My Grandfather was a season ticket holder all the way to the end. He was also the President of his local Colts Corral. The Irsay name is dirt in my family! The Ravens coming to Baltimore was amazing! My Pop was all in from day one. Season ticket holder until he passed away.
It’s ironic that Robert Irsay is still despised by many in Baltimore while Art Modell is revered there after abandoning Cleveland to move his team to Baltimore. I’m not saying that in an insulting nor negative way but rather with humor because 40 years later I still remember my uncle’s anger that the Colts were “grown men packing up & fleeing into the night like cowards!” 😂 Americanwelder, if your grandfather is no longer with us he’d be proud that you remember him as a diehard Colts fan while being a fan of the Ravens for calling Baltimore home. Unitas & other Colts players also gave their full support to the Ravens. As a lifelong Steelers fan, I believe that your Ravens are the top contenders for the Super Bowl this season. Good luck in every game in this season except for when you’re playing us! ☘️ 👍
@@americanwelder9865 hypocrite. Indianapolis welcomed a team in turmoil a team the city of Baltimore threatened to steal from its rightful owners. Cleveland Browns had a team that was simply balking at creating a new stadium, but were still selling out every week. This was not happening in Baltimore, supported its team with about 20,000 attendees every week Indianapolis made the most of a bad situation created by Baltimore. We welcomed, what were essentially refugees. Even the league itself said it was wrong for Baltimore to shape Cleveland and made no such statement about Indianapolis’ actions. as a matter of fact, the league moved quickly to remedy Baltimore’s wronging of Cleveland..Baltimore in turn created a terrible terrible situation in Cleveland, raping Cleveland and its fans. Quite a difference. Your pop can suck eggs. oh wait. He can’t, sorry.
@@r.williamcomm7693 As a Steeler fan took many bus trips to Baltimore , as far back as the Colts playing in Memorial stadium Always had a great even when we would down to the combat zone
Yes, I'd like to see that story for sure. Modell turned his back on Cleveland and tried to justify his move to Baltimore by saying his stadium in Cleveland (Municipal Stadium 82,000 capacity) was outdated and costing his organization too much money. He used the threat of moving the team as an attempt to coerce the city of Cleveland to ante up and build a new stadium. The City of Cleveland called his bluff and Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore. Truth was he got a sweetheart offer from the city of Baltimore (the promise of a new stadium with lots of corporate suites and revenue) to lure him to move his team there. Modell's initial involvement with the Browns as a part owner, was granted in a backroom agreement with the old boys regime of the NFL, (some of whom wanted Paul Brown out). But IMO Modell should never have been allowed to be an owner of the Browns to start with. Once he became a part owner, he pushed co-owner Paul Brown, (the founder, original owner and Head Coach of the Browns) completely out of the Browns organization after several seasons and then he (Modell) took credit for any successes the Browns had for the next few seasons. Then, he took the Browns and left Cleveland high and dry while using the media to publicly claim the city of Cleveland wasn't acting in good faith
@@Chiefsfansince-qb1kt Terrible take! In Baltimore & in Cleveland... the politicians & people failed to heed the decade or more of warning that the Colts and Browns needed new stadiums to compete with other teams. FA was drastically changing the landscape of the NFL in the 1990's when Modell left Cleveland for Baltimore's stadium deal. And Modell had poured millions into Cleveland Stadium.... while Cleveland & Ohio took care of other teams and built the Rock Hall of Fame. In 1984... luxury suites and club level amenities were starting to come into the picture as added non shareable revenue for NFL teams, so Irsay took the Colts to Indianapolis and got those things in the Hoosier Dome. And Baltimore & Maryland refused funding for a dome in 1974... that would have been built right where Oriole Park is today, that would have been used as a multi purpose 70, 000 seat venue for the Colts, Orioles & Bullets. The Bullets would have remained in Baltimore had this facility been built. And... the Baltimore County Executive... nixed the former owner of the Colts', Carroll Rosenbloom's idea of building a stadium about 10 miles outside of the city... and said the " Colts belong in Baltimore City! " The people of Baltimore voted against taxes for a stadium and the state refused to fund one also. The same can be said for Oakland & most other relocations in every sport. The people or a combination of the people and politicians refuse to act to keep their teams most of the time & the owners just get scapegoated... Baltimore hates Bob and Jimmy Irsay... but a superficial look into the situation in Baltimore tells one that Bob Irsay isn't to blame for the Colts leaving Baltimore. The people and the politicians are... for refusing to get the team a new, VERY MUCH NEEDED, stadium! Then the state tried to give Baltimore permission to steal the Colts from Irsay!! Irsay would not have moved the Colts when he did ( basically in April of 1984, ) as it was so late in the off season... had the state of Md not started those eminent domain proceedings! Irsay is to blame for killing the spirit of the Baltimore Colts fans with his drunken, chaotic and embarrassing actions as owner of the team, however. And... if you also just superficially delve into Modell's situation... it was probably even worse, because he was using his own $$$$ on the Mistake By The Lake, and was losing his shirt, while FA was starting to really kick in in the NFL!! Oakland is losing the A's now... after losing the Raiders... because action by the politicians came a day late and a dollar short... as in Baltimore & in Cleveland. KC is going to lose the Royals and maybe the Chiefs (to a nearby area thankfully for the fans ) because the people have voted to NOT fund new stadiums or renovations. So, we can scapegoat in a populist manner the rich owners of these teams, but any analysis shows that, for the most part, they don't wanna move their teams, and try for many years to resolve stadium issues where the team is.... without success!
