The people of Indianapolis likely are feeling the pain of loss with Wednesday’s announcement that the Peyton Manning era is over. Baltimore fans likely would say, “Good. Feel the pain. Now you have an inkling of what we felt when we suffered the loss of the Colts.”
Of course, Baltimore fans were hit with a double whammy. A decade before the Colts moved to Indianapolis, they had to endure the loss of one of the greatest figures in NFL history with the trade of Johnny Unitas.
When an icon like Manning leaves, there is a flood of mixed emotions — anger, sadness and the hope that whoever comes can match the good times of their departing hero. In this case, hope for Indianapolis comes in the form of the unproven Andrew Luck, expected to be the Colts’ No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
A Hall of Fame worthy successor certainly can ease the pain.
Joe Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl championships. It seemed unimaginable to think of Montana in any other uniform, but after missing almost two years of playing time with an elbow injury, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993.
Steve Young was already in place, and he led the 49ers to another Super Bowl championship during the 1994 season.
When Brett Favre departed Green Bay, it was ugly, but Aaron Rodgers was there to make fans forget the Packers’ icon. Favre himself helped with the diva-like drama he orchestrated after he left.
Both Montana and Favre had some success in their new stops. Montana took the Chiefs to the AFC title game and Favre led the Vikings to the NFC Championship game.
They never matched what they did in the places where they became legends, and that, too, made their parting less painful. So Indianapolis fans might not wish ill will toward Manning — their wrath most likely will be directed at owner Jim Irsay, just as it was in Baltimore when his father, Robert, traded Unitas. But they likely don’t want to see Manning deliver championship moments someplace else — like Washington, for instance.
Washington never really has experienced that sort of star loss. There have been love affairs with sports icons who have left, such as Art Monk. He was let go by the Redskins after the 1993 season and played his final two years for the Jets and Eagles, respectively.
But his personality (he had none) and position (wide receiver) diminished the heartache of his departure.
Perhaps if Darrell Green had finished his career somewhere else, Redskins fans might be able to empathize with Colts fans. Now, of course, many are hoping the Colts’ loss is the Redskins’ gain.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
