March 2007 - Indianapolis Colts Wiretap

Sanders' Deal Worth $37.5 Million

Sep 24, 2014 12:34 PM

Bob Sanders' big hits have finally paid off in a big way. The two-time Pro Bowler signed a five-year contract extension Friday, a deal that will keep him with the Indianapolis Colts through 2012 and makes him one of the league's highest-paid safeties. The deal is worth $37.5 million and includes $20 million in guarantees, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.

SI.com

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Signing

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Sources: Colts Make Sanders Highest-Paid Safety

Nov 22, 2014 6:44 PM

Colts' safety Bob Sanders has signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract with Indianapolis that includes $20 million in guaranteed money, according to NFL sources. The contract makes Sanders, 26, the highest-paid safety in the NFL. The Pro Bowl selection, whose playoff performance sparked the Colts on their run to a Super Bowl victory last season, would have been an unrestricted free agent after this season. Sanders is a strong contender for this year's NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Colts have doled out record contracts before to other top players. Before the start of training camp, Dwight Freeney signed a $72 million six-year deal, making him the league's highest-paid defensive end. The contract included a $30 million signing bonus.

ESPN

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Misc Rumor

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Colts' Harrison Practices, May Play Against Titans

Jun 17, 2014 4:49 AM

Eight-time Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison returned to practice with the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday after missing 10 games. Harrison took part in a full practice Thursday and may be available for limited work against Tennessee on Sunday night. Harrison has not played since Oct. 22 because of a left knee injury. The lingering injury that he suffered against Denver on Sept. 30 has forced Harrison to miss 10 games this season, the last nine in a row. It has been unclear whether Harrison would play again this season. "We would like for Marvin to be able to go and get some playing time in. That's our hope. We'll see if it materializes," Coach Tony Dungy said earlier this week. Whether Harrison plays Sunday may dictate how many snaps Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning gets. On Monday, Dungy said if Harrison played this week he might keep Manning in the game longer to work on their timing.

ESPN

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Colts' WR Harrison Among 11 Who Missed Practice

Sep 24, 2014 12:34 PM

Eleven Indianapolis Colts' players, including eight-time Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison, missed practice Wednesday. Harrison has not played since Oct. 22 because of a left knee injury and may miss his 10th consecutive game Sunday. Coach Tony Dungy has expressed hope Harrison would return and remains optimistic that Harrison will be available for the playoffs. But the lingering knee injury has forced Harrison to miss 10 games this season, including the last nine, and generated plenty of questions whether he will play again this season. "I'm not confused at all," Dungy said before practice. "When they say he can come back and have no further risk of injury, he'll be back. With the playoffs and more on the line, he might be able to go with the same injury that has kept him out. So I don't think it's confusing at all." Whether Harrison plays Sunday against Tennessee could dictate how many snaps Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning gets.

ESPN

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Misc Rumor

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Colts Will Rest Peyton

Oct 1, 2014 4:16 PM

Don't expect to see much of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning during Sunday's game against Tennessee. Backup quarterback Jim Sorgi is expected to see extensive playing time for the Colts, who already are entrenched as the second seed and have a first-round bye in the AFC Playoffs. "I know Jim Sorgi's going to play at least a half," Colts coach Tony Dungy told reporters Monday. Manning is expected to make his 160th consecutive regular-season start, before giving way to Sorgi at some point during the first half.

Yahoo.com

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Misc Rumor

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Colts Score 38 Unanswered Against Texans

Oct 6, 2014 9:49 PM

The Indianapolis Colts wanted Sunday to be a playoff tuneup. Instead, the Super Bowl champs turned it into an offensive showcase. Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes; Joseph Addai and Clifton Dawson ran for TDs; and the Colts scored on six of their first eight possessions in a 38-15 rout of Houston. In what was likely to be the last significant action for Indy's starters until mid-January when the AFC's No. 2 seed will play in the divisional round of the playoffs, Manning & Co. finished with 458 yards and scored 38 unanswered points, winning their sixth in a row. The Super Bowl MVP was 28-of-35 for 311 yards with a rating of 132.3 before leaving late in the third quarter. Three Indy running backs -- Addai, Dawson and Kenton Keith -- combined to give the Colts (13-2) their first 100-yard rushing day since Thanksgiving night, and Dallas' Clark broke the single-season franchise records for receptions and touchdown catches by a tight end.

ESPN

Tags: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Game Recap

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RealGM Special: Looking At Peyton The Endorser

