Folks, I don't think posting a story from a well known and reputable source like Mike Lombardi is akin to "freaking out" over Peyton Manning's knee situation. We can sit here and call Mike Lombardi names, berate him, and even take a few pot shots at his mom (just for gits and shiggles). But the truth is Lombardi is a very well connected guy, and unlike Mike Florio, Lombardi does not have a reputation for making stuff up. He stated some very specific things in his column, and had the courtesy to respond to one of our own contributors (UFanforreal) that his story is "100% correct."

We can choose to believe or dismiss Lombardi's claim. That's out right. But let's not tear down the man just because he's made this claim. If Lombardi's story turns out to be utter BS, then that will seriously damage his reputation both within league circles and on the net. He seems to care about his rep. If not, why would he start up a new site like The National Football Post? If the site gets an early rep for making crap up, no one will trust it or link to its stuff. So clearly, Lombardi has a lot riding on this.

I'm of the mindset that we should all just play this out. We'll get a firm idea of just how healed Peyton Manning is next week. I've stated my expectations, and said that if those expectations aren't met that it will be then, and only then, that I get really, really pissed. Right now, I'm content to wait it out and see what happens.

The more I read on this subject, the more I get the feeling the Colts have flat out lied to the fans and the media. Michael Lombardi, the former personnel head for the Oakland Raiders and current host of CBS' NFL pre-game show, does a column for The National Football Post. He's a knowledgeable guy with friends and contacts throughout the NFL. His column dated for today reveals from very serious information on Peyton Manning's surgery and recovery:

Apparently Manning had to go through another procedure on his knee to clean things out after having his bursa sac removed last month. What is the most concerning is not the second operation (which the Colts are denying), but that they cannot control the swelling in Manning’s knee and any physical movement causes MORE swelling. Once he returns to the game, gets hit, has to place a load on the knee, and drive the ball, there can be swelling. All I know is that there is MUCH more here than meets the eye. Manning has the trainer come over to HIS home for rehab and is rarely seen. Now, I have been with some big-time quarterbacks in my career like Joe Montana and Rich Gannon and never have they rehabbed from home. I thought this was not an issue and that Manning would be back.

Unless Lombardi is lying, or his sources are full of it, the Colts have been fibbing to fans and media about Peyton Manning's recovery. A second procedure is a pretty big friggin' deal, even if it was to clean up some minor stuff in the knee. Even if the knee is fine, and has no structural damage, it's still pretty damn important to tell your fans (who have bought tickets to the opening of their public funded stadium at $160 bucks a pop).

The more you read into this, with players and coaches getting saying they'd like Peyton back for the opener, but... the more I get the sense the Colts are softening the fanbase up to the prospect that Jim Sorgi will start Week One against the Chicago Bears. We're hearing players saying things like "We'd like to have him back, but he just needs to not miss any playoff games."

Ugh.

Again, there is also encouraging news, like Peyton leading the offense through a walk through yesterday. But if Peyton did indeed have a second "routine procedure," then all this stuff Bill Polian has fed to us about everything being fine and right on schedule is complete and utter bullsh*t.

I certainly hope I'm wrong. I hope Lombardi is wrong and he is totally full of it. But, from the looks of it, Lombardi looks credible, and the Colts are not credible when it comes to reporting injury updates. They are also just flat out BAD at rehabbing their players and getting them ready to play. They screwed it up for Bob Sanders in 2006, Marvin Harrison in 2007, and now maybe Peyton Manning in 2008.

Again, I hope this is totally and utterly false. I'd like to think everything wee have been told by the Colts is accurate and on-the-level. However, Lombardi's report just doesn't seem false, and Bill Polian and the Colts PR department might have a lot of explaining to do.

UPDATE: Phil B of the Indy Star commented on Lombardi's column here:

We're aware of the blog, as are the Colts. Tony Dungy was asked about it today and implied it wasn't true. He didn't come right out and deny it, but he made the suggestion we should talk to the blogger -- and that he would like to. I don't know that anyone knows the truth except Manning, Irsay, Polian, Dungy and the doctors. Anybody out there saying otherwise is making a guess. Pure speculation. And if you want to push the issue, you ask, "How do you know this to be true?" I can't believe it would be in the Colts' best interest to share this information with anyone, let alone a blogger. And since this was a blog, the interview request for Bill Polian was turned down because, I guess it's policy, the team doesn't respond to blog reports. That kind of puts me in my place, I guess.

