100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
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100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
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Overview
Revealing the most critical moments and important facts about Colts football, 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die discusses past and present players, coaches, and teams through the years. Throughout the pages, readers will find pep talks, records, and Indianapolis NFL lore to test their knowledge, including details on the team’s 2012 season that encompassed a return to the playoffs, quarterback Andrew Luck’s success, and head coach Chuck Pagano’s battle with leukemia; highlights of Manning’s record-setting career in Indianapolis; and profiles of unforgettable Colts personalities such as Ted Marchibroda, Bill Polian, and Bob Lamey. Die-hard fans from the early days of Eric Dickerson and Jim Harbaugh as well as new supporters will cherish this book of everything Colts fans should know, see, and do in their lifetime.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781623682736 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 10/01/2013 |
| Series: | 100 Things...Fans Should Know Series |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 352 |
| File size: | 10 MB |
About the Author
Phillip B. Wilson is a sports writer who has written for the Indianapolis Star since 1994, covering the Colts full-time since 2001. Jim Irsay is the owner and chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Colts. They both live in Indianapolis.
Read an Excerpt
100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
By Phillip B. Wilson
Triumph Books
Copyright © 2013 Phillip B. WilsonAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62368-273-6
CHAPTER 1
"He's the Horseshoe."
The Indianapolis Colts endure as one of the NFL's finest franchises because of one rather unusual individual. Growing up with his football team made the man curious and inquisitive, fiercely competitive yet genuinely sincere, stylish and yet sometimes just downright silly, an overgrown kid with a tremendous heart.
That's Jim Irsay.
"Everybody else comes and goes," said Tom Zupancic, former longtime Colts employee. "He's the horseshoe."
The 53-year-old Colts owner started as a wide-eyed, 12-year-old ball boy making $5 per week and just happy to be in an NFL locker room. His ascendance through the decades would take him through every departmental layer of what would one day be his organization.
Sure, Irsay hates to lose, but his team had to mean more than that. When a staffer mentions the "heart behind the horseshoe," it starts with Irsay's expectation for everyone to impact the community. That includes having players eager to interact with the public. He's a man of conviction who at 17 had the guts to board a preseason bus and apologize to the entire team for the irrational behavior of his reactionary father, Robert. In the serenity of his musical world, his passionate, poetic soul has a rhythm that reminds us that life still has to be fun.
Some might remember Irsay's early days as a rather young general manager in 1992 when disgruntled running back Eric Dickerson snickered, "He deserves to be a general manager as much as Daffy Duck does."
By 1999, Irsay had become the owner when he phoned Dickerson to invite the Hall of Famer to return to town and be recognized as the first former Indianapolis Colts player inducted in Canton, Ohio. Irsay left a message on the answering machine: "This is Daffy Duck calling, give me a call back." Dickerson cracked up. "I heard that, and you can't believe how hard I started laughing," he said. "I still have it on my answering machine."
Dickerson showed up. Irsay wore goggles just like the running back once did as he presented Dickerson with a framed jersey.
That's the man some still call Jimmy, a free spirit who didn't see the point of holding a grudge. While known these days as Jim or Mr. Irsay, his eventual rise in NFL stature never included distancing himself from the public. While the playbook for quirky, wealthy men typically includes seclusion, Irsay went the other way. Check out his Twitter account, with more than 221,000 followers keeping an eye on him, whether he's quizzing on obscure music lyrics or offering a contest to give away tickets. One trivia-triumphant follower won a car.
Irsay obviously recognized the shortcomings of his father, who didn't always connect with people.
"I know he's learned from his father's mistakes," said Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward, 55, who started as an intern in 1981 and rose through the ranks to become Irsay's right hand.
"Bob Irsay didn't know anything about football or people," said Robin Miller, 63, who covered the Colts from 1984 to 2001 as a columnist at The Indianapolis Star. "Jim Irsay knows a lot about people, and he's learned a lot about football."
