One of the NFL’s most fascinating and bizarre characters hangs it up after an up, down, and upside down 11 year career. From all-everything at Texas, to the Saints breaking the bank for him in 1999 to Miami, Australia, Toronto, Baltimore and everywhere in between, Ricky Williams was one of a kind. Juiced Sports Radio takes A look back at the whacky, wonderful, wildly unexplainable world of Ricky and tries to put it all in perspective.

DAVID MEHRWEIN

David Mehrwein is a Yahoo! Sports contributor and the co-founder of WrapUpp, a West Coast sports blog. He is a guest blogger for Juiced Sports.

With the Super Bowl officially marking the end of the NFL season, the next event to look forward to is the NFL Draft in April. While many players have been touted as high draft picks, there are some players who won’t live up to their potential. We see it in nearly every draft. There are those who are ready to come into the NFL and produce and those who aren’t. So let’s take a look at the top college prospects who are NFL ready:

5. Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
Michael Egnew is a sleeper. He is not projected to go until the late third or early fourth round despite being tagged as one of the best tight ends in the entire draft. His 6’6’’ 235 lb. frame means a big target for NFL quarterbacks. He has good hands as he reeled in 90 passes for over 750 yards in 2010; even though his numbers dipped in 2011 with only 50 catches for 523 yards. He is part of a new breed of tight end that has emerged; the oversized wide receiver. His blocking may be his weakness at present, but his size and speed will have most safeties and linebackers feeling frustrated while trying to cover him.

4. Jonathan Martin, OL, Stanford
Jonathan Martin spent most of the 2011 season taking care of projected No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck. Martin is projected as an early to mid-first round pick; with many analysts have him going in the top 10 of the draft. He has good footwork and blocks well on both passing and running plays. Those types of offensive lineman are often regarded as high value lineman and the 6’6’’ 305 lb. lineman has the ability to be a rookie sensation – while excelling in his NFL career.

3. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Quinton Coples had a nice year for the North Carolina Tar Heels and impressed many at the 2012 Senior Bowl. While his frame is intimidating at 6’6’’ 272 lbs. it is his speed that will terrify opposing linemen. His footwork and ability to create leverage makes him attractive to teams that employ a 3-4 defense. His role would be similar to that of Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers. However, his size will also make him a formidable run defender. He is projected as a top 10 pick in the draft and will make an immediate impact.

2. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Andrew Luck has been slated as the “next Peyton Manning” ever since the Colts have earned the dubious honor of having the first pick in the NFL Draft. While the Colts have not directly said they will choose him No. 1, it looks as if to most he is the concensus No. 1 overall pick. He broke records at Stanford set by the great John Elway and has the advantage of having played in a pro-style offense at Stanford. His 6’4’’ 235 lb. frame gives him NFL size and his arm has the strength to compete in the NFL. Depending upon Peyton Manning’s health, Luck should make a big splash at the pro level with his skillset.

1. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Justin Blackmon has to be one of the most impressive wide receivers since 2007 when Calvin Johnson came out of Georgia Tech. While size-wise he does not compare to Johnson – who is four inches taller – his ability to reel in catches has to be on par. Blackmon is a physical receiver who has the speed and strength to make it as a big time NFL receiver. Whatever team drafts the 6’1’’ 215 lb. receiver is going to get a player who will instantly be a nice target for his quarterback.

After a dreadful, laughable 2012 Pro Bowl, there is the legitimate possibility that the NFL’s annual All-Star Game, which was christened the Pro Bowl back in 1950, could be axed. If the effort isn’t there, the main question is – why keep it? How can the Pro Bowl be fixed, if at all? Juiced Sports Radio takes a look the much scrutinized showcase game from both sides. We welcome all opinions.

Captivating, invigorating, exasperating, culmination.

The Giants took on the Patriots once more in a winner-take-all grudge match, on sports’ biggest stage, and once more beat them in gut-wrenching fashion, using a late, clutch final TD drive to put a stake in the once infallible New England machine. And in just 120 minutes of on the field football play, the G-Men have erased the Pats perfection and their potential as the greatest dynasty ever, instead placing themselves into rather unexplainable company.