It is the official policy of the Colts not to respond to or acknowledge bloggers. I know because I get it read to me everytime I ask them for press credentials. It's a crap policy, but whatcha gonna do. I do feel better that Phil B, a guy who is pretty good at what he does despite his scary hair style, knows of this blog post and has talked to Dungy about it.  Again, I am hopeful that Lombardi and his sources are full of it, and that Peyton Manning will start under center Sunday night against the Bears.

Big tip to Matic for finding Phil B's response.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Our own Ufanforeal emailed Mike Lombardi for confirmation on his story. Here is Lombardi's email response (in bold below):

To:mark.wells07@comcast.net
Subject:Re: Peyton’s surgery
Date:Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:52:11 PM
[View Source]

I have it 100 percent correct….

On Thu, Aug 21, 2008 at 2:49 PM, <mark.wells07@comcast.net> wrote:

Being a die hard Colts fan I’m very curious on how much faith you put to this being the absolute real info on his second surgery and why none of the main news sources are reporting any thing on it.
 
 
Any confirming info would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU.

Massive, huge, GIGANTIC thanks to Ufanforreal for taking the initiative to contact Lombardi.

This is a tremendous shock to the NFL community. Gene Upshaw, former player for the Oakland Raiders and director of the NFL Players Association, has passed. According to multiple sources, Upshaw had long suffered from pancreatic cancer. He did not disclose his illness to the media.

Upshaw presided over the NFL Players Association as director, and helped players gain significant increases in salary and guaranteed money during his tenure. Many have said his relationship with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue helped to mold the successful business that is the modern NFL. It was Upshaw that worked to have the union accept the modern NFL salary cap, the clause which many attribute to the NFL's sense of parity between its teams. Upshaw also led the unsuccessful players strike in 1987. Others said Upshaw's relationship with Tagliabue was anything but respectful. HBO Sports' Bryant Gumbel famously stated that Upshaw was Tagliabue's "personal pet" with a "leash."

Upshaw had rough dealings with the NFL retired players, who claimed the NFL and the Players Association did not care about them after football. Upshaw stated "I don't work for them. They are not union members and they have no vote."

Upshaw's playing career was with the Oakland Raiders as an offensive guard. Upshaw was drafted in both the AFL and NFL drafts, back when the two leagues were separate. He played from 1967-1981, and is considered a Raider legend., and a member of the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. Upshaw was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and, according to Wikipedia, "Upshaw was currently the only player in Pro Football history to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades."

A lightning rod for players, owners, and fans alike, there is no denying that Upshaw had a profound and lasting impact on the game and business of football. He was 63 at the time of his passing.

Peyton Manning is expected to start Week One. If he doesn't, someone better get fired!

While people still try and drum up fear regarding the prospect of Peyton Manning not starting Week One, let's just lay the cards down and call it like it is. The basic bottom line is we expect Peyton Manning to start Week One. That is what we fans were promised, and it seems things are on schedule for that to happen. So, writing articles that signal alarm bells now is premature.

We've heard from day one that this is a 4-6 week procedure. Next week, on August 26th, it will be 6 weeks since Peyton's routine surgery. Based on what we were told by Bill Polian himself (and just to make things clear, I'll re-post his words):

The procedure was routine. The Colts’ medical staff expects a full and complete return to action in four to six weeks.

So, next week, on Tuesday, Peyton Manning better be out there, in full pads, throwing the football and getting ready to play a little bit against the final pre-season opponent. We've been told repeatedly that there have been no setbacks. Even today, on NFL Radio, Polian said the same old "Peyton is fine; he's on schedule; blah, blah, blah." So, again, based on what Bill is telling us, we should expect to see Peyton next week. 

But... if we don't, then Bill Polian has been lying to our faces for weeks, and lying to fans about their franchise player is not an advisable PR move, Bill.

