Bob Sanders "may never play football again?"

Today, buried deep in a post about the washed up WR Tarrel Owens, NFL Analysts Mike Lombardi made this statement...."There is some concern Colts safety Bob Sanders might never be able to play football again, with his shoulder and bicep issues. He reduced his contract, but his rehab has been slow."

Now, lets take a look at this statement for a second shall we? First off it screams "PAGE VIEWS PLAESE!" For a writer, analyst or whatever, all they care about is how many people read/hear what they have to say. Even if it's not completely true or makes no sense whatsoever. This "story" has spread like wildfire on sites such as ProFootballTalk. So for that, I give Mike a pat on the back. Job well done. However I believe his "reporting" is about as false as they come.

Just yesterday on ProFootballWeekly this statement was made "Colts SS Bob Sanders is coming off his best spring ever after participating fully in OTAs for the first time in his career. Sanders looked like a "fresh colt," appearing very excited and energetic. A healthy Sanders bodes very well for the Colts, of course, and particularly for a secondary that has battled injuries of late." Hmmm....that sounds a lot like every other persons report that's not names Mike Lombardi. Lombardi has a history of reporting stupid, baseless things. Example just last week he reported that Vikings Running Back Adrian Peterson was "unhappy" with his current contract. A contract that will pay him about 17 million dollars over the next 2 years. Peterson immediately came out and said the report was a load of crap.

A lot of people think just because Lombardi was the only one to report that Manning has not one but 2 surgeries before the start of last season, that he must know what he is talking about. Not the case. The Colts are keep injuries pretty quiet, so to know anything he would have to do some serious kissing up to Mr. Polian and I doubt that is the case.

Every other writer has said the exact opposite of Lombardi on Sanders. We have heard that he is much better and he is happy with being able to participate in OTA's and be able to go through full practices during mini camps. That's something Bobzilla hasn't done much of in the past.

What does Sanders have to say about his health? I give you the words from his own mouth, "I've been able to rehab myself back to pretty decent health where I can actually practice full time," Sanders said. "OTA's have really gone well for me. The knee has been doing great. The arm has been doing great. I feel great."

I'll take Bob's word over anybodies. But for Colts fans its probably safe to just stick with the words of people like John Oesher and Phil B. They are knowledgeable writers and have access to things involving the Colts. Both have good reports about Bob Sanders.

Colts Rank 4th In All of Sports in ESPN The Magazine Ultimate Standings

Ok guys, after taking an extended hiatus I have decided to continue writing. But! (There's always a but isn't there?) It will be up to you guys, the readers, if I continue. This blog isn't as big as some Colts blogs on the internet like Stampede Blue, 18to88, or Coltzilla, but I still try to provide quality info for you as a reader. So feedback is much appreciated from you guys! Also, I encourage you to go check out the above mentioned blogs. They are all top quality and keep up to date posts to keep Colts fans as informed as possible. The guys who run those sites are great people and they put a lot of time and effort into what they do.

Now, moving on to the topic at hand. We all know that the Indianapolis Colts are an amazing organization not only on the field, but off as well. On the field, the Colts strike fear in the eyes of their opponents, but off the field they are actively helping out in communities across Indiana. This kind of thing has earned them a top spot in ESPN the magazine's 8th annual Ultimate Standings, a measure of how Pro Sports organizations like the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB give back to their fans.

The Colts with their 14-2 record and second Super Bowl appearance in 4 years, has earned them the number 4 spot in the 2010 Ultimate Standings. That's a 10 spot jump from last years number 14 spot. The Colts were one of three NFL teams who were in the top 10. The (ugh) Saints, took the coveted number 1 spot.

There are 8 categories that are considered when trying to come up with the Ultimate Standings list. The Colts scored in the top 10 of six of the eight categories. Those categories are:

Bang For The Buck- Wins during the last 3 years (regular season as well as the playoffs) per revenues directly from fans, adjusted for league schedules. The Colts ranked 8th in this category.

Fan Relations- The openness and consideration to fans by players, coaches, and management. The Colts ranked 6th in this category.

Ownership- Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community. The Colts ranked 9th.

Affordability- Ticket prices, parking, and concessions. Colts ranked 39th.

Stadium Experience- Quality of arena and game-day promotions as well as friendliness of environment. Colts ranked 8th.

Players- Effort on the field and likability off the field. Colts ranked 3rd.

Coaching- Strength of on-field leadership. Colts ranked 46th.

Title Track- Number of championships won in the lifetime of current fans. Colts ranked 3rd.

In 2008 the Colts were ranked number 1 and have remained in the top 10 since 2005. So I think it's safe to say the Colts are a pretty classy organization.