Two Super seasons, sandwiched in-between 2 no shows, and a #1 seed wasted, they way they wasted the nearly perfect Pack in the NFC Divisional round. The Giants are the most head-scratching, mediocre, mini-dynasty sports may have ever seen, but they owe apologies to no one, despite amassing just 19 regular season wins in their last 2 Super Bowl runs.

The numbers don’t justify it, the middling mediocrity in-season does anything but validate it, but the Giants play best when the lights are brightest, and when their backs are against the wall. And that my friends, makes for a Super team.

In almost eerie duplication, they practically replicated their historic Super Bowl 42 win, by following a similar blue-print to slosh the Pats. An incredible, unforgettable, immortality-in-the moment grab, a clutch Eli drive, an easy final TD, and a Pats offense stopped short on the games final drive. Only this time the 17 it took last time, wasn’t enough.  For the Patriots that is.

Besides 2 touchdowns sandwiched in between Madonna’s ‘Return to the 90’s party of stars’, the Patriots struggled to get the ball inside the pylon, and that inability to put the nail in New York’s clutch-creating coffin, gave the Giants one last chance to party like it was 2007.

New York, struggling to finish drives themselves, was on the wrong end of a 17-15 score, and a Pats TD very likely would have salted away another title for the Hoodie and the Chin.  But on 2nd and 11 from the Giants 44 with the game deep into the 4th, Tom Brady lofted up a deep throw to the sure-handed Wes Welker, who leaped into the air, watched the ball careen off his finger tips, and bounce helplessly to the ground. A stunning drop for the NFL’s leading receiver, and a sure-fire turning point in a crazy finish that had a few.

Two plays later it was the Patriots who were punting, kept out of field goal range on a failed 3rd and 11 hookup to Deion Branch, and wondering if the Giants could once again beat them at their own Super Bowl game. It was after all, clutch, that the Patriots amazing decade long run had been built on. Brady was the leader in all 3, leading the team down the field when they needed it most, the difference in all 3, well, 3.

The ball was in Eli Manning’s hands now, with 3:46 to go and as Gus Johnson would put it, one last chance to dance. And dance New York did, wasting no time in going for the spirited defining moment — a jaw dropping, can this really happen twice, (against the same team no less, in the same similarly critical moment) play that will be shown over and over again. Eli heaved a deep pass towards midfield, and sandwiched between two Pats defenders, there was Mario Manningham on the other end, somehow bringing in the incredible 38 yard completion — tippy toes and all. You could almost hear New England fans’ hearts — whether Brady bandwagoners or long-time die-hard Pats fans– breaking at once. They just had to be thinking, you have got to be kidding me.

I know I was.

Immediately David Tyree’s catch in Super Bowl 42 came into that same haunting light. That play — a miraculous use of the helmet to hold onto the ball with Rodney Harrison draped all over him catch – came on a wild Eli scramble in a critical 3rd down play. This one was on 1st down, and felt more like Santonio Holmes’ Super Bowl 44 snag, tapped toes and all, with 2 Cardinals defenders just out of reach.

You could feel the momentum swing like a pendulum, and the Pats, who really had no other choice but to challenge it, lost a critical timeout that came back to bite them later. But Super Mario’s finger tips snag re-wrote the story, and reignited a stagnant Giants offense.

From there Mario took over, as Eli zeroed in on him 3 straight times, connecting twice, and by then the Giants had gone from their own 12 to New England’s 32 and were well within field goal range. A few more first downs and they could kill the clock, trot out big-kick Tynes, and win the Super Bowl the way New England had become accustomed to — on a last second kick.

But the Giants save their clutch kicks for NFC title games, and their moment-freezing touchdowns for their final Super Bowl drive.

