The Indianapolis Colts sent an e-mail to their fans yesterday. That statement makes a few legit points, but also, it says that the Colts never asked for a new stadium. Instead, Colts' owner Jim Irsay claims the City approached him about one.
Does Jim Irsay think we have NO memory? Irsay told Channel 6 back in 2003 that "sooner or later" the Colts would need a new stadium.
So here's what REALLY happened.
The City wanted the Colts to stay. The Colts were talking up how the "small market" finances were going to "regrettably, force us to leave." Irsay was complaining to anybody who would listen that the Colts didn't have enough corporate skyboxes to make money. So, the City rightfully thought if it got the guy bigger space, he could sell more skyboxes, add thousands more season ticket holders, and stay.
In other words, maybe the city DID bring the idea to Irsay, but it was the idea HE GAVE THEM as a way to placate HIM.
This is like having your wife leave pictures of the Coach handbag she wants for Christmas in every room of your house, then when you buy it and later complain about exceeding the Christmas budget, she tells you it wasn't her idea.
Sorry, Mr. Irsay, but you just KILLED your credibility. I find myself unable to "hear" anything else in that e-mail because you have been so incredibly disingenuous. This is particularly troubling from a man who wears his Christianity so publicly on his sleeve. Don't you know that creating a deliberate misimpression is a cousin to a lie, if not its brother?
Your effort to create goodwill through this e-mail will backfire mightily, and you should fire whoever put the paragraph about "who really wanted the dome" into the letter. If it's you, you might want to leave the PR to the experts in the future.
1 comment:
This is an absolutely brilliant description of what happened. I also like the analogy you drew. It's so true.
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