Week 8 Polian Corner (must read as always!)

Don’t miss when the big man talks

Q: Can you discuss what the recent news regarding the contract of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning means, and is there cause for panic?
A: I’m going to give a lengthy answer. I hope it’s coherent. On the one hand, we live in a world where the media is pervasive and covers virtually every single part of our game every single day. That is perfectly fine. In fact, it’s a good thing. It’s what makes the game popular. The media, and others – like agents – who interact with the media on a regular basis have their agendas. That’s all to the good as well. People in the media have to draw ratings. They have to draw page views. They have to sell advertising, so they have to have stories. That’s perfectly fine. I’ve said many times, we live in parallel universes. What is a story for the media and/or a story for an agent is not a story, worry or concern for us. I understand that it’s great to put headlines out there and it’s great to generate a story, and it’s great to create worry, if you will – that’s all well and good and what’s supposed to be done. If I were working at a newspaper or a television network, that’s what I’d do. If I were an agent, that’s what I’d do. But I’m neither. The fact of the matter is that it is not an issue for us internally. It never was. It won’t be. We’ve never had difficulty doing a contract. We either have or have not done them. In Peyton’s case, we’ve had two of them we’ve gotten done – his rookie contract and then this one. We’ve always gotten everything done in a timely manner, so I suspect that that will be the case going forward. That is the only statement, however, that I’m going to make on the subject. It’s someone else’s story. That’s a lengthy way of explaining where I’m coming from, but think I owe it to everyone to give that explanation. It’s not done with any rancor or any feeling of anything being wrong. We live in two different worlds. I understand the world that the media and agents live in, but in our world that’s not something we’re going to worry about or address. When it’s done, it will be done and we’ll make an announcement, just as we do with every other contract.