When Pigs Fly?

We at theHogs.net never miss an opportunity to make a bad pun on a good pig cliche, so I can’t help but think on the day that the city of Indianapolis let one of the greatest football players EVER escape, that I should look outside for flying pigs.

Subsequently I could also skate my way to a hell that must have frozen over if the mighty Peyton Manning had actually been relieved of his Colts’ duties.

And yet I watched it happen.

I know that it was one of the worst kept secrets in the history of secrets; after all, one of the incumbents Jim Irsay, let most of it play out publicly on his personal Twitter account. He’s been shaking hands and kissing babies via Tweets for months, in preparation of the unthinkable – the Post Peyton Manning Colts Era.

The press conference itself was a combination of touching and nauseating for me. I thought Manning was very genuine, very upset, and very guarded about what it feels like to be leaving somewhere I’m sure he thought he’d spend his whole career. He choked back tears to finish his speech with, “I truly enjoyed being your quarterback.”

Cynically, I thought Irsay tried to give the same impression but came up short. I felt like I was watching a guy who plucked a couple of nose hairs just before the camera cut to him, to make sure he had a couple of tears in his eyes.

Both were extremely quick, almost too quick, to point out that the $28 Million roster bonus due tomorrow didn’t have anything to do with it.

Mmmkay. Not buying that for a minute.

I think Irsay will cry real tears when he starts to realize the overall effect of letting go of the guy that increased the value of his franchise by almost a quarter of a billion dollars (Forbes). Sure he has an incredibly fortunate potential replacement in one Andrew Luck, but there are never guarantees in an NFL Draft. And let’s face it – finding a great quarterback – even a franchise quarterback – isn’t the same as finding a Peyton Manning. We are talking about one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game – and arguably the most advanced football mind to ever step under center.

Irsay is really rolling the dice in my opinion. $28 Million ain’t nothing on $226 Million.

So who is going to land perhaps the most coveted free agent in the history of free agency (if healthy)?

Redskins fans seem split right down the middle as to whether or not they want to jump into the Manning sweepstakes. Personally, I have to at least make the call to determine what it will take.

If you believe what you hear, Manning is almost certain to choose an AFC team to avoid playing his brother Eli in an NFL playoff game, anywhere but in the Super Bowl. So that cuts the list in half immediately, and rules the Redskins out; however, you can’t believe everything (insert anything if you prefer) that you hear on the wire these days. So Manning could still end up with an NFC team like the Redskins.

Fear not Redskins fans. Even the ones that covet Manning. The absolute WORST the Redskins come out of the Manning sweepstakes is with one less team to compete with in the Robert Griffin III winfall. The Miami Dolphins are a real player in both the aforementioned sweepstakes, and if they land Manning, they’d be out on Griffin, and would be happy with Ryan Tannehill at number eight. Let’s face it, with a solid defense, Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush – they have some good pieces in place and are good candidates.

Shortening that list by even one team at this point is significant to the Redskins.

So while you’re waiting with bated breath to hear if Peyton Manning signs with the Washington Redskins, throw a back-up prayer in the direction of the Miami Dolphins.

Hail!

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