I was listening on the radio to the Colts-Jets game on the way home in the snow from Cincinnati last night.  The fans were booing the removal of Peyton Manning.  The announcers were berating the fans,  calling their booing “pathetic”. 

One:  The fans wanted to see their team go undefeated.   That is NOT “pathetic”.  Especially considering that Manning has not even missed a game that I can remember in 11 years.  Point:  He’s pretty durable.  There are also numerous ways to “play it safe” with Peyton IN THE GAME.  The backup was clearly NOT going to get the job done.  

How early did the ‘72 Dolphins (who REMAIN the only unblemished champ) clinch their playoff spot?   THEY just got the job done.  The fans are the ones that pay them.  They won a SuperBowl 3 years ago.  They had another plateau within their grasp.  Does “Playing not to lose”  ring a bell?  That’s basically what this was.  It was fear of repercussions on the unlikely event of an injury.  I would have really been pissed as a fan of the NFL had New Orleans not lost (twice now) and they got the SuperBowl unblemished.  (BTW,  did they pull Brees out to “save him” for the post season?)  I know they have not clinched the #1 yet,  but #2 or #1 does not seem to be a trump card up against the conventional wisdom of “saving them” for the playoffs.  I was for NO to go all the way anyway,  and take it from Indy in the Super Bowl. 

Does Peyton need the “rest”?  One hears all the “gear up for the playoffs”.  Give me a break.  They have two weeks before their next game.  Lame.  The Colts just lost a sizeable portion of a would be audience interested in a trek to an undefeated championship.  I was not for the Patriots to do it two years ago.  There was SO MUCH hype I was pleased to say the least when it all suddenly stopped dead when Eli and the Giants silenced the hypsters.  I LOVED it.  But all that took the allure of an undefeated “feat”,  and I thoroughly enjoyed the Giants march down the field for the winning score. 

You know what else?  The Colts announcers are no good at calling the game either.  So many plays where I had no idea what was happening until they surprised me at the end of the play with where the play actually ended.  Example:  “Jones hit at the line…..they place the ball at the xx yard line”   (an EIGHT YARD gain!!!  He had spun off and fallen ahead.  Would have been easy to say “Hit at the line, SPINS, falls forward”.  Only one example of many.  )