So does Paul Brown. He changed football in so many ways with his innovations: the face mask, play calling guards, speakers in headphones, game films, etc...
My father was from DC so he lived and died Redskins. I grew up in Bowie, down hwy 301 from Baltimore. l liked Colts. I left in 1975 for the military. When this happened I was so mad, I was going to fly back from Seattle and protest.
Do you have any knowledge of Memorial Stadium at that time? Even the Orioles wanted out of that stadium it was a dump. While Irsay could have invested more the city abandoned the Colts first.
I remember Irsay's drunken news conference at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (as it was called at the time) where he said, "I'm not moving that G--D--- team." He arrived in Baltimore after shopping the team to Tampa and other cities.
@@glennscanlon8765 The city had every opportunity to keep the team. They weren’t asked to pay for the whole stadium only part , they refused, then tried to change the law so that an act they knew was illegal wouldn’t be so they could steal it. Also the city of Baltimore was told if they could put together a team the name, history, and trademark for the Colts would be returned to the city. They couldn’t do it. Are they the best owners no, but the city and the fans of Baltimore have their share of the blame. Also don’t mistake the current Irsay with the his father.
That's definitely true, but the legislature made the deal happen. Irsay called Indianapolis and sealed the deal the very afternoon the legislature was debating it.
I was a kid from NYC and an Oriole fan in 1970. Then discovered the NFL and chose the Colts because they were also from Baltimore. Years later the Mayflower incident and I was angry over it. However because I was not from Baltimore and the Colts kept their name and uniforms I followed them to Indy. Still a Colts fan.Many friends asked me how I could still be a fan. I just followed the horseshoe. I'm still a Baltimore Oriole fan. I was a Baltimore Bullet fan too who became the Washington Wizards. Life.
Baltimoreans have never been told the truth about this. Irsay was not a good guy, but he tried for more than a decade to work something out with the city. Baltimore and Maryland politicians refused one penny to renovate Memorial Stadium or to even consider a new stadium. Irsay did not take the team in the middle of the night without notice (as it has been portrayed). He warned the city for more than 10 years. I miss the Colts and it was terrible to see them leave, but 100% of the blame lays with the politicians of Maryland.
“I have no intention to move the g&@ d$’n team. If I did I’d tell ya, okay?” -Bob Irsay 1984. Not long before he moved the Colts in the middle of the night.
Wasn't much of a mystery. I was 7 years old and it was all that had been talked about for weeks, as far as I remember. When Bob Irsay passed away, we celebrated.
Ironic how we listened to Colts fans moan for years how unfair it was for Indianapolis to steal their team, only to have Cleveland's team move to Baltimore. I guess the figured that was okay.
@@pepawg2281 2 completely different things…first Cleveland got to say goodbye to their team…the colts left n the middle of the night. Second, when the Browns left Cleveland, that asshat Tagliabue guaranteed Cleveland would get the next expansion team….Baltimore never got that! Oh and Cleveland got to keep the name, the colors and all the history….the Colts took everything including all the trophies! Was the city of Baltimore to blame for many of those things? Yes but Irsay was a jackass!
@starwars518 Tagliabue told us to just build a museum. Modell brought us a team. Tag used to be Jack Kent Cook's lawyer. Cook owned the Redskins and didn't want a team in Baltimore. The whole Irsay story is about rich louts having their own way. We won. Go Ravens! Colts suck.
