DBWI: The Colts draft Peyton Manning

[Colonel Zoidberg]

So I was listening to the talking heads on the radio this morning while I was taking my kids to the park, and they were talking about just how important Peyton Manning has been to the city of San Diego and to the Chargers. They made a good point - no Peyton, no Jack in the Box Field (and that place is absolutely beautiful - I went out there a couple of years ago to visit my folks in San Diego and took in a game there and I was very impressed.) And for that matter, no regard for San Diego as a major sports city or anything but a nice place with amazing weather near the border.

But they almost didn’t get the chance. Hunter S. Thompson wrote Bob Irsay a letter practically telling him to draft Ryan Leaf over Manning, and the Colts’ owner, who died a year later, demanded that the Colts draft Leaf. Now Leaf had a cannon but just wasn’t up to life as an NFL starting quarterback and he flamed out, leaving the Colts in the dust with him. The Chargers at number two took Manning and the rest is history.

What if Hunter S. Thompson doesn’t interfere and the Colts take Manning instead? Does he do for Indy what he did for San Diego? Or does he end up not working out for the Colts?

OOC: The POD is that Bob Irsay doesn’t die in 1997 and lives another two years, meaning it’s the elder Irsay, not guitar enthusiast Jim, in charge when the Colts pick first in 1998.

 

[Ancien Regime]

Manning would have produced anywhere he went. The problem was that while the Chargers were brilliant at drafting talent around Manning (keep in mind they had a Super Bowl team that decade that was being undermined by bad QB play, and after a dip late decade they found their groove again by drafting Chad Clifton in 2000, then LaDanian Tomlinson and Chad Johnson (OOC: He never changes his name to Chad Ochocinco). Also poaching Bill Belichick after the 99 season was a stroke of genius, given that everyone thought he would follow Parcells until the latter retired, but Beathard saw something in him and got them to back up the truck for him. The end result was the 2003 and 2004 Super Bowl victories, and a decade of dominance that has just come to a close with the retirement of Manning 2 years ago.

 

[Nivek]

So I was listening to the talking heads on the radio this morning while I was taking my kids to the park, and they were talking about just how important Peyton Manning has been to the city of San Diego and to the Chargers. They made a good point - no Peyton, no Jack in the Box Field

Don't remind me that, that teach us cardinals never trade a draft pick before is done, Plummer flamed out badly a few years.

The rest was Jim was a disaster as person, he could even botch that draft...now he cleaned up and got in better place since they drafted Rivers.

 

[Ancien Regime]

Eh, they got the bad end of that deal, seeing that Eli won 2 Superbowls with the Ravens after he refused to play for the Colts. Rivers has been really good but again, the Colts suck at drafting so he hasn't been past the AFCCG. I think Peyton would have got them to the Super Bowl, and maybe even clutched out a win - both Manning bros are known for that - but who knows.

Also Plummer looked like a stud in the making at the time and was already a local demigod.

 

[Nivek]

Also Plummer looked like a stud in the making at the time and was already a local demigod.

He was still shaky and was a second rounder at the time, was like should have the panther keep Quinn Over Stafford? Lions passing on newton? if you get the chance got for it, we could have get manning(far better grade that plummer) and when plummer got a playoff wins, collapses and burned out at the end...trully fool's gold.

Eh, they got the bad end of that deal, seeing that Eli won 2 Superbowls with the Ravens after he refused to play for the Colts

That was Leaf and Irsay blame, they tell Jim never supported him when his dad died so eli decided not going that dumpster fire...hey they got rivers instead.

 

[Colonel Zoidberg]

hey they got rivers instead.

Yeah but he seems to be all numbers. I mean, two playoff wins in how long? Not his fault; he has no help. At least he kept the Colts semi-relevant; there was all kinds of talk about a move to San Antonio but they got a renovated stadium a couple of years ago. It looks nice but it’s nothing special.

And those teams Eli took to the Super Bowl...talk about a gritty group of Ravens. And they had to be if they wanted to beat those great Buccaneers teams in the 2000s. Tom Brady is a solid QB but nothing compares to those defenses he had helping him, and only Eli Manning cracked the code there. He pretty much had to - Brady threw for four TDS that season the Bucs went 15-1 and allowed only, and holy shit, 119 points all season. Eli hung 34 on them in the Super Bowl.

Even Peyton fell apart facing the Bucs - he lost in ‘02, what, 59-14? That one still smarts for San Diego and they still got two titles (neither against the Buccaneers, of course.) Peyton just couldn’t beat the Bucs. He always got his brother to do it for him.

 

[Nivek]

Not his fault; he has no help

This, Rivers Carry his team every time he got into playoffs is they got a key offensive or defensive player but he rest the team got exposed by the heavyweights(Ravens,ETC) and got kicked out, at least he keep the team relevelant and keep it on home, yeah the Second Hoosier Dome as say 'the most modest Stadium in Sports' but is that, a stadium for pure football, plus i doubt they would want something insane, unlike other ones.