vikes, and this will surely undermine the Colts. NOW the Colts have a fanbase just WAITING for the Colts to lose to accuse management of being complete morons – as they have been doing.

  111. I don’t understand why some people say the Colts gave up on the game. They had players on the field the whole game playing to win. The coaches and management personnel had a plan and stuck to it. I’m pretty sure the starters understood the time to make their mark was going to be limited. The best they could do was get us a 5 point lead. They were given their time and they played it….and they came up short. No different than the 2nd string coming up short. We lost the game. It’s over. Move on.

  112. All 4 games where @ Indy.
    08 Lost Chargers 23-17
    07 Lost Chargers 28-24
    05 Lost Pittsburgh 21-18
    04 Won Denver 49-24
    Reasonable, the 08 game was in San Diego.

  113. Hayward, though I don’t agree with the Colts approach, Polian was warning ppl for the past few weeks that he might take this tact. Few ppl were outraged that the Colts ‘ might’ rest their starters – instead of pursuing perfection – until they ACTUALLY did. Quite a few handicappers picked the Jets in this game simply for that reason: who knew who would play and/or for how long. Personally, I would have loved to see the starters go back in after Painter’s brain fart. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. The guy has no peripheral vision.

  114. Cancel the remaining schedule, except for teams still in the playoff hunt, which Indy did its best to fix…
    And YES, Manning is a quitter…

  115. As fans, we get our friends and family together for these games. We spend money on tickets or apparel, and typically as a percentage of our income it’s a pretty high amount of money relatively.
    When players lose, they get to go home to their cushy mansions – us fans are left wondering what “we” could have done to have had any chance at positively impacting the game.
    Us fan’s have to go to work in the morning and deal with the water cooler NFL talk. We want to be able to take pride in the team we invest our time and money in. We wear the jerseys to support them and try and represent our “investment”.
    The Colts won a superbowl a few years ago. I only remember one part of that game – Hester running back game kickoff for TD. Nothing else I remember about that, except oh that it was Manning’s first superbowl.
    Winning is enough to keep and grow the fan base you have to give them more. Indy maybe has a few good years left in them why not immortalize the team?
    This does bother me, as it opens the door for gambling shenanigans to.
    I would like it if someone posted a decision tree, for an objective look (with %’s of starters getting injured) etc and see how it looks objectively.
    I honestly think that Dungy is an egomaniac, and I think Morris is pretty dense. I think Morris calls on Dungy a lot to find out what to do, I believe this irrational decision was Dungy trying to be cute and prove to himself that he has influence in the organization. Dungy likes to try and make “points” but he doesn’t really think before he speaks.

  116. @realityonetwo
    Such an ignorant view in your deluded reality or the actual one which makes you a dumb ass where ever you are and even in your make believe world.

  117. When someone does something, and is unrelenting and has a lot of conviction behind what they do. It is impressive, even sometimes if you’re on the losing end. That is, if it really is objectively a good decision. I mean that’s kind of the definition of a “tough guy” right?
    But the coach basically bragged ‘yeah when I make decisions I don’t look back I’m not affected by criticism’ doesn’t that sort ruin it? Makes him seem like a really bad wanna be tough guy.

  118. I know if Manning went down with a season ending injury, the fans would be furious for playing starters when everything was clinched.

  119. To anyone blaming an undefeated regular season on the Pats losing that Super Bowl:
    I forgot that going 16-0 caused a guy to catch a pass on his helmet…. you people are not very smart. Go cry about illegal contact, or your quarterback throwing up during the two-minute drill, or your team choking at home in the conference championship TWICE. Carolina is the only team that didn’t whine about losing (probably because they were on roids). Get used to it Colts fans, you are not winning the Super Bowl this year, and you can blame it all on Bill Polian.

  120. This is funny. Not only do the Colts have a history of folding in the playoffs but the ownership/GM did not even have the stones to go after a perfect record. They were scared. I am a Patriots fan and say what you will about our Coach, he would not pull Brady and Moss, he plays to win and would welcome another chance to make history.
    The fact that the Colts are telling their fans, people that work two jobs to afford the tickets, people that have had their taxes raised so the Colts could have a new stadium to move on reeks of arrogance and a condecending view. But what would you expect from Polian, a man who has tried as hard as possible to skew the rules in favor of his players at the expense of the rest of the league and who pumps in artifical noise to try and disrupt the opposition.
    The Colts are crybabies, they have talent but no heart. They are scared of taking risks and play not to win but to prevent losing. I can not wait to see them knocked out of the playoffs this year. Hopefully by the Jets. That would be ironic.

  121. redamber , you are clueless. Whether the Colts win a SB or not this year, the Pats are still the team of the decade, period.

