It wasn't Vince Young or Kerry Collins who led the Titans into the playoffs. It was Jim Sorgi and he plays for the Colts! So much for that whole integrity thing that pundits were raving about with the NFL after the Giants in a meaningless game actually showed up and challenged the Patriots with history on the line. And those Patriots who could've put it on cruise control, but wanted this 16-0 record as a signature stamp on their ever expanding dyNEsty.
The Colts and to a lesser extent the Cowboys however? Nah, couldn't be bothered, couldn't lift a finger when it came to upholding the integrity of the league. Now you want to tell me that Cleveland and Minnesota should've taken care of business last week, fair enough. But I can't stand this holier than art thou praise these NFL teams get for playing the full 17 weeks to the max, when it is the only sport where a team can effectively end a game just by taking a knee and sitting on it for the last two minutes or so!
Yes there were some legit injuries such as Marvin Harrison and T.O. and the Redskins probably could've beaten the Cowboys straight up whereas the Titans who could barely get by the Jets, would've been creamed by the Colts.
From the Cowboys perspective, when you're down 27-3 in the 4th quarter and have 4th and goal, at least act like you're trying and go for it! I mean Denver showed up in a meaningless game to play hard and beat Minnesota, why not Dallas? And mind you I was hoping the Redskins as a feel good story would get in after all of the adversity they have faced this season.
I will admit bias in wanting Cleveland to make the playoffs because at least they have some interesting offensive weapons, whereas Tennessee is just a dreck of a team. The Colts though owed something to Romeo Crennel and the Browns, they owed them to take a shot. I mean come on Tony Dungy, help a brother out will ya!
But seriously I wonder if the Colts laying down had something to do with Crennel being a former defensive coordinator for the rival Patriots, the fact that they were playing nice for their AFC South division brethern Titans or that they just do this every single year in week 17. And the answer is that the Colts do this every single year week 17. The Colts even spurned their own opportunity to go 16-0 a few years back and like the Eagles of recent years they have gotten burned in taking this approach. Sure they were calling time-outs late in the 4th quarter to stop the clock, to give the impression that they were at least trying. That is until they marched Jim Sorgi right back out there. How I ask does Jim Sorgi still have a job in the NFL, seriously?
I mean I get it from an Indy and Dallas perspective, they've locked everything up and if they have players who are seriously injured then like any other game obviously they're going to sit. However if the Giants and Pats can play hard in a meaningless game for the integrity of the sport, so can you.
And if I'm the Browns I say to the Colts, Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning, the next time we play you, playing Jim Sorgi won't be a choice, but a necessity!
Yasmin Brunet
Melissa Haro
Hall of Fame ballot: Holdovers
Hall of Fame ballot: Newcomers
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I think Tony Dungy is a class act himself. Resting his stars in the last game of the season, after clinching a playoff berth, is a common practice among coaches in the NFL. I don't think -in my humble opinion- his team is a disgrace to the NFL and to the integrity of the game. Jim Sorgi needs to get playing time in case he's needed in the playoffs and I believe that is why Dungy put him at the helm against the Titans.
fred69
San Jose , CA
Total Comments (1)
colts are preparing for the playoff teams.......i dont think they care much what fans in cleveland are thinking
no sense in risking more injuries heading into the big games
Head Kick KO
Milwaukee , WI
Total Comments (665)
Do you want some cheese with that whine?
The only reason the Giants went out and played every minute of the Patriots game is because they wanted to try and not let the Pats go undefeated. If the Patriots had a loss prior to this game, you can bet the farm that the Giants starters wouldn't have played any longer than a quarter. The Patriots got lucky that another team didn't try to break Brady's neck in the blowouts when he was still passing. I wouldn't have felt sorry for him either.
If the Colts would have played the starters the whole game, and Peyton Manning went down with a season ending injury, the Colts chance at the Super Bowl would have been 0. The Colts don't care about any other team in the NFL besides themselves. The Colts have been hit the hardest this season of any team with injuries, no need to risk any more. The Browns had their chances and failed. That proves that they are not ready for the playoffs.
When the Colts hoist another trophy in February, you can come back on here and whine some more.
MichaelD8577
Indianapolis , IN
Total Comments (35)
What absurdly ridiculous comments you make. That you feel so adamant that Dungy and the Colts are classless and somehow owe anything to any other team by playing their starters the whole game speaks to how poorly you thought this all out. The word "disgrace" is used to describe the likes of Bobby Petrino and Michael Vick. Tony Dungy represents everything Roger Goodell wants a coach to be.
One last thing, The Colts didn't finish 16-0 in '05 because they lost legitimately to the Chargers. That's it. They lost a football game with all their starters playing and trying to win. Take more thought with your words.
Patrick Straub
New York, NY
Total Comments (3)
I'd like to see how far this so called integrity gets you in the playoffs when you loose key players to injury in a meaningless game.....and since when are the colts (any team in professional sports ) playing for someone other than themselves... not to mention someone in the AFC, do you think they care if the Browns got in. So i think you should replace the work "disgrace" with something a little more fitting like " Defending Superbowl Champions"
ps they know how to win in the playoffs and thats not with hurt players
blacksails2000
Total Comments (1)
Does this guy know how many players the Colts have injured? We have to rest the starters that we have, no need for injuries now. Who cares if we sat them the last game or not. About that comment you wrote about helping a brother out in Cleveland. Screw that!!!! If Cleveland can't clinch a playoff birth for themselves then they don't belong there! Tough break, every other team that made the playoffs earned it themselves.
ColtsFan4life
Saint Louis , MO
Total Comments (1)
If Cleveland had beaten the Steelers or had won just ONE of their other games...they would've made the playoffs. It's not the Colts' responsibility to make sure Cleveland makes the playoffs. It's the Colts' responsibility to win a Super Bowl. This blog entry is just another Browns bandwagon fan (Seriously, I had never seen one outside of Cleveland before) disgruntled over the fact that they wasted money on a Brady Quinn jersey and won't get to see the Browns (who are tremendously flawed, especially on defense) in the playoffs.
Haethos
Davis , CA
Total Comments (74)
As a life long Browns fan I was thrilled to see my Browns in contention in the last week. Yes, we should have beaten the Bungals and taken care of business the previous week but with the Colts playing laydown artists against the Titans our fate was doomed. The NFL is the greatest thing going but it has to address this situation which is not fair to the fans paying big $ to go to the games or the other teams playing hard to the end. Just remember Colts what goes around comes around! I have lost all respect for your team, players and coaches. I hope you get smoked in the playoffs and remember you're coming to Cleveland next year!
Hats off to the teams that did play hard when they didn't have to do so. That is what it is all about. Mr. Commissioner wake up and get it straightened out. The penalty should be the loss of a first round pick for laying down. This is almost as sad as having to pay full price for exhibition game tickets, WHICH BY THE WAY I DO!
Browns fan 1
Browns fan 1
Eldridge , IA
Total Comments (1)
Browns fan 1,
The Colts don't care what you think. They don't need help from other teams to make the playoffs. They do something called "winning their division". You need to just be happy with a 10-6 record and move on. The Colts have had an injury at every position except QB this season. No need to ruin any chance at a repeat by getting Manning injured.
As far as the fans paying big $ for tickets, they already knew in advance that the Colts starters were only going to be playing for a few series. If you want to talk about a disgrace, that would be the Giants fans who sold their tickets to NE fans to turn Giants Stadium into Gilette. I bet they would have been really ticked off had the Giants actually won the game, and they had sold their tickets.
MichaelD8577
Indianapolis , IN
Total Comments (35)
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