Eli Manning hit Hakeem Nicks for 14, and all of a sudden the Giants were at New England’s 18 with time comfortably on their side. Two plays later, another first down. This one was coming down to a field goal. There was no other way for it to end. Unless… the Pats gave up the touchdown, relinquishing the fact that there was no way two chip shot field goals would be missed to hand them two straight playoff games. Bradshaw got the ball to the Pats 6. It was playing out perfectly. Two more runs, and the Giants could run the clock to single second digits.

The Patriots were helpless. The situation looked utterly hopeless.

And then the Maurice Jones-Drew play. Or at least, that’s the first thing I thought of. Bradshaw got the ball once more, and the Pats defense parted, inviting him to score. As Bradshaw cued in on the endzone, his teammates began hollering, get down. But as Bradshaw seemingly attempted to fall down, his forward motion took him awkwardly into the endzone, giving the Giants the lead — in one of those rare, “what were you thinking by scoring!” Super Bowl plays. Jones-Drew just a few years earlier, in a 2009 game against the other New York team, the Jets, was given a free path to the endzone too, with the Jags trailing 22-21, but New York unable to stop the clock. Jones-Drew reached the 1 yard line and stopped on a dime, taking an unprovoked knee to assure that the Jags could melt the clock to nothing, kick a chippie field goal, and win. That’s exactly what happened too. Jacksonville prevailed in a 24-22 thriller on a Josh Scobee kick. It was the most talked about play the following week.

Bradshaw’s play could’ve been the most scrutinized non-kneel down of all-time (next to the Miracle at the Meadowlands). By taking the lead over control of the clock, the Giants running back gave New England one last crack at a comeback win. But two critical drops, including a throw behind Deion Branch that could’ve really shook things up, halted New England’s momentum. Brady hit Branch on 4th and 16 to keep hopes alive, but by then the Patriots were racing the clock, as well as the field. A short pass to Aaron Hernandez got them to their own 44, but it was the last completion the usually on-target Brady would throw all night.

A spike. A hail mary to Hernandez which killed critical clock time, and one last prayer, gone unanswered, and improbably once again, the Giants were celebrating another Super Bowl title. And the Pats, bitterly wondering what could have been once more.

On the final play the ball fittingly deflected off a Giants defender — what do you do? bat it down! — and landed a foot or so from injured and stymied all world  tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk, had a chance to dive for it, but his hobbling ankle resulted in more of a final fall, as the ball landed maybe an arms length in front of his outstretched hands.

It was Gronk, whose injury headlined all the Super Bowl story-lines for two weeks. Maybe if he was healthy he corrals it in for the greatest play in Super Bowl history. But he clearly wasn’t himself, as evidenced by his measly 26 yards on 2 completions. Chad Ochocinco — who infamously tweeted that he landed in heaven when New England acquired him this off-season — was good for just 1 reception and 21 yards. Add it all up and a Pats team heralded for their explosive offense, was held at bay with the exception of 2 touchdown drives sandwiched between the long halftime break.

17 points, which crippled New England’s perfect 2007 season, were 4 points  short on this night. Two, was the number of fumbles, that the Pats couldn’t pounce on. A number that undoubtedly affected the outcome of this crazy game.

And so, the Giants ride into the night with the oldest Super Bowl winning head coach in NFL history. Tom Coughlin, whose hot seat was boiling lava hot going into week 16 against the Jets, became just the 13th coach in league history to win 2 Lombardi trophies.

From 6-2, to 7-7, to a 6 game winning streak and Super Bowl champions.

The New York Giants uncanny ability to dig themselves out of deficits, powered them once more, as Eli’s final drive capped a season chalk full of ‘em. It was his 8th 4th quarter drive for the go ahead-score either tied or from behind this year.

Not bad for Peyton’s little brother. Not bad at Peyton’s place.

Eli didn’t need his star to be validated, he already had it in his name. But just for the hell of it, let’s say it now and let’s say it loud: he is an Eli-te QB. He is clutch. His veins cold as ice-water in crutch time. Tom Brady once owned that throne.  But you don’t lose twice to the same team, and the same QB and hold onto that distinction.

