The king is dead, that's what they say.
Everything storyline revolving around Peyton Manning and his return have been pretty much speculative to this point, nobody seemed to have many answers. When we finally got some news about Tennessee's greatest scourge, you knew it was going to be a big deal. Ladies and gentlemen, Peyton Williams Manning is no longer a Colt. Today marks the definite, tangible, unquestionable end of an era.
I don't really have a whole lot to say at this point, this is more of a celebration thread than anything else, but right now I'd like to take the time to reflect on just how big of a deal this is. It's not so much a big deal from a wins and losses standpoint because I'm really not sure how well Manning is going to be able to play next year, but from a symbolic standpoint, this is the biggest news of the offseason.
No more will our defenses be plagued by the man who donned Tennessee Orange back in the late 90's. No more will our stadium be filled with the wrong shade of blue when the Colts come to town, no more will we have to deal with one of the two best quarterbacks to ever strap on shoulder pads.
Yes, Colt nation, your team dominated the 2000's like it was no big deal, but now it's time for a little more variety. For now and for the foreseeable future, Houston is on top, but don't doubt for a second that the Titans aren't a team on the rise. Best of all, while our quarterback is going to be our most important player, I like to think that we've surrounded him (and will continue to do so) with a good enough supporting cast that one catastrophic injury won't wreck the whole franchise.
So MCM, take a minute to just breathe a massive sigh of relief. It's not question that we always hated to play the Colts because we knew that 18 had the ability to cut our defenses to ribbons, and I can totally admit to being jealous on more than one occasion. He had a great run, and that is to be respected, so while this is first and foremost a space to celebrate, it is also a space to pay your respects to one of the greatest and most worthy adversaries the Titans have ever had. Peyton was a warrior to the end and I'm sure that wherever he goes, he is going to make some team significantly better. But for now, we pop champagne and party like it's 1999, goodbye Peyton Manning, hello Colt mediocrity.