Latest news with #BillPolian
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Peyton Manning: Jim Irsay made Indy a football town
For years, Indianapolis was associated primarily with things other than pigskin. In 1984, that changed. The Colts came to town. And, once Jim Irsay inherited the franchise following the passing of his father, Bob, the Colts made their move toward the top of the NFL. Advertisement Appearing this week on ESPN's NFL Live, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning explained how Irsay made Indy a football town. "When I got there, Indiana basketball, [auto] racing, the Indy 500 -- that was it," Manning said. "I think football was the third sport. Maybe not. Golf might've been in there. And all of a sudden, because of the commitment Jim made to winning . . . he goes out and hires Bill Polian, who had rebuilt the Buffalo Bills, had started the Carolina Panthers as a new franchise, takes them to the NFC Championship, then he drafts Edgerrin James, obviously re-signs Marvin Harrison, who's already there. And next thing you know, the Colts all of a sudden, 'Hey, the Colts are beating Miami, they're beating Buffalo, they're winning their division. And all of a sudden, 'Hey, the Colts are for real.'" The moment happened in 1999, Manning's second season. The lumps he took as a rookie (when the Colts went 3-13) helped him and the Colts explode into contention in his second season — and flipped their final record to 13-3. The next year, they went 10-6. Then came the "playoffs?!?" season of 2001, which resulted in a 6-10 finish and the firing of Jim Mora (who turns 90 today) and the hiring of Tony Dungy. Advertisement Off they went. 10-6, 12-4, 12-4, 14-2, 12-4 (and a Super Bowl win), 13-3, 12-4, 14-2 (and a Super Bowl appearance), and 10-6. The wheels came off when Peyton Manning missed 2011 (2-14), but with Andrew Luck they had three straight 11-5 seasons. "Right before your eyes, Indianapolis became the biggest football town," Manning said. "High school football goes up. Fans wear more jerseys to a Colts game than any other stadium out there. And that was [because of] Jim's commitment. That was his commitment to the city that he was going to bring them a winner once he took over, and he did." Along the way, the RCA Dome inched toward obsolescence. It was time to play the stadium politics game. Irsay found the solution in Indy that his father couldn't find in Baltimore. Advertisement "There were all kinds of rumors about us maybe moving to Los Angeles or whatnot," Manning said. "Jim always wanted to stay in Indianapolis, but he felt like, 'Hey, we have this really good team. We're fun to watch. Let's get them a new stadium to play in.' And the next thing you know, Lucas Oil Stadium is built." For those whose NFL fandom firmly existed when the Colts were in Baltimore, the sudden arrival of Indianapolis on the football scene took some getting used to. It's now impossible to think of pro football without thinking of Indiana — especially since along the way the Colts' presence brought the Scouting Combine to town. Where it's been ever since, and where it should permanently remain.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Indianapolis Colts' music-loving owner Jim Irsay dies at age 65
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay talks during the Hall of Fame ring ceremony for Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James during an NFL football game, Sept. 19, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger, File) INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Irsay started his football career as a ball boy. He finished it as a team owner. Along the way, the NFL's music man created his own, unique brand. Irsay worked his way up through the organization, learning how to run a football team, restoring the Colts' once-proud tradition to glory and created what some have dubbed the greatest guitar collection on Earth — all while battling health issues and addictions to alcohol and painkillers. On Wednesday, Irsay's remarkable journey ended at age 65. Pete Ward, Irsay's longtime right-hand man, made the announcement in a statement, saying Irsay died peacefully in his sleep. 'Jim's dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community and, most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed,' Ward said. 'Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson and his entire family as we grieve with them.' Irsay had a profound impact on the franchise. With the help of Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, Irsay turned the Colts from a longtime laughingstock into a perennial title contender, even winning a Super Bowl title. He then used that success — and Manning's aura — to help convince city leaders to build a retractable roof dome stadium that opened in 2008 and eventually allowed Indy to host a Super Bowl. 'I am heartbroken to hear about Jim Irsay's passing,' Manning said on social media. 