Eli is the man now. His 2 Super Bowl titles living proof that the highly scrutinized 2004 #1 overall pick, has lived up to his lofty billing. And just think — over in San Diego, the Chargers drafted both him and Drew Brees, and have nary a Super Bowl appearance to show for it.

Over in Arizona, the Cardinals were a Nathan Poole dropped end-zone prayer from having that #1 pick. What could’ve been? Cards fans will never know.

Needless to say, Giants fans, have to be pretty happy with the way things worked out.

Unfortunately for the G-Men, with his 2nd Super Bowl win Tom Coughlin will probably never be on the hot-seat again and the Giants will be the hunted, not the hunters once more. Can they live up to the hype when people expect them to win?

I guess we’ll find out on September 6th, when the Giants host the first game of the 2012 NFL season. And somewhere in between, they’ll have that parade. And in the crowd of Giants players, will be Chris Canty, who tweeted that New York would win 28-17.

He’s no Broadway Joe, but he was right about one thing: the Giants are champs. Back on Christmas Eve, with the Giants backed up almost to their own goaline, who in their right mind could have seen that coming?

Photo: Reuters

MITCH BLATT

The Super Bowl Village was fully packed to skin-on-skin capacity Friday night as LMFAO took the stage at a street that was probably too narrow for the band’s popularity. Parents were frantically trying to get their children out of the crowd before the concert started. Pushing began as the concert started, and there was nowhere to go. Many people ended up finding their way to the alleyway to get out of the madness. Elsewhere, ardent evangelicals thought the drinking and debauchery emphasized the importance of spreading their message at the Super Bowl. Some pictures from Friday night:

(They were taken with an iPhone, so the quality is lacking.)

People everywhere at LMFAO concert:

For an overhead shot of the concert crowd, check out WTHR.

True, hardcore sports fans watch the Super Bowl for the game.  But that doesn’t mean we don’t all enjoy the commercials.  On advertising’s most hyped up day each year, different ad agencies and the large — usually well known — companies they represent, have 30 seconds to a minute to put up or shut up.  To make a lasting impression or to get stuck in the mud.  To create that re-watchability factor that will have people circling over to YouTube and commercial review articles the next day or to have people hardly remember the commercial aired at all.

While all the marbles are on the line this Sunday in Indianapolis, IN the Giants and Patriots will square off in a Super Bowl rematch.  But in the advertising world, it’s a dog eat dog money mashing, where 6 figures buys you literally a second of ad space.  And hey, 1 second ads can work — High Life! — just don’t expect any this Super Bowl.

I don’t have the breakdown on all the different Super Bowl ads, but there are a few certainly worth keeping your eyes on.

Toyota

Toyota will be unveiling their new ‘Connections’ spot on Super Sunday, but what makes this ad intriguing is that it gives fans a chance to Shazam the commercial and enter a contest to win a car, plus another one for a friend, all through the app. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a company use Shazam to run a contest. If you ask me — I think it’s a pretty innovative idea. Sorry Nissan.

This, for better or for worse is where advertising is heading.  Which got me thinking: Could you imagine if you had to go to a website to find out if the kid caught Mean Joe Greene’s jersey? “See more at coke.com/meanjoe. <– not a real website!) But everything is digital nowadays, and traditional advertising just doesn’t cut it anymore.

The PR release on the commercial as sent to me by Toyota:

“Connections” marks the first major outreach effort for the Camry Effect, a social media initiative developed to unite the nearly seven million Camry drivers in this country through an interactive, online experience. The Camry Effect provides past and present Camry owners a platform to share their stories, moments and memories from over the past 30 years.

It’s a nice nostalgic compilation, which gets away from the usual gags, sex, and utter ridiculousness that most spots go for. Most importantly it’s relatable, so I think ultimately it will be well-liked.

