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I don’t know about you, but once in a while I need a little break from the stress of business, the political fray and the drama of everyday life. Sports often gives me the mental break I need. Although now that I think about it, I can’t say that watching sports helps me relax.
I had to stop watching my Cubs after an end-of-the-season colossal collapse—too depressing. Nothing like an end-of-the-year sweep at home by your arch nemesis, the Cardinals. Luckily, I can still glance over at my 2016 Game 3 Wrigley Field World Series ticket and recall the glory of finally winning it all (although they lost that game 1-0 in a very stressful pitchers’ duel).
I’ve coached my son’s Little League team the past six years. Now that he is almost 12 years old, the kids are throwing it faster and more accurately than I can. We play in both a spring and fall league, so most weekends from April to October are spent on the diamond. Every week, I spend about an hour strategizing just the right lineup that will give us the best chance to win. And every week, I realize I am often more emotionally into the game than any of the kids on my team. I’m sure I take the losses much harder than they do. So much for relaxing …
Which brings me to my Indianapolis Colts. As a kid in South Bend before the Colts moved to Indy, I grew up a Bears fan. Slowly but surely, I migrated my loyalties to the Colts. I was fortunate to see Manning and team win the Super Bowl in Miami in 2007 (and see Prince perform “Purple Rain” in the rain at halftime). I’ve been a Colts season-ticket holder ever since and have enjoyed watching some great Colts performances.
During the Manning years, we expected to win every game. When we lost, it was depressing (and not relaxing). Losing Manning was tough, but we knew we had the possibility of drafting a great NFL prospect in Andrew Luck. The Luck years didn’t disappoint. Despite taking hits that would have taken down Mike Tyson, Luck put the Colts on his back and would not accept defeat. We were sure Luck would lead the Colts back to the promised land.
Then 2019 Preseason Game 3 happened. I was out of town and my kids were at the game texting and asking if I heard Luck was retiring. Nobody could believe it. So much for a 2019 Super Bowl run. Maybe we relax a little and not worry about winning in 2019 and play for the number one pick in the 2020 draft. Maybe we sign Manning (Eli) or another proven veteran.
Not so fast. Guess who, through three games, has a higher percentage of passes completed than Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson? Jacoby Brissett! Guess who is the third-leading rusher in the league? Marlin Mack! Look at those downfield blocks by Quintin Nelson!
But wait, what is going on with Adam Vinatieri? Why are we on the edge of our seats (not relaxing) waiting to see whether the guy who holds the NFL scoring record is going to make an extra point?
If the Colts were a television drama series, they would be winning the ratings war hands down. What is going to happen next? Predictions: (1) Vinatieri will kick a 65-yard field goal at Lucas Oil and set the record for the longest field goal in NFL history. (2) Colts will win the AFC South and make a deep run in the playoffs. (3) Colts v. Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
Stay tuned. This is getting interesting … but not relaxing.•
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Feltman, an attorney and former secretary of commerce for the state of Indiana, is a shareholder in IBJ Corp., which owns the Indianapolis Business Journal. To comment on this column, send email to nfeltman@ibj.com.
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