Mr. Irsay, We're Still Waiting
January 3, 2017 at 4:45 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
The speculation has been rampant for weeks, if not the entire season. Grigson and Pagano have had to deal with that “goes with the territory” element of their positions for what is now a full 366 days (2016 was a leap year, after all).
Colts owner Jim Irsay, it’s your call, sir.
Andrew Luck and company completed the comeback and won 24-20 Sunday, leaving the Colts at 8-8. At about 4:15 p.m. that afternoon, the wait began.
The late afternoon games played out, and no word from Indy on the future of Grigson, Pagano and the coaching staff. By 8 p.m. San Diego head coach Mike McCoy had been fired, and Gary Kubiak had told his players in Denver he was retiring.
The wait in Indy continued.
Green Bay took the field in Detroit with a division title on the line Sunday night. San Francisco GM Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly were, at least figuratively, cleaning out their offices before the Packers and Lions reached halftime.
The wait in Indy continued.
The Packers won the NFC North, and the playoff schedule was announced on every Sunday night football show known to man. Analysts wondered if the ax was going to fall at the Colts’ facility, not when.
The wait in Indy continued well past my bedtime.
First thing Monday morning, I checked for online reports to see if anything new had transpired. Nothing reported. ESPN’s Mike and Mike Show moved on to other topics. Press conferences in Indy were scheduled for Monday afternoon, so the wait continued, but a possible end was in sight.
The wait in Indy continued.
Remember, the Colts went through the same things this time last year.
A meeting with Pagano and Irsay traditionally takes place the Monday after the season ends. Pagano took the microphone for the press conference, and was asked if he expected to have to fight to keep his job, in spite of Irsay saying he values continuity.
“Everybody wants answers,” he said. “Fans. My kids. My wife. The owner. Yeah, we’re going to have a discussion on where we’re at, what we need to do, where we’re going to and how we’re going to get there. We understand where we wanna go.”
I left the office, and watched the Blackhawks and Blues play outdoors in St. Louis. When that was over, I watched the end of the Cotton Bowl game.
From there, I took a sports break and watched a few episodes of “Hawaii Five-O” on Netflix. I’m old-school enough to remember in the original series Kono was a dude, and everyone on the force wore a jacket and tie.
I kept checking my phone, and the wait continued. I feel like I’m living out a version of “Groundhog Day.”
The wait in Indy continued.
Honestly, I want to believe Irsay is carefully thinking this through. I’m sure part of the problem is the “vote of confidence” contract extensions signed by Grigson and Pagano about a year ago. It would be quite a chunk of change for Irsay to pay to have someone not working for someone else. Heck, I’d not work for him for a lot less money.
Anyway, my deadline is rapidly approaching, and there’s nothing new to report from the Colts’ practice facility.
Mr. Irsay, is it a good business practice to keep what should be your most trusted leaders hanging in the wind? Ending relationships is difficult, and saving them is harder still. It’s up to you to say whether the relationships currently in place are worth saving. Frankly, you’d never tolerate being treated like this. That’s the responsibility that comes with signing the checks.
In this case, I’m thinking of the cliche asking someone to either “answer the call of nature,” or spray the air freshener and vacate the room.
Mr. Irsay, don’t leave good people in limbo. One way or another, decide already.
We’re all still waiting.
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The speculation has been rampant for weeks, if not the entire season. Grigson and Pagano have had to deal with that “goes with the territory” element of their positions for what is now a full 366 days (2016 was a leap year, after all).
Colts owner Jim Irsay, it’s your call, sir.
Andrew Luck and company completed the comeback and won 24-20 Sunday, leaving the Colts at 8-8. At about 4:15 p.m. that afternoon, the wait began.
The late afternoon games played out, and no word from Indy on the future of Grigson, Pagano and the coaching staff. By 8 p.m. San Diego head coach Mike McCoy had been fired, and Gary Kubiak had told his players in Denver he was retiring.
The wait in Indy continued.
Green Bay took the field in Detroit with a division title on the line Sunday night. San Francisco GM Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly were, at least figuratively, cleaning out their offices before the Packers and Lions reached halftime.
The wait in Indy continued.
The Packers won the NFC North, and the playoff schedule was announced on every Sunday night football show known to man. Analysts wondered if the ax was going to fall at the Colts’ facility, not when.
The wait in Indy continued well past my bedtime.
First thing Monday morning, I checked for online reports to see if anything new had transpired. Nothing reported. ESPN’s Mike and Mike Show moved on to other topics. Press conferences in Indy were scheduled for Monday afternoon, so the wait continued, but a possible end was in sight.
The wait in Indy continued.
Remember, the Colts went through the same things this time last year.
A meeting with Pagano and Irsay traditionally takes place the Monday after the season ends. Pagano took the microphone for the press conference, and was asked if he expected to have to fight to keep his job, in spite of Irsay saying he values continuity.
“Everybody wants answers,” he said. “Fans. My kids. My wife. The owner. Yeah, we’re going to have a discussion on where we’re at, what we need to do, where we’re going to and how we’re going to get there. We understand where we wanna go.”
I left the office, and watched the Blackhawks and Blues play outdoors in St. Louis. When that was over, I watched the end of the Cotton Bowl game.
From there, I took a sports break and watched a few episodes of “Hawaii Five-O” on Netflix. I’m old-school enough to remember in the original series Kono was a dude, and everyone on the force wore a jacket and tie.
I kept checking my phone, and the wait continued. I feel like I’m living out a version of “Groundhog Day.”
The wait in Indy continued.
Honestly, I want to believe Irsay is carefully thinking this through. I’m sure part of the problem is the “vote of confidence” contract extensions signed by Grigson and Pagano about a year ago. It would be quite a chunk of change for Irsay to pay to have someone not working for someone else. Heck, I’d not work for him for a lot less money.
Anyway, my deadline is rapidly approaching, and there’s nothing new to report from the Colts’ practice facility.
Mr. Irsay, is it a good business practice to keep what should be your most trusted leaders hanging in the wind? Ending relationships is difficult, and saving them is harder still. It’s up to you to say whether the relationships currently in place are worth saving. Frankly, you’d never tolerate being treated like this. That’s the responsibility that comes with signing the checks.
In this case, I’m thinking of the cliche asking someone to either “answer the call of nature,” or spray the air freshener and vacate the room.
Mr. Irsay, don’t leave good people in limbo. One way or another, decide already.
We’re all still waiting.
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