The Colts Are A Hot, Hot, Hot Mess.
I don’t know what’s going on with the Colts bu-, oh wait, I do; Jim Irsay is a douchebag, and Chuck Pagano could be a douchebag as well. They’ve already been catching some flak, (Irsay specifically) for saying that Andrew Luck’s difficulty coming back from a shoulder injury is mostly mental. Now this is absurd, one being that in Louis Riddick’s wise words, “You can’t be a tough guy with someone else’s body.” And two being that Luck played through a torn labrum for two seasons, and it’s completely absurd for Irsay to be making any insinuations about his toughness.
On top of all of this, it’s now being reported that Colts veteran CB Vontae Davis is being cut from the team, apparently because he decided to have season-ending groin surgery. I’m slightly biased on this because from all of the soft tissue injuries I’ve ever had, a groin injury is without a doubt the most debilitating. Not trying to be an injury hardo but it’s a difficult area to stretch and often will feel totally normal until you reenact the motion that triggers it in a certain way. Also, it sounds like Davis had several different opinions done on the injury: one doctor told him to let it heal, and another told him he needed surgery to get it patched up. Davis tried to go the first route, but upon returning to the game (which he admits, may have a bit soon), the injury had not improved. It sounds like on top of all of this, there was a rift between Davis, his coaches and management- and he was frustrated with how they were dealing with his injury. He elected it was the best decision for his career to get season-ending surgery, and was consequently released from the team.
Do we expect too much of football players? Absolutely, we do. Injuries are a natural part of the game but it’s become more and more clear, especially as we learn more about CTE, that players will put themselves at serious risk to earn their paychecks. However, this goes beyond even that. It shows a total disconnect in the Colts’ organization, because when you play football, what you need above and beyond all else is for people in your building, and in your locker room to have your back. You have to trust guys when they say they’re hurt. You have to allow them to make decisions that will keep them whole. And so yes, maybe in some part, this was a business decision. But beyond that it’s a problem with your team culture. You cut a guy like Vontae Davis because of this, and you question your franchise quarterback’s toughness after he’s put his body on the line for you? That’s a bad luck for an organization that is in desperate need of a turn around; and everyone involved in these decisions deserves to be called out.
P.S. My dad hit Chuck Pagano in the balls during peewee football so I’m on the right side of history.