Coca-Cola

Coke can be found almost everywhere in the world — and wherever there’s a place that doesn’t know Coke and their friendly polar bear, they have people who are trying to get Coke in those areas.  Coke is brand awareness.  While it’s nothing more than a soft drink, the way Coke has branded itself through the past 100 years is unparalleled, bar none. It’s a timeless, classic.  Their cute fuzzy polar bears are treasured. And Coke just makes everything seem a little more magical.

I fell in love with their polar bears as a kid, and grew up to love polar bears because of it. I’m serious!  So what Coke is doing this Super Sunday is beyond cool. It’s downright revolutionary.  In addition to running their usual Super spots, Coke will introduce the first ever Polar Bowl. Unfortunately, it’s not real live polar bears playing football.  But the idea they came up with is almost as brilliant.

Coke’s mini-site dedicated to just the game (see link above), will feature polar bears watching the game just as you are at home. Here’s the cool part. Via Branding Magazine:

The bears reactions will be manipulated by two employees at Coke ad agency Wieden+Kennedy, so they will jump, groan, whoop – anything that you would do if your team was winning/loosing, and all that with a refreshing Coke in their hands. Also, should a racy advert air, they’ll cover a cubs eyes, so he doesn’t look (this particular detail is just too darn cute, you must admit).

So the bears will literally be reacting to the same thing you’re watching. I mean, how creative is that?  They will even have penguins too!

Sneak preview at one of their many commercials for the event — this one featuring New York bear.

Other ads:

Chevy

Woot, woot, will roll out Zack Borst’s winning Route66 entry on Super Sunday. Or you can just watch it here. “Best day ever!” — VH1 should totally sue!

Doritos

The usual Super Bowl advertising entrants will have their usual barrage of comical advertising as created by you– the fan. People submitted their ideas, Doritos choose a few and on Sunday, we find out which. This was allegedly one of the winning spots that you’ll see on Gameday, and before you watch, let me warn you that it is really cheesy.

Go Daddy

The domain name company will trot out a few more allegedly racy ads — this time featuring the new Pussycat Dolls. This idea is so dumb, it’s like the TV commercial version of something straight to DVD. We get it Go Daddy! You think you’re racy and hip. Newsflash: you’re just annoying. Tell me if any of these names ring a bell:

Lauren Bennett, Paradiso Girls
Vanessa Curry, Laker Girls,
Erica Jenkins, Dallas Cowboy cheerleader
Chrystina Sayers, Girlicious
Paula Van Oppen, So You Think You Can Dance.

Not listed, Jim’s dad, Eugene Levy. American Pie fans should get the joke.

It used to be fun to wait for the Super Bowl so you could see the new commercials, but now companies are leaking them all over the internet the week before, to try to ‘build buzz.’ Kind of kills the surprise element if you ask me.

Other companies participating, because we don’t feel like giving away every ad:

Hulu +
CareerBuilder.com
ETrade
TaxACT.com
Cars.com

and … you know what? Just watch the damn game on Sunday like people used to!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everybody. Enjoy the game.

Two Weeks Ago: 1-1 /  Season: 158-84 (65%) /Playoffs: 8-2

In possibly one of most talked about and quarterback-driven Super Bowls in the past ten years, the Giants take on the Patriots. Tom Brady has been a gem since here entered the league, but this season, Eli Manning has been the superior player. These teams have tons of talent but in different areas as in most match-ups in these playoffs. Will Victor Cruz salsa his way to a ring or will the Gronk own the endzone and end the Giants hope of repeat results? To find out, let’s Take it to the Bank.

NY Giants vs. Patriots

Pick: Giants 31-24. Both of these teams have great pass catchers and horrible secondaries, so points will be scored in this one. The game relies on if Rob Gronkowski is able to play, because if you take Gronk away, the Pats lose their first option. Terrell Owens went over  a 100 yards receiving in a Super Bowl on a broken leg, so you have to think Gronk’s injury won’t keep him out. The Giants are going to do everything they can to fluster Tom Brady and if they can, it is their game to win. If the Patriots want to win, they have to do something the Giants won’t see coming. Enter Chad Ochocino. This may be the time to finally unleash the “Spanish Numerals” on the Giants. Chad may catch a lot of flak for not understanding Bill Belichik’s offense, but he is still one of the best route runners in the league.

