Decline in tickets sale: Indianapolis Colts receive first taste of Peyton Manning’s exit-NFL News
The Indianapolis Colts have come to the realisation that in spite of the owner, Jim Irsay’s efforts of repairing the damage incurred due to departure of quarterback, Peyton Manning, there is much more to be done to mend the loss the team faces in absence
of their former star.
The owner realised this for the first time when the management reported a considerable decline in the tickets sale for the next season, as many of their lifetime ticket holders are on the wait-and-see policy to get their tickets renewed.
This forced the team to seek a consultant’s help and it hired interns for the purpose for the first time in their franchise history.
Even the signing of this year’s top draft pick, Andrew Luck, has not changed the fans’ perception.
Peyton’s exit from Indianapolis has taken away all the thrill and excitement from the fans.
By any standards, Irsay’s decision of Manning’s release was a bad one but even worse was his sacking of the entire group of people who had been a part of Peyton’s legacy.
Even some of the fans, who could have been consoled over departure of Manning, are difficult to be pleased after waiver of so many officials in one go.
Irsay was aware of this fact, but having seen his team performing so miserably as to finish the entire season with only two wins last year, he could not help himself wait for another season before deciding the fate of the officials.
Colts’ long-term associate and loyal staff member, vice chairman, Bill Polian, was probably aware of the owner’s move well in advance.
He himself admitted that it was his failure to find and groom a replacement for Peyton Manning that cost the team the entire 2011 National Football League (NFL) season and then his and other officials’ jobs.
Polian, however, may not have expected the sacking of other officials, who apparently did not matter in the decision as much as him and the owner.
Now the past being past, Colts are focused on staging a turnaround next season, but it is quite likely that it may not be limited to the team’s on-field performance. It also has to take care of many other off-field matters, including winning back the fans'
loyalty.
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