This week the big sports story was Peyton Manning being released by the Indianapolis Colts. This is a huge deal in the world of the NFL as Manning, who up until this past season, had taken every snap since being drafted #1 by the Colts in 1998. He had been the face of the franchise and had let them to 2 Super Bowls winning one of those.
But the Colts, looking to the future, decided to cut ties with Manning. In some ways, it was expected to happen. But when the word came down on Wednesday, it still had a little bit of shock to it. Listening to the press conference, you could hear the emotion in Peyton's voice when he talked about the fans and how much he'll miss playing in the city of Indianapolis. He handled himself well and was a great example in how to handle a situation like that.
Something that did strike me was afterwards, I was listening on the radio to Colin Cowherd (not really by choice, the sports radio station in Spartanburg has him on there) and he had on former NFL QB Trent Dilfer and they were talking about Peyton and the situation of leaving the Colts. Trent mentioned about how 98% (or 99%) of athletes leave the game bitter. I thought that was sad. Bitterness is a harsh thing to hold onto. Nothing good ever comes out of holding bitterness. Is it fun to lose your job or have a relationship end or something negative happen? No, but at the same time harboring bitterness isn't good either. As a follower of Jesus, I'm reminded again and again how Jesus said that it wasn't easy but He did say that we wouldn't be alone.
I wish Peyton the best. I still root for him even though he was on a rival team for so many years because of his Tennessee Vols roots. I hope that he lands in Seattle (wishful thinking) but wherever he lands I hope that he has a good couple of years left in his career.
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