On the Giant side of things, their trio of receivers are a big advantage to have against the Pats defense. If Vince Wilfork and company can’t get pressure on Eli, then Brady might as well get comfy on the sidelines. Eli will destroy you,’ if you let him. The Pats ranked at the bottom of the league on defense this season and it would be easy to see the Giants winning by double digits if they keep Brady off the field. This is going to make the running game essential for both teams. Both teams, despite some of their build up, have pretty mediocre units on the ground. The team that finds light between the lines could control the game.

In the end, the Giants have too many weapons and much better match-ups in this one. The Pats won’t have Gronk at full speed and Wes Welker can be controlled. Look for the Giants defense to set record numbers for sacks against the beaten up offensive line of New England. The forgotten New York receiver and former first-round pick, Hakeem Nicks, will take home an extra trophy as he will be the game’s MVP.

Photo: Getty

Let’s get a few things out of the way before we get into this so it’s clear that objectivity will reign supreme.

Fact: I live in Massachusetts and am a huge Patriots fan.  It would mean a great deal to me if they won.

Fact: I have picked against the Patriots in 11 of their 18 games this season.

My Opinion: The Giants are the better team.

That being said…

Patriots -3 (2.5 @ some books) vs. NY Giants

People say that the Giants are the hottest team in football.  Not true.  The Patriots are.  They have won ten in a row since losing a heartbreaker to guess who…the Giants back in November.  Meanwhile, New York was croaked by Rex Grossman and the Redskins at home in week 15.

People say the Giants have beaten superior teams.  Record-wise, that is true.  But let’s look exactly at what they have done during their run.  They beat the Cowboys and the Jets, two underachieving teams in the midst of their seasons being flushed down the toilet.  They basically shut out a fraudulent Falcons team at home.  Then they beat the Packers which was, at first glance, a shock.  However, in order to beat them they needed a halftime Hail Mary conversion and a 66 yard Nicks catch-and-run touchdown where Packer defenders bumbled all around him and did everything but tackle. And let’s not forget that most of the Packers’ key starters hadn’t played a game in three whole weeks.  There was a little bit of rust in play.  We’ll get to the 49ers game in a bit.

People say the Patriots haven’t beaten a team with a winning record all year before last weekend.  This is true, but the key is that they laid no eggs in the process which the Giants are extremely prone to do (Washington, Seattle, Vince Young’s Eagles, and Washington again).  The Patriots lost to two good teams (Pittsburgh and these Giants) by one score each in the middle of the season while they were putting together a patchwork defense of waiver pickups, wide receivers, and undrafted free agents.  They also lost to Buffalo after racking up a 21-0 lead and then falling asleep.  That is the extent of their blemishes this season.  It’s not their fault that they had to play “bad teams”.  They were supposed to beat them and they did.

People say the Patriots shouldn’t even be here because they were lucky and shouldn’t have won last week.  Well guess what?  The Giants were also lucky and shouldn’t have won last week.  Ted Ginn was out so the Giants ended up on the good side of two special teams turnovers at critical times in the game.  Prior to the second one they had the ball twice in overtime and couldn’t score.  Without a turnover, that game might still be going on now.

People say that the Patriots’ defense sucks.  A really crappy defense probably lets up 30 points regularly, right?  New England has only allowed 30 once, 27 once, and nobody else has scored more than 25 against them all season.  These Patriots can put up four touchdowns and a field goal if they need to.

People say that the Giants have already beaten the Patriots once this year.  What they don’t tell you is that New England had the game in hand with seconds to go when Sergio Brown interfered with Victor Cruz on the goal line and gave New York a fresh set of downs to take the game.  Mr. Brown does not play so much since then.  A wide receiver took over his spot until Patrick Chung came back from injury.

