Tales from the Indianapolis Colts Sideline [Hardcover]

Mike Chappell (Author), Phil Richards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Professional football arrived in Indianapolis after a midnight escape from Baltimore in 1984, but the vision, brains, and talent to produce a consistent winner and a championship contender were not delivered until almost 14 years later. December 22, 1997, was a day to remember at the Colts’ West 56th Street complex. After years of experiencing pro football as only the son of the owner could—water boy, general gofer, ticket manager, accounting and public relations offices, youngest general manager in the NFL in 1984—Robert Irsay showed that, finally, he was in charge. Irsay slid into the driver’s seat and took the wheel. He backed up the truck. He fired director of football operations Bill Tobin and head coach Lindy Infante and hired Bill Polian as team president—all in a day. Those who knew Irsay, who knew Polian and the Colts, hailed the move. "In 1998, in any segment of business or industry or sports, there will be no better hire. This was a coup," said Ralph Cindrich, a player agent whose many negotiations with Polian have included "a few wars." One of Polian’s first decisions was to select quarterback Peyton Manning with the first pick of the 1998 NFL draft. Since that time, an increasingly more capable cast has surrounded Manning. A franchise that failed to win more than nine games in any of its first 15 seasons in Indianapolis has won 10 or more four of the past five years, including a 14-5 run that reached the AFC championship game after the 2003 season. Tales from the Indianapolis Colts Sideline takes readers inside the Colts’ Union Federal Football complex, onto the RCA Dome sidelines, and into the huddle, inside the decisions, the strategies, the players, and personalities that have made the Colts one of the NFL’s most exciting teams.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike Chappell has been the Colts beat writer for the Indianapolis Star since 1989, making him one of the nationÂ’s longest-tenured writers for the same team. He was on hand for the teamÂ’s first training camp, its first regular-season victory, its first Indianapolis-based playoff appearance, and the franchiseÂ’s first postseason victory in a quarter-century, a 35-20 win at San Diego in 1995 that served as a springboard to the AFC title game. He chronicled the 1-15 travails of Â’91, three different 3-13 squads, and the 12-4 outfit in 2003 that reached the AFC championship game.

Phil Richards is a former Indiana Sports Writer of the Year Award winner who is in his 21st year with the Indianapolis Star. He has covered the Colts since 1999 and writes the cover story for the StarÂ’s weekly "Colts Weekend" sections. The native of Alpena, Michigan, resides in Indianapolis with his wife and three children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC; First Edition edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582618291
• ISBN-13: 978-1582618296
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,754,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars True Blue Understanding, January 8, 2009

By 

Troy D. Miller - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tales from the Indianapolis Colts Sideline (Hardcover)

An easy to read page-turner that is full of the background, history, and mindset of the modern day Colts team.

A must read for the True Blue Colts fan.

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC, July 21, 2008

By 

R. S. CHURCH (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tales from the Indianapolis Colts Sideline (Hardcover)

I'm a huge Colts fan and this was a must purchase for me. It's a very awesome book with a lot of fantastic facts. Even if you aren't a Colts fan, it has s ton of very awesome writing about a team that came from the bottom and finally made it to the big top. Way to go Colts.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Recent History, April 14, 2008

By 

Dale C. Geller "Doc" (Fort Wayne, IN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tales from the Indianapolis Colts Sideline (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent recent history of the Colts. Very well written and covers the years since coming to Indy very well. If you are looking for pre-Manning history look somewhere els, but if you are looking for post--Manning history this is definately the book for you.