How Did Jim Irsay Make His Money

Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay: A Business Breakdown for the Indianapolis Colts

January 27, 2012

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Loyalty is hard to come by, and when mixing business, sports and money, it's almost impossible. It's always about the athlete being money-hungry. But sometimes the real culprit is the owners, and the two sides aren't always discussed in the same light on the same round table.

Peyton Manning will be cut by the Indianapolis Colts because he's due a roster bonus of $28 million in March. It's not about Manning airing dirty laundry or whatever else owner Jim Irsay wants the general public to believe.

What dirty laundry is Manning really airing?

When a player leaves a city voluntarily, for a better team or for more money, he's vilified. But when the owners want to trade or cut a player, it's all business, and there's usually very little backlash.

What's hard to understand is how somebody like Manning can be in a situation like this. We've seen his career and influence on the city of Indianapolis.

Indiana is a basketball state, but Indianapolis has been a football city for the past decade and a half.

Really, Mr. Irsay? Manning is playing politician? Sounds more like Manning is stating facts about what he's observing in a business environment within professional sports. People are getting fired, and the environment, as Manning knows it, is changing.

On the outside looking in, it seems like Irsay is using Manning's honesty as an excuse because the writing is on the wall about what direction the Colts are really headed.

The head coach, general manager and vice chairman have all been fired.

Hired have been a defensive-minded head coach and 39-year-old general manager.

Sounds like a new direction to any working-class citizen. And a $28-million bonus for an older franchise-quarterback with a suspect neck isn't feasible for the business—forget about the team or anybody's feelings.

That money can be used for, dare we say, another quarterback?

"Let's start fresh" is probably the motto in Indy right now, and in the Colts position, after going 2-14 this past season, it can't get any worse. Might as well start anew now.

Manning will be released from the Colts due to the sports and political world's cutthroat business practices.

If Manning and Irsay make amends, then this is all wrong, and the business world as it is known both professionally and within sports are fair, unselfish and very friendly environments.

This situation seems more like a classic corporate-America move. Out with the old and in with the new. Don't forget to be politically correct and place blame while doing it.

Hello, Andrew Luck, and goodbye, Peyton Manning.