'He was an incredibly generous and passionate owner and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten.' More recently, though, Irsay battled health issues and became far less visible following a fall at his home Dec. 8, 2023. Police officers from Carmel, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indy, responded to a 911 call from Irsay's home. According to the police report, the officers found Irsay breathing but unresponsive and with a bluish skin tone. A month later, Irsay was diagnosed with a respiratory illness. During his annual training camp news conference last summer, Irsay told reporters he was continuing to rehab from two subsequent surgeries. 'It's great to see you guys, the fans and to be out here,' he said at the time. 'I'm feeling great, you know, just trying to get this left leg stronger, which it will be.' Irsay also did not speak during the recent NFL draft as he usually did. But his story is one of a kind. As a teenager, he tossed footballs with MVP quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Bert Jones. He relied frequently on the lessons he learned from rubbing elbows with some of the game's most important owners — Al Davis, Lamar Hunt, Wellington Mara and Art Rooney — as they worked through the 1982 players' strike and the implementation of a salary cap. And he presided over the greatest quarter-century of Colts football thanks to Manning and quarterback Andrew Luck. Irsay handled everything from ticket sales to public relations as he rose through the organization even watching No. 1 overall pick John Elway force a trade to Denver in 1983. When he took over as owner following his father's death in 1997, things were different. The arrival of Manning helped Irsay — and the Colts — create a passionate local following that hadn't previously existed but still remains strong today. It wasn't always easy, either. — When a 55% inheritance tax threatened his hold on the team, the younger Irsay found enough cash to keep the family business. — When his most prominent players were about to cash in during free agency, Irsay often ponied up top dollar to keep them. — And though some criticized him for focusing too much on offense and not enough on defense, the combination allowed the Colts to find their place in a small-market city that revered basketball. 'The man hates to lose more than he likes to win,' current general manager Chris Ballard often said. Things didn't always go smoothly, though. Robert Irsay was reviled in Baltimore following the move. Decades later, even after another Baltimore team won a Super Bowl, and after Jim Irsay repeatedly explained the move was precipitated by the city's attempt to take the franchise through eminent domain, Baltimore still referred to the team only as the Indianapolis football club. A quarter-century later, following a 2-14 record in 2011, Irsay tested the fans' loyalties by releasing a 34-year-old Manning, who missed the entire season with a neck injury. The rebuild began around rookie QB Andrew Luck — a move that drew comparisons to his father's trade of Unitas in 1973 and the subsequent selection of Jones in the draft. The impending decision about Manning also became a public spectacle throughout the 2011-12 offseason and again in 2013 when Manning returned to Indy for the first time with his new team, the Denver Broncos. 'It was the right move to make. Peyton and I talked about it. He said it best in the press conference: I didn't decide, he didn't decide, the football gods had laid the cards out and we both knew it was best for him and us,' Irsay said later. 'Emotionally, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. In professional football, it's about winning and you have to be able to make the decisions that are best for the franchise.' But football was only part of Irsay's story. He spent millions buying the original manuscripts to Jack Kerouac's generation-defining novel 'On The Road' and Alcoholics Anonymous' 'Big Book' and routinely made them available to the public. His ever-expanding musical collection included instruments and items from The Beatles, James Brown, Prince, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Johnny Cash and Jerry Garcia; signed Presidential documents; an original 'wanted' poster for John Wilkes Booth; a 1953 Jackie Robinson bat; Muhammad Ali's title belt from the 1974 'Rumble in the Jungle;' even the saddle from Secretariat's triple crown wins. Irsay also befriended singers such as Stephen Stills and John Mellencamp, took inspiration from the lyrics of Bob Dylan and revered the writings of Hunter S. Thompson, the self-described 'Gonzo journalist.' 'It's a lot of fun to have these pieces, and guitars are always kind of the most interesting, in some ways, because you can play them, unlike a book, a manuscript or a painting,' Irsay said during the summer of 2016. 'You can play them, and they can become four-dimensional.' But Irsay also had his struggles. He was a recovering alcoholic and his professional successes couldn't insulate him from a constant battle with painkillers. In a November 2023 interview with HBO Sports, he acknowledged he had been to rehab at least 15 times and once accidentally overdosed. The low point may have come in March 2014 when he was arrested near his home in Carmel while driving erratically. When officers searched the car they found nearly $30,000 in cash and numerous bottles of prescription pills. Five and a half months later, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Irsay for six games and fined him $500,000. Irsay described the absence as heartbreaking. 