A Sunday that will "live in infamy"

First appered on December 31st, 2009
in The Lebanon Reporter

Merry Christmas Curtis Painter. Though it wasn’t clear amidst all the booing, I’m pretty certain that was the message 67,000 strong were trying to convey Sunday at the Luke. But before we take another swing at the unassuming backup who became a piñata for the moment we all knew was coming, let’s understand Painter’s not to blame for Jim Caldwell pulling the plug on the Colts season (by the way, your kids will be better off by your letting them know now that Santa is fake and Indianapolis won’t be winning the Super Bowl this year).
First let’s give credit where appropriate. Up until Sunday’s third quarter, Jim Caldwell had made all the right moves in orchestrating the 14-0 start. He deserves the credit for Indy’s unbelievable season just as sure as he will take the blame if they fail to win it all (which they will). As solid and fruitful as his decisions were up until Sunday, the decision to bench Manning was not only the most unpopular move he has made all year; it overshadows everything else he’s done.
To Manning’s credit, the ultra-competitive superstar quarterback didn’t go all “Brett Favre” on Caldwell and refuse to come out of the game; though you know he exhausted Tom Moore’s ear trying to talk his way back on to the field. But before Sunday Caldwell had appeared bulletproof. Then one fateful decision turned him from quiet genius to captain of the Titanic. Surrounded by crew members and deck hands all pleading to launch the life boats, there was Caldwell standing on the bridge of a once proud and beautiful ship, a ship so many had considered unsinkable.
Unless Indianapolis wins it all (which they won’t), everyone, this includes fans, analysts, historians, the guy who opens and closes the roof at Lucas Oil and loafers in the coffee shops, will return to Sunday’s fateful move FOR YEARS TO COME. To be clear the decision to bench his starters with the outcome of the game still in doubt will either go down as one of sheer brilliance (provided they win it all; which they won’t) or the turning point in what was an amazing season that appeared destined for history. And by turning point here we mean turning ‘south’.
Maybe it wasn’t Caldwell’s call. Maybe it was someone higher up. Perhaps it was Bill Polian doing his best “Geppetto”, manipulating Caldwell’s strings from his luxury box. Polian has repeated repeatedly that perfection was “never a goal” and evidently Colts fans now know that their team President wasn’t visited by the ‘Ghost of Playoff Upsets Past’ this Christmas season, for how else can you explain his refusing to change? Look, Polian’s a lot smarter than me so how is it that he doesn’t realize doing things the same way always gets you the same results? History is clear. Teams that rest, rust. Suddenly, after such an amazing start, the Colts appear destined to prove that old adage once again.
A Super Bowl champ is crowned every year. An undefeated Super Bowl champ hasn’t happened since 1972. This makes Sunday all the more difficult to grasp. I guess some things are just not meant to be understood; like the meaning of life or why X is a letter in the alphabet. The Colts flirted with perfection only to crash and burn. Sunday was bigger than Jim Caldwell. It was bigger than Peyton Manning and it was most certainly bigger than Curtis Painter. Sunday was about sports immortality and, in true immortal fashion, it’s gone forever now.