The Indianapolis Colts

The face says it all. You have a chance for perfection. Granted, your team isn't really that good and you've squeaked out some close games. But you had it in your grasp. Just beat the mediocre Jets and the awful Bills and you head into the playoffs at 16-0. You're on the brink of history.

The Patriots came up short in 2007. 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl, my beloved team blew it when it counted most, throwing away what could have been the greatest season in the history of professional sports.

Buy you, Peyton Manning, Jim Caldwell, and Bill Polian, threw it all away because Polian decided "sixteen and oh is not historic." Maybe not, since the Patriots did it two years ago. But, 19-0 is very historic. Unfortunately, you can't go 19-o without going 16-0 first. I highly doubt Caldwell had anything to with this. Really, Jim Caldwell is Head Coach in title only. Peyton Manning is the real head coach. He calls all the plays. He runs the team. Caldwell may run the practices and take care of disciplinary matters, but Peyton is the boss.

I have no problem with the Colts pulling their starters. I have a problem with WHEN they pulled them. Being up by five is not the time to pull your starters. Especially at home. Leave your starters in to score one more touchdown and go up by twelve. At that point, if you lose, you lose. But pulling them half way through the third quarter against a team that is mathematically still alive for the playoffs? Jesus! Take your season ticket holders into account! They're not paying top dollar to watch Curtis Painter throw away a perfect season. They're paying to watch Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Dwight Freeney and Reggie Wayne.

In 2007, the Patriots played to win every game. Kudos to the Giants for not laying down in week 17. Everyone who bought tickets or tuned in to watch the game got everything they were paying for. As far as I'm concerned, the Indianapolis Colts owe every season ticket holder and everyone who tuned into that game a refund. They laid down. They had a chance at being the considered the greatest professional sports franchise of all time and they threw it away.

People like to say "I wish the Patriots lost a game during the season to take the pressure off." No! As Herm Edwards said, "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!!" What's wrong with going undefeated during the regular season? The regular season has absolutely nothing to do with the postseason. To be a champion, you need to win every game in the postseason. Only one team goes undefeated in the postseason.

Be a champion! Consider every game the most important game of the year! Go for history! Give the fans what they pay for! Say what you will about Bill Belichick. He understands the historical context of every game he coaches. Whether its about having Doug Flutie kick a drop kick for the first time in 60 years, going undefeated or winning more Super Bowls than anyone else, he gets it. Sometimes its about more than winning a championship. Sometimes its about doing something no one else has ever done. To throw away the opportunity to do that is inexcusable.

Eighteen franchises have won Super Bowls. Only one did it in an undefeated season. But that was only 14 games plus playoffs. No one has ever gone 19-0. The Colts had a chance. The only guarantee in the NFL is that every year there will be a Super Bowl champion. To not give yourself the chance to do it in a way that no one else ever has in inexcusable. Mazel Tov to Jim Irsay and Bill Polian. You lost your team. The team with the best record in the NFL is probably going to lose their first layoff game. To paraphrase Tom Jackson, "they hate their management."