Everybody has at least one. Mine is George Michael’s
“Freedom.”

One song on your iPod that you’re embarrassed to own. One
song that, when it blares out of your car stereo, up go
the windows.

When George belts out “I won’t let you down…I will not
give you up” there is an internal acknowledgement; I
should not have this song on my iPod/I cannot imagine my
iPod without it.

The talk about Peyton Manning to the Arizona Cardinals is
similarly equal parts shame and love. As irrational and
speculative as it is, I simply can’t rise above it. I
can’t stop thinking about it.

On some level, I agree with Darren Urban of
azcardinals.com who has written that it’s not
even worth
discussing. He’s right. It’s absurd speculation. Like
that
movie “Inception” it’s a dream within a dream within a
dream. A healthy Peyton Manning getting cut by the
Indianapolis Colts and wanting to play for the Arizona
Cardinals. Yeah, sure. Sorry Leo, that top is going spin
for the rest of eternity.

So why the fixation, beyond of course the pure desire that
I want it to be real? I blame Doug Franz and Ron Jaworski:

Franz because he planted the seed of an idea. When Charlie
Casserly reports the Manning camp hasn’t had any
discussions with the Colts about his future the natural
follow up question in that off-the-record chat is…well
where would he want to go if he isn’t with the Colts?
Casserly tells a national audience that the Cardinals are
a dark horse candidate for Manning because somebody from
Manning’s camp told him that. Casserly didn’t pluck the
Cards out of thin air. He was handed that information.

Part 2, I blame Jaws for what he told me on Thursday.
Andrew Luck is so good, so NFL ready right now; he has to
play right away. He’s too good to sit.

Suddenly the absurd speculation turns to a semi-logical
timeline. The Colts, armed with the number one pick, stand
on the precipice of a new era. A new coach, new GM and new
quarterback poised to shift into the next decade with very
little down time in between. You’re not sure Manning is
healthy and what sense does it make to pay him $28 million
when you probably should be starting Luck anyway. All
you’re doing is paying a lot of money to delay the
inevitable. Now Manning is free. Show me another
opportunity that provides the warmth, weather, facility,
stability, style of offense and most importantly…Larry
Fitzgerald. Without him the Cardinals aren’t in the
conversation.

So for now I’ll enjoy the song even though I have no
business listening to it. Like George sang “All we have to
do now is take these lies and make them true somehow…”

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