It’s too much in the family – Colts ongoing changes may be costly

I opened today’s Indianapolis Star and read, “Another Polian joins the Colts’ family.”

Ugh oh.

The Colts have hired another one of Bill Polian’s son, Dennis Polian, as the club’s director of football administration. Dennis, 34, will handle the business side of player’s contract, collective bargaining agreement and negotiations.

This whole situation is similar to the Hulman-George family at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Everyone in the family gets a title, but each of them has an ego. Eventually, one of them will get the boot and the family will be in distress.

Take a look at the Colts staff list and you will first notice that Jim Irsay’s three daughters, Carlie, Casey, and Kalen, are each listed as Vice-President.

Okay, understandable. The owner can do what he wants and this puts the three on his payroll.

But now you have Vice Chairman Bill Polian, Vice President and General Manager Chris Polian and director of football administration Dennis Polian.

Of course dad wants to take care of their children, but at what point does it sacrifice the integrity of the organization?

These all seem to be subtle changes, but when the lockout breaks and the training camp is underway, the least significant change may become obvious.

A month ago, Tom Moore was taken off the Colts staff, without a word or confirmation from anyone within the organization. Are you kidding me? A guy who gave so much to the horseshoes, a guy who help shape one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. He essentially is told not to return and the Colts don’t say a word about it. No press release, no article on the website and not even a tweet from the outspoken owner.

Reach by phone in May, Moore wouldn’t comment but it became obvious he was out, after other news outlets were reporting he paid a visit to Rex Ryan in New York to help out.

And now there is more fall out. A couple behind-the-scenes people “retire.” Well, that’s what they have to call it after receiving a nice severance package from Irsay.

Former public relations assistant Justin Dickens left the team in the spring, named the head sports information director for Michigan football. Instead of hiring a new assistant, Chris Polian brought in his own guy, Avis Roper as senior director of communications. Thus, 12 year director of PR Craig Kelley got the boot or demotion…however you want to look at it. A guy that has given the team 26 years of service.

“It’s a situation where we needed help and kind of wanted to look at things a little differently as we move forward,” Chris Polian told the Indianapolis Star.

If it works, don’t fix it.

One of the characteristics that has kept the Colts on top for so long is their culture. It cannot be defined, it cannot be mistaken. The team’s culture is what helped them become the NFL’S winningest team from 1999-2009.

I don’t expect things to be the same next year and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But in the midst of a successful run and limited time on Peyton Manning’s clock, a change in the team’s personnel and structure may come be detrimental.

We don’t need more puppets. Ugh oh.


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