Grateful for Manning’s gifts

The Indianapolis Star: In the pantheon of Indianapolis sports heroes, crowded with the lustrous likes of Oscar Robertson, A.J. Foyt, Reggie Miller and George McGinnis, none stands as tall as Peyton Manning.

And none, not even the quarterback who carried Indy to the top of the athletic world, is bigger than business.

As age erodes the most magical skills, finances can overrule the hearts of team owners and break the hearts of fans.

When the prolonged agony officially ended Wednesday with the announcement of Manning’s departure, surprise was hardly in play. The Colts could not afford a $28 million paycheck for a year, and the star could command premium dollars as a free agent. A new quarterback was in the wings, and a capped budget had to fill several holes in a suddenly losing team. One bad year had sent executives and coaches packing. The signs were clear.

Gratitude

The city’s farewell should be grateful, not grieving. Wherever Number 18 seeks to continue his hall-of-fame career, he will leave behind a legacy that is matched by few sports figures and manifested far beyond sports.

Securing a professional football team was a triumph for central Indiana, but the glory of a triumphant team awaited the Manning era, a 14-year feast that produced the best overall record in the game and two trips to the Super Bowl, one victorious.