Now that the Super Bowl is over and the offseason has officially begun, the focus shifts from one Manning to the other. Until a conclusion is reached on Peyton Manning's future with the Indianapolis Colts, or a Vick/Roethlisbergian-type incident occurs, the narrative of the football world will not change. The facts in the case are abundantly clear: Manning is due a 28 million roster bonus on March 8, the Colts have the No. 1 pick in the draft, and they will most likely select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Manning has been cleared to resume football activities, but has nerve damage in his arm that limits him from his previous full range of motion. If this were a case of some Pro Bowler that was past his prime and is signed to an albatross of a contract, then the decision would be simple: let him go. But this is Peyton Manning and the Colts. The man who has carried the franchise for over a decade may be about to be shown the door. Owner Jim Irsay's decisions to fire his vice chairman and general manager, Bill and Chris Polian, along with head coach Jim Caldwell have signaled a complete overhaul within the organization, one that could spell the end for Manning in Indy. Again, in a vacuum, a complete renovation of the organization and roster of a team that went 2-14 is entirely appropriate. But these are different circumstances.
If Irsay fired the Polians for building a roster that relied so heavily on Manning, and the coaching staff for a defense that could solely rush the passer and play with a Manning-built lead, then I have no qualms here. But if the decision was made to clean house in order to provide a smoother transition for Luck so that there would be no residual discontent from Manning's departure, then Mr. Irsay has done wrong by Manning and the city of Indianapolis. How frequently does a transcendent athlete grace the NFL, NBA, or MLB (for some reason hockey does not follow this)? A few per decade? What separates those athletes' legacies, outside of their statistical accomplishments, is whether they played for one team their entire career. There's a reason Larry Bird is treated like a god in Boston and Brett Favre has fallen out of favor in Green Bay. When an athlete with the stature of a Manning ingrains himself in his team's community, their involvement and importance becomes so much more than just sports. Manning practically built Lucas Oil Stadium. There's a "Peyton Manning Children's Hospital" in Indy. No one in Indianapolis wants to see him leave. The reality is, if Manning is cut, he will choose where he plays and he's only going to go to a contender. Even if Manning is at just 85 percent, 85 percent of Manning is more than enough to bring a contender to the playoffs.
As a 20-year-old Miami Dolphins fan, I have been privy to the end of the Marino era followed by the turd sandwich era. The thought of Manning in teal and orange makes me salivate. But the longer I roll it over with my tongue, the more bitter it tastes. I can't root for it. I'd feel like I'm stealing someone's wife.
Luck's time will come. He will be an exceptional quarterback and most likely emulate some of the success Manning had with the Colts. But right now, Manning should be allowed to keep the reins. Never has he come off as a bad guy and no one would accuse him of potentially holding the franchise hostage. It is safe to say there is no Favreitis in his future. Manning will know when it is time for him to hang them up, and if that time is honestly now, then he will make the decision to retire. But the reports are looking like he can still sling it, so let him stay.
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Alex Arthur is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Alexander.Arthur@tufts.edu