  122. This just proves that neither Jacksonville nor Indianapolis deserved an NFL team to begin with!

  123. All i can say is when i was watching the game this is what i seen of the players. Heads hanging low. heads shaking back and forth, and sitting watching a season they played hard for go away. They said it in a interview once, they play each game like it has a reason, and only look towards the next game after that. From the years i have watched them play in the playoffs, when the “healthy” starters where pulled from the game, they got cold and rusty. They lost that drive. Teams that had to play to make it, the wild cards, the play 4 games to finally get to play us walked over us. Mannings head was not in the game, the players where dropping alot of catches. Most of the players that are hurt are on the D line, and they was stopping them till they where pulled too. We all know they say they are not going for the perfect season but to win the big picture. But would a grander picture to be the first team since 1974 to go all the way. To keep the flow. Im sorry, but if we have to come from 4th qt in 7 games to win, and not by much, then our players dont need to be resting. They need to figure out why they where not getting it done in the 1st qt and not win the game in the last 10 minutes of the game with a 80 yrd pass to someone and out running him. Hell for 7 games our D line won the game and not the O. Rest the non healthy, and let the second string replace them, and build them up so both strings can come in and stop runs and passes. Ya a player could get hurt, but a player could get hurt at home slipping on ice. He could get hurt in practice, warm ups, he could get hurt in the first 5 minutes of the game, but at least they was making an effort to play and win and hold his head high on the side line and say im sorry. instead of looking at the ground, getting pulled, looking at a fan and saying im sorry.

  124. The “Rookie of the Year” move for this QB Painter was to fake an injury so that Manning would have to go back in. But, because HE would rather LOSE as the playing QB, than win by sitting his pop gun arm on the sidelines, he has become the “Scott Norwood” of Colts’ history.
    Really, is there any excuse for playing a QB whom you already KNOW will give you ZERO CHANCE to win? And expect home fans to PAY to watch how awful he is?? Painter is as bad as JaMarmalade Russell, or Charlie Frye.

  125. Polian you are still not getting what you deserve. You are a bully. You have no standards (probably part of why Tony left, he could no longer look the other way). You are a cheat. Telling paying fans what to do???? WE pay your salary dude.
    Act like a man, you quit, so take some heat like a big boy.

  126. Hey this is the man who just got a raise and so did his son!!! Irsay, you have no control over your manboy. He has something BIG on you. NO other owner has this problem. You are the boss, not Polian. It is your team (for now). Stand up. He won’t quit on you, guarentee.

  127. Bill Polian – ruiner of the NFL. You made it a pansy sport (no touching my receivers) now it appears you’ve rigged it too.
    Did POLIAN OR ANYONE HE KNOWS HAVE A BET ON THE GAME?????????????
    That is the real question that should be asked, Florio.
    Florio, you’re always so concerned about the injury report as it relates to betting, but that THROWN GAME BY POLIAN portends bad juju for the NFL.
    Roger Goodell, what ramifications does Polian’s throwing of the game have for the NFL? It was a travesty, and everyone knows it.
    No rules will be changed as a result of the dirtbag’s move – POLIAN HAS CONTROL OF THE RULES COMMITTEE in my opinion.
    Think about it.

  128. The fans on here bitching and calling the Colts names are scumbag knuckledraggers that are just jealous their own teams weren’t good enough to be in a position to go undefeated.

  129. Polian changed no rules. He merely pointed out how the Pats were flagrantly breaking the illegal contact rule that was laready on the books.
    Pats fans really are the dumbest in the league. That region doesn’t deserve a football team when the coach is a cheater, the QB is a whiny primadonna that seems to want to have 10 kids by 10 different mothers, and the fans are dirtbags.

  130. Chargers fans have no basis to criticize anything the Colts do.
    No team chokes more in the playoffs than the Chargers. Crying LT and hick Rivers haven’t even been to a SB!!

  131. The Steelers, Broncos, and Texans fans on here whining that the Colts rigged the playoffs should be whipping their teams for putting themselves in a position to have to rely on what happens in other games to determine if they get into the playoffs.

  132. @indianaraidersfan-
    YOu really are a glutton for punishment, rooting for the worst organization in the NFL. That team and all of its trash fans are a JOKE.

  133. There really are a lot of morons that post here. Many of these comments are so unhinged from reality that it is comical.
    Patsy fans giving Manning crap about the looks on his face have obviously never seen Brady throw one of his patented gay hissy fits replete with stomping and screaming like a spoiled 15 year old girl

  134. Indy has one of the nicest satdiums in the league and a long season ticket waiting list. The franchise isn’t going anywhere. Get over it jerkoffs.

  135. hoosierguy…..this wonderful quote of yours is especially entertaining coming from an Indianoplace Dolts fan……
    “No team chokes more in the playoffs than the Chargers”
    …this is hilarious!!!!!!!! LMAO

  136. hoosierguy has way too much free time and a sorry ass team to back. I wonder if Bill Polian cares half as much as you do? I bet he could care less about the indy fanbase and he just proved it to everyone of you.

  137. The issue here is that the story isn’t done. Do the Colts win the Super Bowl and finish at 17-2? Probably. Does that highlight the potential for 19-0 or does it justify Caldwell? Would losing to the Chargers be a “wouldn’t have mattered” situation or will people say the Colts lost their edge? Anything can be spun. I doubt it affects the team but it was terrible judgment by an otherwise smart team. Fin.

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