It's simple math. The Colts were 153–226–1 in the regular season with Robert as owner. They're 157–99 with Jim. In the playoffs, Robert was 2–6 while Jim is 8–11 with a Super Bowl XLI ring. Jim's franchise set NFL records with 115 wins in a decade from 2000 to 2009 and seven consecutive 12-win seasons.
"I'm proud of what Jimmy has become," said retired Colts linebacker Barry Krauss, 56. "He's changed the face of the franchise."
One of the more important lessons learned has been to let people do their jobs. Former coaches Tony Dungy and Jim Mora testified to that. When the team won, there weren't any extra suggestions on how to make it better. When the team lost, Irsay reaffirmed belief in his people. Dungy had to encourage Irsay to become a locker-room visitor because the owner didn't want to give the wrong impression. He doesn't need the obligatory TV camera shot of himself on the sideline.
Ward says Irsay's promotion to general manager at the age of 25 in 1984 made it easy for skeptics to underestimate his boss. It motivated Irsay to work harder to prove himself. But he started paying attention long before that. Ward shared a camp office with Irsay in 1982 and couldn't help but be nervous. At first.
"The thing that shocked me was he would take time to ask me questions and listen to my thoughts," Ward said. "That just blew me away."
After arriving in Indianapolis, Jim Irsay made an immediate connection in radio appearances on The Bob & Tom Show.
"I figured he was just the owner's kid and they would give him a salary and a title," said co-host Bob Kevoian, 62. "I was really amazed at how much he knew. He studied. He really was well-versed in the game."
Others who played for him echo that.
"He knows football," said retired offensive tackle Tarik Glenn. "I don't know how many owners have been around football their whole lives. To have an owner like that is pretty special."
Retired offensive linemen Will Wolford and Joe Staysniak are still part of radio broadcasts. "You line up all the owners in the league and you measure their football intelligence and their ability to run a program," Wolford said. "I think Jim Irsay is on the very, very short list of guys who you want to play for because of the success the Colts have had. It's not an accident. Not at all."
What resonates with Staysniak is Irsay's desire. "I don't think people understand the fire that he has to win," Staysniak said. "It's fun to follow him on Twitter, that's one part of Jimmy Irsay. I'm sure he has fun doing that, but the football side of Jimmy Irsay, he wants to win and win badly."
This intensity was most evident in the weight room. Tom Zupancic, called "Zup" during his days as strength and conditioning coach and in the front office, loved working out with his boss. He can still visualize it now. The clanging sound of weights being slammed. Dire Straits singing, "Money for Nothing," on the boom box. Slap the belt on. Get serious. Ammonia tabs flying. Smack the hands and spray that powder in the air.
"He's a guy who could squat 700 pounds one day, and then he could be training for a marathon the next day," said Zup, 57. "He was obsessive about working out. He worked out as hard as any player."
And Irsay has put in the same effort with the public. When hearing of a fan in need, he didn't hesitate to ask executive assistant Cathy Catellier to send tickets and money. People don't realize how often this happens because Irsay prefers that these things not be publicized. Again, it's not about drawing attention to himself.
"As much as Jim wants to win, and believe me, he wants to win as much as the coaches and players, his heart goes so much deeper," said Catellier, 62. "He cares about the fans."
When a single mother phoned to thank Irsay for sending money and tickets, Catellier informed, "I just get to be the giver for the angel who did this."
Seriously, what owner has a contest to give away five Super Bowl XLI rings to fans after he finally won his first? Irsay handled "Quest For A Ring" with a flair for showmanship, walking down the steps of Monument Circle decked out in a white tuxedo, blue Colts top hat, and blue vest, toting a blue-and-white cane.
"I look like Willy Wonka Elton, a combination of WillyWonka and Elton John," Irsay joked.
Wolford recalled a provision added in player contracts to require community participation. Staysniak attests, "We're still working for him." Both men laughed. "There's proof that he's charitable to the core."