Reading about the Colts move to Indianapolis years later, Baltimore Deserved to Lose the Colts, and the main reason why, Because Baltimore was Stupid enough not to build a new Stadium for the Colts, no wonder the Colts moved to Indianapolis!!!!
No that incompetent disgusting drunk Bob Irsay was to blame. He singlehandedly turned a proud NFL franchise into a joke for years. Then Bourbon Bob snuck out of town in the middle of the night like the sleazeball that he was.
Its funny the St. Louis Browns move to Balitmore and we reject the name and the colors going back to the 1890 championship Orioles. Then Cleveland Browns come to Baltimore and we reject the names and colors completely. We even reject their records and statistics. No one in Balitmore EVER counts St. Louis or Cleveland Brown stats into our total franchise stats. We gave Cleveland back their colors and records. We wanted nothing to do with them. Its kind of funny quirk of the city. Like the A's take their records and colors wherever they go. The Raiders take their colors and records where ever they go. Baltimore says screw that crap. Only the Baltimore numbers count. They got a Unitas statue outside of Raven Stadium. One a side note they also have a Babe Ruth statue outside of Camden Yards. Because the Babe was a Balitmore Oriole first before a RedSox. His father owned a bar that was located in centerfield of Camden Yards. And the original Orioles moved to NY and became the Highlanders then the Yankees. Whats even stranger is the Baltimore Browns sounds good. It matches better than St. Louis or Cleveland Browns. But we gave all that away. We want our own thing. Also it hurt so bad when the Colts left and took the name. We fought them for it but failed. NO way Baltimore was going to do that to Cleveland.
@@JohnGaltGurgi no Baltimore, just raped the city of Cleveland and left the evidence behind. Indianapolis simply stabilized the league by welcoming refugees that were going to be stolen by Baltimore from the rightful owners. Baltimore deserved to lose everything they lost and more. They should never have been granted another team.
Astronaut/Congressman (can't remember his name) went to court to secure the old Cleveland Browns records and uniforms. I'm sure it cost money to rebrand a franchise, so Model probably was reluctant to change.
Maybe so with the owners and politicians, but we, the fans want our own team. The Baltimore colts and those memories belong to the fans of those years, and the same goes with the browns... that's Cleveland's legacy, not ours.
Wow! I didnt know about the eminent domain angle! All this time, I thought the Colts were very slimy for doing what they did. Your channel definitely deserves more subscribers!
What was left out of this video is that Robert Irsay, considered one of the wworst, if not the worst owner in NMFL history, was nearly impossible to deal with. GM Ernie Accorsi said he had to talk to Irsay before noon, because he was usyually drunk by then. Irsay would say one thing one day, and then denied he said it the next. The City and State did make some offers, including a $25 million renovation, and a large low loan. Irsay would say yes one day, and then say no the next. He was a buffoon, who made his millions (He was not a billionaire) by dtsrting an HVAC company, after lerninmg the trade from his father. He thenm stole many of his Dads clients. His own mother called him the devil on earth.
Irsay was a joke, but the offers were awful. The Memorial Park upgrade mandated that they stayed there for 30 year, and the upgrades wouldn't have held up for that long. The Baltodome was also proposed as a mixed used stadium for the Orioles and Colts. Government officials sabotaged it, and a scaled back version ticked the Orioles off and they pulled out. Then, the government wouldn't build a stadium for just one team. Irsay was a horrible person, but the politicians were just as bad.
The problem is: Bob Irsay completely purged the Super Bowl V team in two years to a slipshod roster of bad performers. As a result, the fan base dropped. When Bert Jones (QB) sparked the team and made the playoffs in 1975-77, Irsay eventually sold him for no-name, do-nothing players, to the point to where they were winless in the 1981 season. The city of Baltimore had a love of the football team, along with a hate of its owner, especially since Irsay was threatening to move the team seven years before he did.
They had to rid themselves of aging past their prime players. The Colts had to rebuild the team. That is very normal general manager stuff. Bert Jones became injury prone Lydell Mitchell left for free agency, so the Colts declined from there. Remember John Elway did not want any part of Baltimore and that should be telling you something.
Irsay has enough $ to buy lawyers who could easily block Maryland taking the team. Plus, the NFL never should've let any owner relocate without the approval of other owners. . To this day, I refer to this team as the Colts. It's been 30 years, and it still hurts.
