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I'm not a Colts fan, but I think that the team name and colors should have been left with the city of Baltimore, just the way Cleveland was able to keep the Browns name even after they skipped town to, ironically, of all places, Baltimore.
I hate when teams move....the NFL should make it impossible for teams to move unless its a really extreme situation. I still can't get used to saying Indianapolis Colts (even though they've been in Indy for more of my life than Baltimore), Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Tennesse Titans (well at least they changed their name)....
But Irsay did not feel triumphant. The problem was that while some Baltimore pols were offering him gifts, others were threatening to take the Colts away from him. On March 26, 1984 (the day after Mayor Schaefer pitched the city's improved offer to Irsay), two bills were introduced for study in the Maryland legislature. One called for the state to buy the team and sell it to local investors for $40 million—about $83 million in today’s dollars, or less than a tenth of the franchise’s current estimated value. The other authorized the state to use eminent domain proceedings to condemn the team and operate it “in the public interest.”
I DON'T BLAME IRSAY FOR LEAVING! IT WAS HIS TEAM! HE TOOK HIS BALL AND FOUND A NEW HOME!
Saw a piece on Sixty Mintues (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5377319n - broken link) the other day, about athletes and football players getting dementia from all the concussions they suffered and how the NFL is trying to come up with a better helmet design. One of the players whose story they highlighted with dementia was John Mackey of the old Baltimore Colts, one of the city's legendary players from the glory days... Mackey now lives in an assisted living facility in Baltimore and it's quite a sad sight to see our old hero in this condition.
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ESPN just did a lengthy special about the move of the colts from the perspective of the marching band. I found it interesting, and I don't know much about the Baltimore Colts. I think anyone who was a fan of that team would really enjoy it.
ESPN just did a lengthy special about the move of the colts from the perspective of the marching band. I found it interesting, and I don't know much about the Baltimore Colts. I think anyone who was a fan of that team would really enjoy it.
Thanks for the tip, I've found a link to the ESPN article. I once knew a couple of guys who were in that band, they practiced together for years after the team left town. The Baltimore Colts Fight Song is one of the best ever written, still brings a tear to my eyes, and when the band struck up the tune after a TD, old Memorial Stadium always went nuts....
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Saw a piece on Sixty Mintues (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5377319n - broken link) the other day, about athletes and football players getting dementia from all the concussions they suffered and how the NFL is trying to come up with a better helmet design. One of the players whose story they highlighted with dementia was John Mackey of the old Baltimore Colts, one of the city's legendary players from the glory days... Mackey now lives in an assisted living facility in Baltimore and it's quite a sad sight to see our old hero in this condition.
I saw that piece as well Mike. It's depressing, damn depressing! Shortly after he retired from pro football he was president of the NFL players union for a short time.
There are a variety of of interviews John had done with NFL films, especially the ones done shortly after the death of Johnny Unitas, and he seemed to be ok regarding to commenting. I've had two concussions, one in sports and the other a nasty car wreck where I was knocked out for a day and a half. Those conditions down the road are always on my mind. I not only feel bad for his teammates and his fans, but especially his family. Just a real tough thing for them to go through.
I saw that piece as well Mike. It's depressing, damn depressing! Shortly after he retired from pro football he was president of the NFL players union for a short time.
There are a variety of of interviews John had done with NFL films, especially the ones done shortly after the death of Johnny Unitas, and he seemed to be ok regarding to commenting. I've had two concussions, one in sports and the other a nasty car wreck where I was knocked out for a day and a half. Those conditions down the road are always on my mind. I not only feel bad for his teammates and his fans, but especially his family. Just a real tough thing for them to go through.
John Mackey , Big Number 88!!!!! When he caught a pass, you were lucky to get him down with two tacklers. One tackler, forget it!!!!!!!!!!! He was one of the greatest tight ends ever!
Big daryle is right. Mike Ditka and John Mackey were the first receivers in the NFL to really define that position. Prototypes, that's the word I'm looking for here. What a crew to work with; Jimmy Orr and Raymond Berry as wide/outs, Lenny Moore and Jerry Hill in the backfield, and #19 firing that ball, unafraid of Merlin Olson, Deacon Jones, Willie Davis, Doug Atkins, and many other great D-linemen! Damn that Vince Lombardi and his 5 NFL championships anyway! lol
I'm not a Colts fan, but I think that the team name and colors should have been left with the city of Baltimore, just the way Cleveland was able to keep the Browns name even after they skipped town to, ironically, of all places, Baltimore.
I hate when teams move....the NFL should make it impossible for teams to move unless its a really extreme situation. I still can't get used to saying Indianapolis Colts (even though they've been in Indy for more of my life than Baltimore), Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Tennesse Titans (well at least they changed their name)....
WHY? The Colts were a privately owned business. And still are. Everybody was trying to paint Irsay as the villain. But no one talks about how the city was secretly planning to take his team through Eminent Domain! He found out and got the heck outta dodge!
I don't blame him.
Quote:
However with negotiations over improvements to Memorial Stadium at an impasse, one of the chambers of the Maryland state legislature passed a law on March 27, 1984 allowing the city of Baltimore to seize the Baltimore Colts under eminent domain, which city and county officials had previously threatened to do. Irsay later claimed the city promised him a new football stadium, something they later denied, citing the team's poor attendance. The next day, Irsay, fearing a dawn raid on the team's Owings Mills headquarters, quickly accepted a deal offered by the city of Indianapolis, Indiana; Indianapolis Mayor William Hudnut then contacted his good friend, John B. Smith, at that time the CEO of the Mayflower Transit Company, and arranged for fifteen trucks to hurriedly pack the team's property and transport it to Indianapolis in the early hours of the morning of March 29.
This is the Official Thread of the Baltimore Colts - 'cause its the ONLY thread.
By it's nature, this is a thread that ended over 20 years ago, but memories of the team many of us grew up with will go to the grave with us.
Exactly 50 years ago this month, December 1958, I was a lad of ten, and on an old black & white TV set I watched The Greatest Game Ever Played; the Baltimore Colts beating the NY Giants in sudden death overtime, when Alan (the horse) Ameche plowed through the Giants defense from a yard out.
I'll add more memories to this thread as time goes by, hopefully others will to.
Meantime, I'm remembering 50 years of the NFL.
Memory Lane time again.
Today is the 51st anniversary of The Greatest Game Ever Played. It even got mention on network TV news tonight. Yeah.
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ESPN done a great job a year ago at this time regarding the one and a half hour special they done on it. Had a lot of former Giant and Colts players and current ones providing commentary throughout the game.
That game put pro football on the map. The amount of players who eventually went to the hall of fame is just staggering. For the Colts; Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, Weeb Ewbank, Art Donovan, Gino Marchetti. For the Giants there was Frank Gifford, Roosevelt Brown, Andy Robustelli, Sam Huff, I know there are a few more I'm missing here. Just an incredible game!
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