colts are so wrong in this situation, in every situation. i am so shocked that i am going to rant on every reason why they made a terrible desicion
1.) momentum - this is pretty simple, going undefeated is going to give you the mojo of "we can't be beat". yes, it could lead to them becoming too overconfident, but with peyton manning controlling things, i doubt it
2.) rememberance: quick, as a casual sports fan, who won super bowl 8, 17, and 30? can you do it, without looking it up? probably not. Now what is the team that went undefeated in the 72 season, the 07 regular season? if the colts went undefeated they would always be remembered, (i doubt 16-0 is ever going to happen again, the 07 patriots are possibly the greatest team ever assembled). if they win the super bowl? uh, thats a great accomplishment but a team wins it every year...
3.) fans - honestly, what fan wants to sit to what basically becomes a preseason-type blowout to their favorite team? The fans wanted 16-0, and they paid money for their tickets. why let them boo you.
4.) past - hey, do you remember when the colts rested starters and won the super bowl? oh, neither did I. That's because this has happened before, again and again where they rest starters early, and then lose in the playoffs. The one year they won the super bowl, they did not rest their starters, they had to play them through.
5.) completely ruining the season for some teams. - um, believe it or not colts, the jets were still in the playoff hunt. and after you lost to them, they now control their own destiny. if they win, they are in. sucks for the texans, steelers, broncos, and ravens, as one of those teams will be screwed out of the playoffs, assuming that at least two of them go 9-7. The jets should be 7-8, i don't think they really had a chance at all until painter came in. you made a complete mockery of the playoff race imo =/
6.) rested ... too much - the colts had hit a stride, now they are likely going to be resting their starters for almost a month. There is such a thing as being to fresh, and going stale from not having played.
7.) problems next week - uh so what, are they going to break peytons rising streak of consecutive starts? how will it look if they play their starters again in the first half? fans will just say, "why the FUCK would you not play them against the jets if you were going to play them today anyway?"
8.) Manning - taking away mannings ultimate desire.... honestly, manning works everyday to become perfect. he never quits, he has the same routine, and he makes himself do better everytime. What better reward for the "perfect quarterback", than a perfect season? honestly, you could tell how pissed he was he was benched, even if he said all the right things. which leads me to:
9.) disrespect - honestly, do you think caldwell is gonna get any respect from these guys for a while? he took away their dreams of a perfect season. The colts will play football in the playoffs, but not for him.
10.) business wise for the nfl, how do you think goodell and others think about this? i bet they aren't saying, "yes, the colts are no longer undefeated, which means we don't have to sell that annoying angle for snf, or the playoffs, or the super bowl!". No they are probably cursing at how much potential money was lost. ratings and attendance and marketbility and whatever income from being able to sell "undefeated" is gone. i remember, when the pats were 18-0, going to the super bowl. I have never heard so much hype for a game in my life, in school, on tv, whatever. Even teachers who didn't enjoy football were going to watch the super bowl to see if they could do it.
i hate the colts, so i guess i can laugh at them, but this infuriates me and im sure plenty of other people. i really, really hope they go 1 and done in the playoffs. doubt you could ever fire caldwell for that, but honestly, i would just yell at anyone who played a part in making this desicion.