Feb 26, 2014 1:50 PM

Athletes and actors often lend their names to products when their careers have taken a severe, and sudden, downturn. We?ve seen William Shatner pump PriceLine.com as though life depended on it, and Wilford Brimley support the ?Beetis as if the very serious disease was cutting him more checks than he could cash. What we?ve seen more of in recent years are ?it? stars showing their public support or maybe just lending their ?name,? to a multitude of products. It?s all just a part of our Capitalist, commercial society, but it?s something many star-struck citizens gobble up faster than Thanksgiving turkey. No one embodies this more than Colts? quarterback Peyton Manning, who has pitched more things over the last two years than the Twins? Johan Santana. It?s unbelievably hard to watch television, especially on a Sunday, and not catch at least a few dozen of Manning?s advertisements. As great of a quarterback as he is, a majority of Americans know him more for his commercials than his Super Bowl victory and single-season touchdown record. Manning has unthinkably become the most marketable athlete on the planet without freakish speed or a beautiful GQ smile. Even before a basement full of dogs took a bite out of his career, Michael Vick had already been surpassed by Manning in terms of marketability. Vick?s urban appeal and lightning-fast legs couldn?t hold a candle to Manning?s self-deprecating and dry sense of humor. What?s even more amazing is how small of a market Peyton essentially represents. Indianapolis remains one of the NFL?s smallest markets, but we still found Peyton?s face in no less than eight national television ads last season. That?s more than Yankees? shortstop Derek Jeter and Lakers? guard Kobe Bryant combined. According to Sports Illustrated, Manning collected $11.5 million in endorsement cash last season with that likely to rise this season due to the Super Bowl ring on his finger. His 30-second spots have become so popular that Sprint vice president of marketing Steve Gaffney expects that the commercial featuring Peyton in a pseudo-mustache commenting on his ?rocket-laser arm? will soon be immortalized in a t-shirt. You know a commercial has really struck gold when people start donning catch phrases across their chests. Patriots? QB Tom Brady may have Hollywood good looks and more beautiful women than most men could ever dream of, but he still can?t sell a product like Manning. His advertising commitments remain relatively minimal, with a few model-like cologne ads appearing here and there in world-wide publications. However, the gap between Manning and his greatest competitor, on the field and in the commercial game, is somewhat smaller than it seems. Brady pulled in nearly $9 million last year in advertising revenue alone, just a few million shy of the Colts? field general. According to a study conducted by E-Poll Market Research that was obtained by Keith Reed of the Boston Globe, 46 percent of adults recognize Manning by name and 31 percent by face, compared with 27 percent name recognition and 26 percent face recognition for Brady. That?s pretty remarkable when you consider both are famous for playing a sport in which 90 percent of their faces are covered on the field of play. Brady?s commercial demand stems more from his Hollywood appeal than personality or wit. His relationship with Bridget Moynahan, which produced a son this year, and his current girlfriend model Gisele Bundchen has added infinitely to his Q Score (which marketing evaluators use to value celebrities). What separates Manning from Brady slightly is that he doesn?t turn down local offers, which Brady seems to leave for the Patriots? lesser-known stars. Peyton has been featured in advertisements for car dealerships in-and-around the Indianapolis area, perhaps to pay homage to the Colts? immediate fan-base. In terms of dollars and cents, it?s hard to determine what Manning actually means to the companies he represents. ?It depends on how much it costs to have Manning endorse a product/brand, and what profit outcomes are attained with his endorsement,? said Shailendra Pratap Jain, a marketing professor at Indiana University?s Kelley School of Business. ?It is very hard to predict with accuracy what profit the firm will make if Manning or any other celebrity was to be an endorser. Celebrities attract attention and can create strong recall. But at times, recall of the celebrities ends up being higher than the product/brand they endorse,? added the notable professor. Therefore, in actuality Manning might be benefiting even more than the companies he represents. That would explain why his appearances have snowballed since he began appearing in national spots a few years ago. Whether he?s pitching products for MasterCard, NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL.com, ESPN, Xbox, Sprint, Reebok or Gatorade, the act is basically the same. Peyton either plays the role of the self-deprecating ?average? dude or the sarcastic self-help mentor. Although it seems to have come effortlessly to Peyton, it?s not easy to keep your face plastered across the commercial landscape. Just ask the man himself. ?Look, unless you?re under the age of 23, or a professional football player, it?s probably not going to happen.? Does Peyton appear in too many commercials? Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com

Andrew Perna/RealGM

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Colts Rule Out Five Starters For Sunday

May 11, 2014 5:38 AM

The Indianapolis Colts have ruled out five starters for Sunday's game at Oakland, with injuries to defensive end Robert Mathis leaving the team without any of its first-string defensive linemen from the start of training camp. The Colts on Saturday decided Mathis and safety Antoine Bethea would not play against the Raiders, team spokesman Craig Kelley said. The team had already listed receiver Marvin Harrison (bruised left knee), defensive tackle Raheem Brock (ribs) and right tackle Ryan Diem (knee) as out for Sunday. Mathis (sprains to both knees) and Bethea (sprained left knee) were injured during last Sunday's 44-20 rout in Baltimore. Neither finished the game, but most of the Colts starters were pulled midway through the third quarter.

Monterey Herald

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Peyton Throws Four TD Passes, Tops 300 For Career

Nov 5, 2014 3:00 PM

Peyton Manning threw four touchdown passes, earned another trip to the playoffs and etched his name in the NFL record book. And he didn't even have to play much past halftime to do it. With Manning leading the way, the Colts strolled back into the postseason by building a 30-point lead in the second quarter en route to a 44-20 victory over the Ravens on Sunday night

Yahoo.com

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Game Recap

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Harrison Sidelined For Game Against Ravens

Nov 5, 2014 3:00 PM

Colts' wideout Marvin Harrison will be out for the eighth time in nine games when Indianapolis plays the Ravens on Sunday night. Harrison, who did not travel with the team to Baltimore, saw limited practice time Wednesday and had been listed as questionable for the game. He injured his knee Sept. 30 against Denver.

ESPN

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts

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Colts On Verge Of Fifth Straight AFC South Title

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Colts' Harrison Likely Out Against Jaguars

NFL.com