If Peyton Manning cannot play, or practice, next week, then that also means that the Colts need to fire their horrid friggin medical staff. If Peyton cannot play against the last pre-season opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, then that means a 4-6 week recovery is suddenly a 7 week recovery. And if (and Bill Polian damn well better pray this is not even a remote possibility) Peyton Manning cannot practice or play Week One against the Chicago Bears, a 4-6 week recovery (with no setbacks and everything is going fine and blah, blah, blah) would become an 8-9 week recovery.

And that is totally unacceptable.

We Colts fans did not pay $720 million dollars in public funds to build a brand new stadium that will get opened on Sunday Night Football by Jim Friggin Sorgi.

Make no mistake, Peyton Manning MUST start against the Bears. I totally disagree with AOL Fanhouse's take on Week One, because (per usual) they are clueless over there:

On the other hand, you can't rush Manning back to return a week early and jeopardize a setback against such a hard-hitting defense. A Brian Urlacher hit in the wrong place on Peyton's knee would ruin the Colts' season ... and they might be able to beat the Bears without Manning anyway.

Sorry, but no. The Colts have a murderous schedule in 2008. Not only is the division the toughest in football, but they play road games at San Diego and Cleveland. They also have their annual Patriots war, this year at home. There are very few "easy" games, and the Bears are as easy as it gets. Not to insult Chicago, but it doesn't take much to see that the Bears are awful. They need to be though because they are indeed re-building. Nothing wrong with that. Kyle Orton is now their starting QB, making Devin Hester completely useless as a WR (if he wasn't already). Rookie OT Chris Williams is out, leaving them without their first round draft pick and opening a huge hole in their o-line. In pre-season, their QBs are getting killed and their RBs can't gain any yards.

You do not give a team like this life by turning the team over to Jim "can't throw the deep ball" Sorgi.

The Bears have to be pummeled and destroyed early, breaking their will and spirit. The Colts should utterly throttle them, not because the Bears are poorly coached (they aren't) or because they don't have talent (they do). The Colts are just better, in almost every way you shake it. However, add Jim Sorgi into the mix and you can potentially screw up a game the Colts absolutely must win. You don't begin the "road to the Super Bowl" losing at home to the friggin' Bears.

Bottom line, if Peyton Manning cannot play Week One, I'll want someone fired, preferably the medical staff. I'll then want the Colts to muzzle Bill Polian. He is either lying to our faces by telling us Peyton would be back by August 25th, or his medical staff is feeding him bad info. The Colts have a HORRIBLE track record when reporting and dealing with injuries. If they screw this one up, the fans will never believe or trust them again when they issue an injury report. Again, I expect Peyton Manning to play in the last pre-season game. I expect him to start Week One against the Bears to open Lucas Oil Stadium.

If he doesn't, I'll want heads to roll!

The way the "mainstream" media, and by extension the blogosphere, covered the shooting incident in Philadelphia that involved Marvin Harrison was disgraceful. We all know that. If it wasn't employees of WIP radio in Philly making allegations that Harrison was the target of a mob hit, it was ESPN's Sal Paolantonio berating Harrison for having the gall to maintain relations in the neighborhood he grew up in. Classless and unprofessional are the only ways one can describe the level of journalism displayed by media who covered this. Fanning the flames on the blogosphere was Mike Florio, the National Inquirer of the Internet. But as bad as all those scmhucks were, my favorite line came from this week's media idiot, Peter King:

Marvin Harrison is in more trouble than his agent, or even he, thinks.

Four months later, there is still no charge filed against Harrison; no arrest; no conviction; no nothing. Harrison is not even a suspect. Peter King is truly a man in the know.

Marvin is mad, and he is going to take his anger out on opposing defenses (and Mike Chappell).
Photo via bleacherreport.com

The whole incident was sad, really. Sad for the media and how they cover our athletes. It revealed what many of us already knew: That many corprate-fed media outlets are less about reporting facts and more about digging for dirt. Here was Marvin Harrison; a genuine, no-question-about-it, first ballot Hall of Fame wide receiver; a guy who really symbolized everything that the sport and position should be. He was quiet, loved by teammates, respected by peers, feared by opponents, cheered by fans, and making his stamp on some pretty serious NFL record books.