'I couldn't even imagine how hard that was,' former Colts punter and now talk-show host Pat McAfee said after the suspension ended. 'You're talking about a guy who's been around the Colts his entire life, who personifies the Horseshoe.' Still, he was wise enough to allow Polian almost free rein to construct a team that won a then-record number of regular-season games in a decade (115). And he leaves a legacy that won't be blowing in the wind. Aside from the images of Irsay wearing a tie wrapped around his forehead on a magazine cover, tossing footballs in a suit, or his utterances on Twitter, he was a shrewd businessman with a big heart. When the Colts won the Super Bowl, he even sent a ring to two-time rushing champ Edgerrin James, who had left in free agency before the championship season. 'The guy grew up with this team,' then-coach Chuck Pagano said in January 2015. 'He's got so much insight and so much knowledge. He's a football man through and through. It runs through his veins and he's got so much wisdom to share with all of us. He makes a huge impact.' Michael Marot, The Associated Press
CBC
22-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Indianapolis Colts' music-loving owner Jim Irsay dies at age 65
Social Sharing Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts' owner who leveraged the popularity of Peyton Manning into a new stadium and a Super Bowl title, died Wednesday at age 65. Pete Ward, Irsay's longtime right-hand man and the teams chief operating officer, made the announcement in a statement from the team. He said Irsay died peacefully in his sleep. "Jim's dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed," Ward said. "Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson, and his entire family as we grieve with them." Irsay had a profound impact on the franchise. With Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and Manning, Irsay helped turn the Colts from a laughingstock into a perennial title contender. But Irsay had battled health problems in recent years and became less visible following a fall at his home. Police officers from Carmel, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indy, responded to a 911 call from Irsay's home Dec. 8. According to the police report, the officers found Irsay breathing but unresponsive and with a bluish skin tone. Ward, the report said, told officers he was worried Irsay was suffering from congestive heart failure and that Irsay's nurse had said Irsay's oxygen level was low, his breathing was laboured and he was "mostly" unconscious. A month later, he was diagnosed with a respiratory illness. During his annual training camp news conference last summer, Irsay told reporters he was continuing to rehab from two subsequent surgeries — though he remained seated in his golf cart. Irsay did not speak during the recent NFL draft as he typically did. He had also battled addictions to alcohol and painkillers. Irsay began his football life as a ball boy after his late father, Robert, acquired the team in a trade with the late Carroll Rosenbloom, who took over the Los Angeles Rams. The younger Irsay then worked his way up, becoming the youngest general manager in NFL history at age 24. He succeeded his father as owner in early 1997. He also collected guitars, befriended musicians and often found inspiration in rock 'n' roll lyrics.
Axios
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Looking back on when Indy claimed the NFL Combine
Welcome back to Old News! A new series where we zoom in on Indianapolis' past to highlight the iconic events, entities and individuals that tell the Circle City's story. While Indianapolis didn't host the first NFL Combine, the event's home has always been in Circle City. Why it matters: Even if the NFL does eventually turn it into a traveling event with rotating host cities like the NFL Draft and Super Bowl, the combine's Hoosier roots will stick with it. Driving the (old) news: Also known as the National Invitational Camp, the NFL Scouting Combine held its first event in Tampa, Florida in 1982. Indianapolis-based National Football Scouting Inc. (NFS), which brought 163 players to that first camp, organized it. After subsequent annual events in Phoenix and New Orleans, the NFL decided to move the combine to the home of the organizing committee in 1987. The NFL Combine has been held in Indy every year since then except for a pandemic interruption in 2021. Flashback: The 1987 NFL Combine at the Hoosier Dome was very different from the party being thrown this week in Indianapolis. More than 300 players took part, but the public was unable to watch, and most of the reporters attempting to cover it were not allowed inside the Hoosier Dome. Former players and GMs also described early combines as far more cutthroat with teams vying after the same prospect resorting to spying and time-stalling tactics to secure meetings. What they're saying:"There were more than a few occasions where people got a little testy," Hall of Fame Colts executive Bill Polian told the NFL. "You were taking someone to interview and another team would swoop in and say, 'Wait a minute, he was scheduled to interview with us.' But that wasn't quite the way it is."