Longtime publicist Myra Borshoff could share Irsay stories for hours. "What I think is interesting about Jim is he has so many interests," she said. "He's just really curious. He loves music. He sends poetry to people. He's very poetic and he speaks in lyrics, which has always been interesting but a challenge for me. I'm sort of stuck in the '60s, and he's into the '70s, '80s and '90s. I love Google because I often type something in to see to whom it should be attributed."
After Irsay purchased the Jack Kerouac On The Road scroll for $2.4 million in 2001, a party was organized at the New York Public Library. Irsay introduced singer Patti Smith, who sang a song she had written for him. The catchiest rhyme was "scroll" with "Super Bowl."
Blues musician Duke Tumatoe, who has written all those "Lord Help Our Colts" songs, visited the team complex one time and ran into Irsay in the hall. They stood there and chatted about guitars for 15 minutes. "Jim is a remarkable man," Tumatoe said. "I'd do anything he asked me."
Those closest to him all say the same thing. That's because he runs a sound organization and is considerate of everyone who makes it tick. When the Colts reached Super Bowls XLI and XLIV, both in Miami, Irsay picked up the tab on tickets, airfare, and hotel expenses for all of his employees.
"Several years ago, I was fired for about 30 seconds and came back as a contracted employee," said longtime radio voice Bob Lamey. "I had a retirement thing I had to deal with, and I was talking to somebody who runs the pension fund for the NFL. At the end of the conversation, she said, 'Can I tell you something? I deal with all the teams in the league, so I didn't say this. Do you know you have the best owner in the National Football League?' I said, 'We all think that.' And she said, 'He does more for his employees than any other owner in the league.' It didn't surprise me. It just surprised me somebody in that position would say it."
Zupancic admires how his old workout partner continues to take care of NFL business. "Every decision he reaches is to make that franchise better," Zupancic said, "to make that horseshoe shine and never let it be in tarnish mode."
Taking Care of Dungy's Dad
Tony Dungy's 2002 began with the death of his mother, Cleomae, on January 3. Nineteen days later, he was hired as the Colts' head coach.
Owner Jim Irsay noticed how Dungy's father, Wilbur, who had a Ph.D. and was a science professor at Jackson (Michigan) Community College, attended Colts road games.
"He should ride on the plane," Dungy recalled Irsay saying.
After that, Wilbur did.
"That was just his idea," Dungy said of Irsay. "He had a seat for my dad for every away game. And he didn't just do it for the head coach. He did it for others, too."
Helping Hands
Colts owner Jim Irsay read a newspaper article about the struggles of a church-based community center on the South side of Indianapolis and decided to pay the place a visit. Myra Borshoff, his publicist since 1996, accompanied him.
"The next day, we drove down and walked in and asked to speak to the director," said Borshoff, 65. "People recognized him. He went in and sat across the desk from the director and had a 15-minute conversation."
Irsay heard what he needed and wrote a check.
"I'm not sure of the amount," Borshoff said, "but I think it was $100,000."
That's the same dollar amount then-head coach Tony Dungy donated and Irsay matched in 2006 to support the endowed chair of Dungy's father, Wilbur, who was Jackson Community College's first black professor in 1953. Wilbur, who taught science classes there for 16 years, died in 2004. A year later, the Dungy family had pledged a $1 million endowment to honor him.
When tornadoes ravaged Southern Indiana cities in 2012, Irsay donated $50,000 to the disaster relief effort. A Colts caravan of players, cheerleaders, and employees were dispatched to the area to assist in any way possible.
CHAPTER 2Peyton Manning's Legacy
The quarterback comparison is uncanny when Hall of Fame defensive end Gino Marchetti turns on the television and watches Peyton Manning play. It's déjà vu, as if Marchetti is watching his old Baltimore Colts teammate, Johnny Unitas.