Yet, one incident occurs where a man (a known criminal) is thrown out of a bar Harrison owns in his old Philly neighborhood after causing a disturbance. The man continues the fight outside, and is shot in the hand. Police arrest the man, charge him, and then find out that the gun used to shoot him may have been owned by Marvin Harrison.

Instead of simply reporting this story, the media jumped on it like jackals, all but saying Harrison shot the guy even though no evidence suggested such a thing. And everyone, from WIP Radio to Paolantonio to Florio, wanted a piece of this story. They wanted to find the hidden dirt, and if there wasn't any, they'd just make it up. It's not about reporting facts and getting to the heart of the story. It's about finding the "GOTCHA!" in the story. It's pathetic, I know. But this is what corporate-fed media looks like when they cover your team. And in terms of Florio, this is "blogging" at its absolute worst.

So, all that said, recently Marvin sat down with the Indy Star's Mike Chappell, and it doesn't take much to see that Marvin is not happy at all with what people have written about him. I can't say I blame him:

Speaking to the local media for the first time since the Colts' Jan. 13 divisional playoff loss to San Diego -- and speaking only to The Star -- Harrison made it clear from the outset there wasn't much he cared to share.

A Colts official ended the interview when Harrison was asked about an April 29 shooting in his hometown of Philadelphia that involved a gun he owned.

I don't know why Chappell decided to run with this report. He basically reports that Harrison wouldn't talk to him about stuff Chappell wanted to talk about, as if Harrison were somehow "obligated" to chat about personal things with Chappell, or anyone else.

He offered no opinion on whether he is back to where he was before an injury to his left knee forced him to miss 11 games last season.

"I mean, have you been in Terre Haute watching practice?" Harrison said. "You can write what you see. That's the best way I can tell you."

Informed that Colts fans might prefer to hear Harrison's assessment, he said, "You all seem to know more about it . . . you all write what you see. That way I won't have a comment."

Harrison indicated he has been upset with some of what has been written about him. It was mentioned he has had some engaging discussions with the media during previous training camps.

"Oh, yes, we have," Harrison said. "Then sometimes you walk out with that knife in your back sometimes.

I find it a bit funny that Chappell feels entitled to tell Marvin what Colts fans might prefer. Chappell's a good beat writer, but he's not plugged in to what Colts fans want.

I can understand Marvin's frustration. The sad reality is the corporate-fed media that pumps up idiots like Sal Paolantonio is as much about ego as major athletes like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson are. That's why ESPN loves covering them. Perhaps ego maniacal athletes like Owens and Pacman Jones simply hold up a mirror and reflect back the same me-first, egocentric slime that oozes from places like Bristol. Based on his questions, what people like Chappell fail to grasp is that we fans have SEEN that Marvin is fine. Many of us have been to camp, watched him practice, and reported on blogs like this that everything looks good. We've seen him look good in pre-season games. We don't need him to tell us he's ok. WE SEE IT. We also don't care about the Philly incident because Marvin was never a suspect in the first place.

Why should fans care if the police don't think he did anything wrong?

Unlike the three guys pictured with him,
Marvin is great AND not a douche.
Photo via www.sportspickle.com

Obviously, not all media screwed this up. The local Philly papers seemed to do a good job reporting what happened, and they had some good reporters (in particular, Philly Daily Nws reporter David Gambacorta) who did not fall into the trap of "GOTCHA!" journalism. Paolantonio could take lessons. And even Deadspin's new editor issued a sort-of apology for how they covered the Harrison incident. The one potential joy I will get from 2008 is Marvin will do what Marvin has always done: Let his play do the talking. I've watched him practice and I can tell you he looks great. Teammates like Dom Rhodes and Jeff Saturday say Marvin is angry, and looking to have an amazing season.

The real question then will be will the traditional hack media sources like ESPN and the Indy Star actually report his season, or will they ignore him in favor of more "entertaining" athletes.