Peyton Manning Leaving the Colts Would Be a Sad Day in Sports

Peyton Manning has spent his entire 14-year career as an Indianapolis Colt. His departure from the team would see the continuation of a sad trend sports today.

When you think of Manning, you think of the Colts. When you think of the Colts, you think of Manning. He has embraced the city of Indianapolis and has become the team for over a decade.

The situation that the Colts are in is unique. They have an aging quarterback who is coming off neck surgery and have the chance to take a highly-touted quarterback with the overall number one pick in the draft.

That scenario might never be seen again in the NFL. There is a good chance that Manning will leave the team as they will make a transition to Andrew Luck.

In the world of sports today, it is hard for one player to spend his entire career with one team. Before free agency came along, players would most likely spend their entire career with the same team they started with. There was a sense of pride to playing with one team which no longer exists today.

Manning is one of those players who wants to spend his entire career in Indianapolis. He still has that mentality. It's sad that an injury might keep him from something he wanted to do.

Other players in all sports show that they do not care about staying with one team and being loyal to their fans. Most players go with the team that offers them the most money. Other players just want to play in a big city so the spotlight can be on them.

That's not what sports are about. It's about the fans. Put on a show for the fans and help build a championship winning team in the city you're in.

That's a good quality Manning has. He loves his community. He wants to do the best he can for his fans and the Colts' fans.

Some have questioned his motives this offseason, especially when he did an interview during Super Bowl week. However, his interview was handled well. He mainly just praised the city for the job they were doing. His comments seemed genuine, which is why it is hard to see him leave the Colts.

Manning is due a big bonus this season, which may lead to his departure. If Manning wants to stay true to his word, then he should take a slight pay-cut, if that's what Colts owner Jim Irsay wants if he's going to keep Manning.

How the rest of this story plays out will be interesting to see. If Irsay gives Manning a raw deal or decides to go with Andrew Luck and cut ties with Manning, it will be sad. If Manning chooses to leave Indianapolis for a higher paycheck, that would be even sadder.