Carlie Irsay-Gordon and her sisters just concluded their first year as owners of the Indianapolis Colts. Overall, they did a good job. Seeing their involvement with the team bodes well for the future.
Witnessing Irsay-Gordon swing for the fences by acquiring Sauce Gardner was a welcomed sight because watching an aggressive move not fully come to fruition is much better than always sitting on the sidelines and accepting mediocrity. As the season came to an end, a letter was written expressing disappointment and acknowledging that the franchise’s standard was not met. While appreciated, it is giving a sense of Deja vu.
Let’s get something straight before proceeding. Fans should accept her letter, the accountability, and the reasoning and decision she made to retain Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen. We don’t have to like it, but we can accept it. The problem is that Colts fans have heard it before; like, super recently before. Irsay-Gordon touches on it in her own letter, but Jim Irsay made similar statements and commitments just last offseason. He spoke of disappointment, a standard, and getting back to how it used to be. He acknowledged the frustration of not reaching the playoffs and retaining the same staff. He professed his belief in Ballard and being on the right track, yet here we are.
That wasn’t the first time either. Go back to one of the more dispiriting losses in franchise history when Carson Wentz and the Colts couldn’t beat the lowly Jaguars to make the playoffs. Irsay spoke of “all chips in”. That sounds like a championship move right there. Three years have passed since then with no playoffs or division titles. The Colts must have not had many chips to play with…
At some point, the talk needs to be backed up by results. The aggression this season was huge, both before and during the season. Carlie Irsay-Gordon green lighting the trade was something fans of Indiana sports have begged for in years past. This is not a knock on the letter or her approach. I have plenty of patience left for ownership. When is change justified though? When do the standards need to be reset with a fresh face? Irsay-Gordon is carving her own path which is currently leading her down the road of consistency. Expect consistency from this new ownership, but without results, don’t expect they will continue down the same path forever.
