The fallout from the Indianapolis Colts' "losing" their match to the New York Jets continues as fans in Indiana are asking for ticket refunds to turning in their Colts vanity license plates for regular state ones. The burning of effigies will have to wait for a weeks pending the outcome of the playoffs.
Indy Coach Jim Caldwell lifted QB Peyton Manning and other starters in the 3rd Quarter with their team up 15-10. The Jets rallied for a 29-15 victory and a chance to make the post-season. Watching the game, the fans didn't react to the substitutions until a few plays after when it seemed that the starters were done for the game and the Jets were moving downfield. They were serenaded with boos and cuss words even long after they had gone to the locker rooms.
Caldwell said that the focus was to win the Super Bowl. Team owner Bill Polian backed up his coach by saying that perfection was never the goal. "Once you make a decision, you have to live with it. You certainly weigh all the options before. You take a look at all the things that could occur. But once that decision is done, you keep moving."
I agree with Caldwell but they should have said that before the game so that people could adjust their expectations.
Except hold that thought... this is the NFL. Not some pre-season match with nothing at stake. It would have been one thing if your team were 12-2 prior to the match; 9-4 even but at 14-0 with a chance to go 19-0? You have got to be kidding me, the state of Indiana, and sports fans anywhere.
I agree that the Colts should refund the fans. The game was a farce. Every time you step on that field you are expected to win. Otherwise advertise it as the-game-we're-going-to-experiment-and-lose-because-it's-not-important-to-us-in-the-long-run. If you tried that with a real storied club, you'd be out of there like shit from a goose.
Sorry Coach, now the pressure really is on you to win the Super Bowl. If you don't then you understand that you can be fired after that shitty stunt where you tried to be bigger than the game. And if it is unfortunate that the Colts' lose, then you might want to paraphrase the Old Perfesser, "I'll never make the mistake of not trying to win again."
Les Goners
If you're looking for another fella with another excuse, it's Olympique Lyon manager Claude Puel who admitted that he is just after second place in the French Ligue 1 with seven-time champs at sixth place in the standings and 13 points behind leaders Bordeaux. Then after that quotable quote by the gaffer, team adviser Bernard Lacombe informed club President Jean-Michel Aulas that Les Gones, as OL is nicknamed, are Les Goners yet and will try and win an eighth title.
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