People say that the Giants will maul Tom Brady like they did four years ago.  First of all, in the game they played this season Brady was sacked twice and hit three times.  That means he was touched basically once per quarter.  That ain’t so scary considering in their first Superbowl he was sacked five times and reset the counter for how many times he was knocked to the ground.  Secondly, New England’s offensive line is strong now that they have added rookie Nate Solder and Sebatian Vollmer has come back from injury.  Brady will get rid of the ball quickly now that he doesn’t have to wait for Randy Moss to run the length of the field.  He’ll stay clean.

People say that emotions and intangibles will play no part in this game.  They say that X’s and O’s and matchups will determine the outcome.  The Giants hold the edge at nearly every position on the field except for tight end and (maybe?) quarterback.  But this Patriots team needs to win this game.  Eli, these receivers, and even Tom Coughlin will be around for a long time.  Brady is on the back 9 of his career.  He’s not just yet calling ahead to the clubhouse to order a hot dog from the 18th tee, but he’s probably on the final par five of the course.  The sun is creeping behind the trees and his wife is calling his cell phone asking him when he’ll be home while his buddies roll their eyes.  “Almost done,” he’ll say, maybe stretching the truth a bit so she’ll leave him alone.  Maybe not.  Time will tell.  He and Belichick want two more rings so they can be untouchable.  They know they lucked out this year with injuries around the league and their first playoff opponent.  They can steal this one.  They want payback for the one that got away.  And they have the memory of their beloved owner’s even more beloved wife to honor.

People say none of that matters.

Those people haven’t seen the look in the veteran Patriots’ eyes lately.

For years Peyton Manning covered up many of Indianapolis’ glaring needs. Year after year as they piled up double digit wins, his offensive brilliance and cohesion made him the most important player in the Colts organization.  Then, when neck surgeries went awry, we found out quickly that he was the most valuable player in the league.

Indianapolis limped out to a dreadful 0-13 start without #18 under center this season, before finally slogging out a pair of comfort wins – as they went from perennial playoff and Super Bowl contender all the way to the bottom of the NFL’s bottom-feeders.

Indianapolis’ inability to groom a QB behind Manning cost them dearly this season. Obviously.  But losing the face of their franchise may have been the reality check the Colts needed.  As weird as it would be to see the Colts without Manning, it might be a necessary step for them to re-tool and re-load. Holding onto their iconic, record setting, Super Bowl winning QB is the smart PR move, but might not be the best long term move. Ask the Dolphins about Dan Marino, and the backup plan they had in place after he retired. They’re still trying to replace his namesake almost 2 decades later (Fittingly, Marino retired after Peyton’s second season – Manning’s first of many playoff appearances).

The 35 year old Manning doesn’t appear ready to retire just yet, which means the Colts are stuck with the #1 pick – presumably Andrew Luck —  and Manning. While the Packers were able to draft Aaron Rodgers and stash him behind Brett Favre as Favre completed the twilight years of his Packer career, teams don’t usually have that luxury.

Peyton Manning probably doesn’t want to be the guy who helps groom his eventual replacement.  The Colts don’t look like a team that can win a Super Bowl right now anyways. So why not let Manning try to get another ring elsewhere as the Colts start fresh. If healthy enough, Manning could definitely elevate a middle-tier team into a playoff contender or even a Super Bowl threat; There’s already been rumors about a team like Miami or Arizona taking a crack at the Colts star.

The Colts have fired their Head Coach, their long time GM, and Center Jeff Saturday, a Colts lifer has retired. Reggie Wayne is as good as gone, and the old guard that helped make the blue horsies the machine that they were has pretty much moved on – whether to new teams or new careers.

The timing is what makes this whole changing of the guard awkward. It was afterall, not even a  year ago on July 30, 2011 that Manning and Indy agreed to a 5 year deal worth $90 million. Money aside, less than a year into that deal, Manning could be gone.

