Irsay made the right wager

I find myself taking issue with Peter Rusthoven’s [March 19] after-the-fact column about “Irsay’s colossal wager.” I admire Irsay’s decision. First, it took an incredible amount of guts to make it. The safe, popular choice would have been to keep Peyton Manning. Second, Irsay did what an overwhelming number of businesspeople will not do. He put long-term potential ahead of short-term gain. Third, he also used it as a way to dump the Polians, who had become an embarrassment to the franchise. Eleven quarterbacks have won more than one Super Bowl. Peyton Manning is not among them, although he had a chance to be. I think Irsay made a bold, courageous, knowledgeable decision regarding a Colts team that was long in the tooth. Let’s dismantle and try to do even better! Who can argue with that kind of logic, other than Rusthoven?

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David Cranfill