I rarely write about other teams on this blog unless, of course, it is regarding a matchup with that team. That goes without saying. But the ridiculousness displayed by the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff and management requires some space on this blog.
I should be happy. I should be jumping for joy that both the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts have lost games in the regular season. The "precious jewel" that is a 16-0 regular season remains firmly ensconced in Foxboro, MA thank you very much. I should be happy, but I'm not. Now, I'm not the type that "hates" any team, even rivals like the Colts. I can't find it in me to despise something I watch on TV. Nor do I hate the fanbase. Sure, there's a few moronic cretans, but you can find your fair share in any fanbase.
I'm not happy because I've just witnessed a team at the top of their game derail themselves for some inexplicable reason. Yes, we can probably guess they were resting their starters for a run at the Super Bowl, but is that a wise thing to do? If Bill Polian is looking at the Patriots' 2007 season as a blueprint, thinking resting our starters would've meant a victory against the Giants, I think he's nuts. Tedy Bruschi summed it up best:
There aren't many times in your life when you have a chance to do something that has never been done before. When you are faced with a challenge like that, my feeling is that you embrace it and see if you've got what it takes to conquer it.
That's the way we felt in New England. And yes, we lost the Super Bowl, but let me be clear: We lost the Super Bowl because the New York Giants played better than we did that day. It was not because we were tired and needed more rest.
Belichick, the only other coach who can empathize with Jim Caldwell, was asked about the Colts essentially "throwing" the game by benching many of their starters:
While Belichick did not specifically address the Colts situation, he sided with the general notion that a team has the right, if not the duty, to choose what is best for itself regardless of the competitive balance in the rest of the league.
"Whatever we did in any other year was what we thought was the best thing to do," Belichick said. "We did what we thought was best. Whether anybody agrees with it or not, that’s what we did, and that’s what we continue to do.
Well ok, I get it. You do what you can for the team to be as successful as it can be. But Bill misses something very important here: US. We, the fans, invest a lot of emotion in our team, not to mention merchandise. We buy shirts, hats, NFL TV packages, Comcast RedZone, and most importantly, tickets. All of this goes towards these player's and coaches' salaries. I feel bad for the fans of the Colts and the emotional energy they've invested in this team, only to have that energy spit on by their favorite team. But I truly feel bad for the folks who were AT the game. If it was a blow out, I would agree with benching starters to insure their health. However, this was no blowout. It was essentially handing the game to our division rival. If I was a fan in that stadium, I'd be livid.
If Jon Bon Jovi came out during a break between sets and said, "Yeah, we're kind of tired, so instead of playing the rest of the show, we're going to have this Jon Bon Jovi tribute band finish up the show, ok?" I'd most likely throw something at him.
Colts head writer BigBlueShoe and his crew are doing their usual bang up job of covering this debacle at Stampede Blue.