Irsay doing his part in plan for Super Bowl partyDecember 10, 2004
I'm not saying Colts owner Jim Irsay is digging deep into his pockets, but when I went past the owner's parking spot at the team's practice facility Thursday, there was parked a rusted-out, red Ford Ranger.
What's next?
Trade in the helicopter for a '74 Vega with transmission issues?
In a few months, Irsay has done more than a little bit to restore the honor of the Irsay name, committing more than $50 million in bonuses to Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. Say what you will about Irsay's eccentricities and sometimes-checkered past, but this guy wants to win a Super Bowl, and he wants to win a Super Bowl -- or Bowls -- in Indianapolis.
If that wasn't abundantly clear with the Manning contract, it ought to be now with the sage decision to make Harrison a Colt for life.
"Jim Irsay once again has made crystal clear his unprecedented commitment to a championship franchise in Indianapolis," president Bill Polian said in a statement.
What?
You think Polian actually descended his throne long enough to talk with the local media?
Please.
But he's right on target here.
Irsay could have pleaded poverty, could have whined about the Colts' position as one of the lowest-grossing teams in the NFL. Still, he committed early to bringing back all three Triplets, swearing early in the season that he would re-sign Harrison and Edgerrin James.
In my mind -- and apparently in ownership's mind, too -- Harrison was the higher priority than James.
Yes, Harrison is older (32 to James' 26), but superstar wide receivers last longer than running backs and are far more difficult to replace. And Harrison is a physical freak, a guy who rarely gets hurt and has a body-fat index that is lower than most students' GPA. Must be the personalized Hostess display he maintains next to his practice locker.
Q: So, Marvin, what's the secret to your incredible fitness?
A: Well, kids, it's right here -- Suzy Q's and Hostess cherry fruit pies.
Even as Edge is having his best season since before the knee surgery, it's more important to this offense to keep Manning's safety blanket, Harrison, than it is James.
That is, if you have to make a choice, one or the other.
"First of all, there's probably not as many of them (great receivers) as there are (great running backs)," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "I think there are more timing issues with the passing game, the chemistry that develops between a quarterback and a receiver."
If we're to believe Irsay's comments about bringing back all three, then it appears likely Edge will get the franchise tag. That means lots of money, but only for one year. And that's not likely to make James feel real happy and secure. Don't be surprised when Edge, who isn't a big preseason guy anyway, chooses to sit out most of next year's training camp.
We tried, again, to ask James how he felt about Harrison's seven-year, $67 million deal and what it might mean for him, but he wasn't in the mood to talk Thursday.
Harrison, though, made his pitch for Edge.
"Edgerrin's been a great part of my success and he's been a great part of my support all year and all throughout our careers," Harrison said. "When you talk about Edgerrin, you make me smile. That's my partner in crime, and hopefully we can do the best we can to get Edgerrin here also."
My thought is, let's see how this season plays out before committing to the third of the Triplets.
If the Colts win the Super Bowl, then it makes sense to keep the window of opportunity open and bring back Edge for an encore.
If the Colts fall short of a Super Bowl, then it makes no sense to lavish big bucks on Edge at the expense of an under-funded defense.
But, hey, it's not my money.
It's Irsay's, and he's surely acting like a man who feels pretty secure about the imminent construction of a new stadium. Does anybody really think he'd make this kind of commitment to Indy without Indy making a stadium commitment to him?
It's only right that Manning and Harrison are doing this together, starting their careers as Colts and finishing them as Colts. They've recently passed Buffalo's Jim Kelly and Andre Reed for touchdown hookups, and they're hot on the heels of San Francisco's Steve Young and Jerry Rice.
They should have their jerseys retired on the Ring of Fame together.
They should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame together.
Manning and Harrison are as different as two members of the same species can be: Manning the All-American poster boy, Harrison the quiet and, at times, painfully shy introvert. But it's been evident since the beginning, they play with one heart.
Now there's just one more issue: Does Irsay get lifts from Peyton or Marvin?
http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/201062-2238-196.html