I didn’t know Jim Irsay very well and, in fact, we only had two conversations, both pertaining to his incredible, mind-boggling collection of rare and expensive artifacts that he proudly shared with all of us.
Clearly, he was an eclectic and benevolent person, and l will always be grateful for the time we shared discussing our mutual interest in presidential history.
I will also readily admit that after witnessing many of his episodes in which he demonstrated behavior that was harmful to himself and the franchise he loved so dearly, I joined the many who called him out for the totally outlandish behavior he often demonstrated.
Clearly, much of it was fueled by the demons of addiction that he battled until the very day he died, and while I could not personally relate to such a nightmare, it seemed fashionable at the time to question his level of sanity.
However, with the Colts’ sudden and stark improvement this season, it seems only fair to point to the rambunctious and flamboyant Irsay and give him some credit – for some of the things he didn’t do that he could have done as the owner of a team that both defined his persona and gave him great satisfaction.
For some time, many of us out here had called for the dismissal of Chris Ballard, but lrsay said no dice and continued the upward trek with the man that he truly thought was capable of getting it right and placing the Colts back into the playoff picture again.
Certainly, it had to be tempting to jettison Ballard and his entire staff. However, the guy who once named a totally inexperienced Jeff Saturday the interim head coach of his team on a whim was steadfast and chose not to fire the embattled man he agreed with when it came time to draft Anthony Richardson as their franchise quarterback.
He stood by that decision through more than just a few tough times, before also greenlighting the decision to pay Daniel Jones to come to Indianapolis and just maybe give life to not only the QB situation, but hope to a fan base that has been loyal to Irsay since he inherited the team in 1997.
It’s also worth mentioning that he also stood firm in a tenuous negotiation with Jonathan Taylor and kept the very guy that’s as good as any running back in the NFL from changing his ZIP code. He’s now serving as the pillar of a formidable running attack that has been so crucial to the Colts success so far this season.
If l’m going to mention the Saturday debacle, l must also state why Ballard brought Shane Steichen in for a coaching interview. It was ultimately Irsay’s decision to hire him and hand him the reins to a floundering franchise that sorely needed stability at the head coaching position and gave him the total authority to assemble his staff.
“You might think this column is about posthumously honoring the man as the greatest owner in the history of the NFL, but you’d be wrong.”
You might think this column is about posthumously honoring the man as the greatest owner in the history of the NFL, but you’d be wrong. At the risk of severe redundancy, l have been critical of James Stephen Irsay many a time, and rightfully so in my not-so-humble opinion, but l also recognize this opportunity to give him his props regardless if anyone else will join me in such.
There was a big posse of us calling for him to sell the team not so long ago. Too bad he’s not here to see the current fruits of his labor and get the last laugh.
Danny Bridges, who thinks Jim Irsay was smarter about how to deal with today’s NFL than he ever got credit for, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
Danny Bridges is an award-winning journalist and a longtime sports columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder. He covers college, professional sports and especially all things IndyCar racing. He can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