At 35, honing in on 36, Manning is obviously no longer a young pup.  His lack of mobility, but quick release, and brilliance at assessing defenses and making changes on the line, reminds me a great deal of Marino towards the end of his career.  My dad used to always wonder aloud how Manning would play on a team like the Dolphins, or a team that had a weak offensive line. I always figured he’d do just fine.

But we might actually find out. We really might find out how Manning would do put on a new team in a new environment, having to adjust to a new offensive line and brand new coaches. It’d be fascinating.  Besides, it’s not exactly a new thing for iconic franchise QBs to change addresses at the tail end of their career.  For every John Elway and Jim Kelly, there is a Brett Favre or Joe Montana. Even the unforgettable Joe Namath played out his final season – an injury plagued ending – as a Los Angeles Ram.

The point is this: Manning’s legacy with the Colts is secured. While the allure of playing with one team for an entire career is an aspect sports fans treasure – we call it loyalty – no one can ever question Peyton’s loyalty to the organization.  He brought the Colts to the top.

Consider this: The Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984. In their first 12 years in their new home, the Colts made the playoffs just 3 times.  After drafting Manning in 1998, Indy would go on to win 8 division titles, make 3 AFC Title game appearances, 2 Super Bowls, and would climb to the top of the ladder for their lone Super Bowl triumph against the Bears in Super Bowl XLI.

Other incredible stats: Indianapolis made the playoffs every year that Manning played after his rookie season with the exception of 1 – 2001. The Colts finished 6-10 that season, which also was the last season before the NFL switched from 6 divisions to 8 and Indy was moved from the AFC East to the South. 2001 was also the last season of the Jim Mora Era, which led to Tony Dungy, the man who would escalate Manning and the Colts to elite status.

Incredible Stat #2: Before Manning the Colts franchise had played football dating all the way back to 1953.  They had 9 seasons of 10 or more wins in the 44 seasons before Manning’s arrival. With Manning Indianapolis has had 11 seasons of double digit wins since 1998.

Incredible Stat #3: The Colts won 12 or more games for 7 straight seasons (2003-2009). That’s an NFL record. Here’s perspective. From 1953-1997, the Colts had just 2 seasons of 12 wins or more (1964, 1968).  This is one of the NFL’s most historic teams, folks.

So to say that Manning’s legacy is secure as a Colt is the understatement of the year.

Throw in some of these NFL records: 4 NFL MVPs, 6 consecutive seasons with 4000+ passing yards, and 11 seasons with 4000 yards or more and Manning’s impact on the league has been obvious.

All of this comes in the midst of little brother Eli’s second run to the Super Bowl, and questions about whether little brother has over-taken big brother. While I love the fact that Eli has led the Giants to 5 straight road playoff wins (another NFL record) and has a chance to double Peyton’s  title total, Eli is nowhere near the star or the game-changer that Manning ever was.

Peyton never benefited from a ferocious pass-rush like the Giants have.  He took good players and made them great. He commanded the line of scrimmage like no one else. He had the fastest trigger and the best awareness, and no matter how many Super Bowls Eli wins, nothing will change that fact. Eli isn’t the type of guy who you could put on the Rams and he’d win them 10 games. Peyton (when healthy) is.

So here’s the bread and butter to all of this: It’s okay for Manning to change locales at this point in his career. It’s okay for the Colts to seize the opportunity for a fresh start, with their all-world QB’s health status in continued limbo. It’s okay for both sides to start anew. While it just wouldn’t feel right to see Peyton donning anything but a Colts helmet, we eventually got used to Favre in something other than a Packer lid. It happens. It makes more sense for the Colts to move on now, rather than to hold on to their shrinking window of opportunity. With a new GM in place and a new coach on the way, the Colts look nothing like the model franchise they did just a few years ago.  That aura of consistency and invincibility has faded. In its place is a new regime and a new plan.

I don’t think Peyton is part of that plan. For both sides, in the end, it’s probably a good thing.

Photo: Getty