Sunday night’s game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts is getting a lot of hype. It is the first game back for Broncos’ linebacker Von Miller after his 6-game suspension. It is also Broncos’ quarterback Petyon Manning’s first game back in Indianapolis after being fired by the Colts. And if that wasn’t enough, now Colts’ owner Jim Irsay has made some remarks about Manning causing Broncos’ head coach John Fox and Rockies first baseman Todd Helton to come to Peyton’s defense.

In an interview in USA Today, Irsay criticized Mannings’ postseason performance which resulted in a lack of Super Bowl rings.

‘We’ve changed our model a little bit, because we wanted more than one of these,’ Irsay says, flicking up his right hand to show his Super Bowl XLI championship ring. ‘(Tom) Brady never had consistent numbers, but he has three of these,’ Irsay adds. ‘Pittsburgh had two, the Giants had two, Baltimore had two and we had one. That leaves you frustrated. You make the playoffs 11 times, and you’re out in the first round seven out of 11 times. You love to have the Star Wars numbers from Peyton and Marvin (Harrison) and Reggie (Wayne). Mostly, you love this.’

For a player like Manning who is regarded as one of the best at his position, it is odd that an owner would publicly denounce him like that. Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy said that Irsay shouldn’t have made this personal and believes that maybe he is doing it to pysch Manning out for the Broncos-Colts game Sunday. Former Colts’ GM Bill Polian and Broncos’ head coach John Fox both agree that they would be thankful with one Super Bowl ring. Fox also said that Irsay’s remarks were “disappointing and inappropriate.” Rockies first basemen Todd Helton said, “I hope Manning steps on their throat and doesn’t let up, especially after that idiot … spouting off his mouth.”

Growing up in Baltimore and watching that Mayflower truck pull out in the middle of the night when Bob Irsay snuck the Colts out of town and moved them to Indianapolis, I am not surprised that Jim Irsay is so classless to say this about Peyton Manning. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

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