Manning's Absence is out of the Ordinary

First appeared on September 3rd, 2008
in The Lebanon Reporter

We couldn’t help but notice the fact that when Peyton Manning underwent surgery on his left knee in early July he seemingly disappeared. Fans and media alike found it curious when the former two time league MVP wasn’t around as the Colts entered training camp. At stake of course is Manning’s 160 consecutive games started streak (most among active NFL quarterbacks) and, oh yeah, the Colts chances of winning any games at all this season.
When August turned on the calendar and Manning was yet to surface, Colts fans became nervous. We don’t mean cat on a hot tin roof nervous either. We mean the low level aide who drew the short straw and had to break the news to Hitler that the Allied invasion of Normandy had been a success kind of nervous. We mean a turtle trying to cross the Autobahn kind of nervous.
For a month the most visible person in the sports world had suddenly became the most invisible. In the weeks and months following September 11th George W. Bush was keeping Vice President Dick Cheney in an “undisclosed location” in the interest of national security. Perhaps, when it came to hiding his quarterback’s whereabouts, Colts coach Tony Dungy was simply borrowing a page from W’s playbook (yes, we’re cringing too).
Maybe it’s just overexposure. Maybe we are so used to seeing Manning’s face on everything from city busses and television commercials to cans of soda and urinal cakes (available in the New England area only) that when we don’t see it for a week or two we start going through withdrawal.
The fact that Manning showed at practice in late August doesn’t mean the Colts troubles are over. After becoming the first NFL team to win more than 12 games in five straight seasons, Indianapolis has become the model of consistency in professional football. This season might prove different however as the Colts we all know and love have suddenly become somewhat of an enigma.
The health of defensive end Dwight Freeney’s foot is a mystery. There is no guarantee his blinding speed will return after his November Lisfranc surgery.
Future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison’s physical health coupled with the unsuspected Pacer-like gift he gave Colts fans during the off-season are both riddles we are yet to solve as well.
Make no mistake about it Harrison and Freeney are vital to the Colts success; not unlike that one weird guy who paints his entire body blue on gamedays (If that happens to be you, we mean weird in the best possible way).
Confounding matters for Indianapolis is the fact that heading into the season their offensive line is missing more pieces than a garage sale jigsaw puzzle. As Guard Ryan Lilja is recovering from off season knee surgery All-Pro center Jeff Saturday is limping his way to the injured list. All this hopping around ultimately means an unproven rookie might be charged with the responsibility of protecting Manning and his one good knee when the season opens.
But alas, the Colts are more than wins and losses, a new stadium and an unwelcomed restaurant tax. To borrow a line from former Mayor Bart Peterson, Peyton and the Colts “bring Hoosiers together”. They put neighbors on a common ground that is sometimes difficult to find without the familiar buzz of Bob Lamey’s voice ringing in our ears. What Irsay, Polian, and Dungy have built in Indianapolis is something special. Enjoy them now. They are a beast the likes of which we may not see again soon. With this in mind, Colts fans should relish all the Mondays they have left on which to discuss the Sundays that Manning took snaps from Saturday.