"The way he walks, the way he looks, his facial expression behind the facemask," said Marchetti, 87. "I told my wife he looks like, acts like, and throws like Johnny Unitas. That's probably the best compliment I could ever give him."
The NFL's only four-time MVP, awarded while with Indianapolis from 1998 to 2011, Manning didn't like being mentioned in the same breath with a legend for whom he had the utmost respect. He wore No. 18, Unitas wore No. 19, and Manning said that was appropriate "because Johnny Unitas is always one more than me."
Those who watched Manning work with the Colts suggest otherwise. "Greatest all-time ever," said retired Colts tight end Ken Dilger. "The guy never rested during the week. He knew that defense better than everybody. And he knew the offense better than everybody."
"The greatest Colt ever," said Colts radio voice Bob Lamey. "That says something because Unitas was pretty darn good. But Peyton did more for a city, the franchise, his teammates, himself. I don't know of anybody, any single player off the top of my head, who has done more for a city. Unitas comes close."
Retired Colts head coach Tony Dungy, who celebrated a Super Bowl XLI title with Manning as game MVP, understands why the quarterbacks are compared. Manning's on-field command as a field general and seemingly effortless ability to run the two-minute no-huddle offense made him a throwback to an era when three-time NFL champion Unitas redefined the position.
"He's like Unitas," Dungy said. "In that era, those guys did so much. So much of it was on the field, Unitas with the audibles and the two-minute drill and calling the plays. Then you had a whole generation of quarterbacks who were like [Joe] Montana and [John] Elway who were great, but it was like, 'Give me the plan and I'll execute it.' With Peyton, he was a throwback of being responsible for the success and taking that responsibility on his shoulders.
"He did more for our offense than any quarterback in this era. I'd have to put Peyton at the top."
Manning received a series of suggestions from offensive coordinator Tom Moore, then surveyed the defense and chose the play with the best chance for success. That Manning knew every player's responsibilities on each play was essential in hurry-up mode.
"He's one of the greatest leaders of all time," said Bob Kravitz, The Indianapolis Star columnist. "He was a football culture unto himself. He challenged coaches and challenged teammates in ways that no other player ever has. Peyton became the ultimate coach on the field, which is especially impressive in an era of advanced offenses and advanced defenses."
Manning has set so many NFL and team records, it would take several pages to list them. He's the Colts' all-time leader in wins and every major passing category. The record-holding 12-time Pro Bowl selection, counting last season in Denver, has completed 5,082-of-7,793 passes for 59,487 yards with 436 touchdowns, 209 interceptions, and a career passer rating of 95.7. He and wide receiver Marvin Harrison are the most prolific passing duo in league history with 953 completions for 12,756 yards and 112 TDs. Known for his comebacks, Manning had a league-record seven fourth-quarter comeback victories in one season, 2009.
When honored with his fourth NFL MVP award in 2009, he reiterated his disdain for being mentioned with the game's greatest players. "I'm really not comfortable with being drawn into comparisons with other athletes," Manning said. "I certainly would think all of those athletes would echo my sentiments of being thankful and grateful for the supporting cast they've had around them. I think they would realize, as I certainly do, that this wouldn't be possible without the help of so many people."
Retired center Jeff Saturday, with whom Manning shares the distinction of most quarterback-center games in league history at 170, remembered how much effort No. 18 expended on a weekly basis. "We used to call him 'Coach Manning' and used to bust him up about how hard he worked," Saturday said. "He showed up early. He left late. He led by example. He never expected you to give anything that he wasn't going to give himself."
When Marv Levy accepted an invite from Colts president Bill Polian to visit the team complex, the retired Buffalo Bills coach saw firsthand how Manning went about his business. "His preparation, that man never thought he had it made," Levy said. "I was blown away. His work ethic was beyond belief. And it was consistent work ethic."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Phillip B. Wilson. Copyright © 2013 Phillip B. Wilson. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
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