I'm over it all. The only thing that upsets me is combining the great Baltimore Colt records, which far outshine the success of the Indy team, at the Hall of Fame. The people of Indianapolis should have done the honorable thing and rejected someone else's name and colors. It's comical when I see Johnny Unitas' or Lenny Moore's names used by the current team.
They needed s new stadium. And when they didn't get it Irssy had to show who was in charge. It was an iconic scene when the media showed the Mayflower trucks moving out in the night to Indianapolis.
You did a great job of making even a hardened fan like me soften my stance on Robert Irsay's situation. He was still a massive dirtbag, but he was justified here.
I remember when the Colts left Baltimore!! It was March of 1984!! I was 11 going on 12.My father Phillip Anthony Routhier was 59 going on 60 that year.My mother Lois Ann Routhier was suffering off & on with cervical cancer until her May 6 1984 death.We were living at 319 W.Lorraine Ave.Balto.21211(before my stepmom Marie & stepbrother Gene came into the picture.)
I feel bad that your mom died when you were so young. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. Did she ever contact you after she passed away through dreams etc. ? I find the subject interesting.
@@alspencer3826 I LOST 3 MOMS!! MY REAL MOM LOIS ANN ROUTHIER ON MAY 6 1984 from cervical cancer at age 49 going on 50--I was 12!! I lost my stepmom MARIE F.ROUTHIER on March 24 2001 from lung cancer & respiratory failure she was 87 going on 88 after she was in my life 17.5 years(1984-2001) & I lost a lady friend who later became my Godmother MS.JEEN CATHERINE WAGNER BOURGET ON October 16 2016 from dementia at age 85.I was going on 29 when Marie died in 2001 & I was 44 when Godmother died in 2016!!
I am one of those fans. The NFL and the Colts lost me that day. If they had spoken out publicly about whatever the truth is and walked out to a published day and time, I would not still be angry (pissed off) at both of these entities. Then I would understand and just be angry with the city and state officials. The owner was hated by all Marylanders and Colts fans.
Bob Irsay was a drunk dufus. However, it took Irsay letting the lease run out and moving to a new stadium in another city to get the Maryland politicians off of their keesters. Memorial Stadium had a LOT of history but it was a DUMP. Carroll Rosenbloom hated it when he owned the Colts. In the 1960s and 1970s, new stadiums were built in New England, the Jersey Meadowlands, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St.Louis, Kansas City, Dallas, New Orleans, Houston, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Maryland pols dragged their feet. The Maryland Stadium Authority was established, using lottery funds, to build a new ballpark for the Orioles and a new football stadium. Art Modell moved his team to Baltimore for several specific reasons. Modell owned the operating lease on Cleveland Stadium and lost the Indians as a tenant in 1994. Modell had no other income but the Browns and the Stadium Corporation and the stadium was falling apart. His minority partner was Al Lerner, who had connections to Maryland banks. Upon the promise of a new stadium, the refinancing of the considerable debt the Browns carried and a relocation bonus, Modell moved his team. Cuyahoga County had to build a new football stadium to get a team back, and they did, and it all kinda worked out, except that the current Browns have been mostly lousy and the current owner wants a new stadium.
I’m glad a lot of people know that the government of Maryland itself was planning to take over the team in something called imminent domain, and the city of Baltimore put a law in place that would veto any attempt to make renovations to Baltimore Memorial Stadium. Yes, Irsay was a terrible owner when it came to the on field product, but he was forced to move the team. I’ve seen some UA-camrs or NFL media paint the move to Indianapolis as just Bob Irsay backstabbing Baltimore fans, without even mentioning the way the politicians in the city basically screwed the Colts.
I wouldn't go to a night game in Baltimore if you gave me free tickets. The city has become so dangerous that I left. Teenagers don't get arrested, they get a free ride home from the police.
I think Irsay just didn't want to be stripped of the ability to make decisions about the Colts. In Indy, there was a stadium already present, so it just made sense for the Colts to move there. It seems better than what the Oilers later did, giving Houston a lame duck season where everyone knew they were moving to Tennessee.
The Colts truly became a different organization when no longer owned by Rosenbloom. As a lifelong Steelers fan I still remember how Baltimoreians loved their Colts. It was a source of old fashioned civic pride. Johnny Unitas’ 2010 Top 100 NFL Players of All Time video is only a few minutes long but in it legendary Baltimore sports reporter Frank Deford perfectly describes what the Colts & Unitas meant to Baltimore. Unitas & other Colts players switched their loyalties to the Ravens.
I loved the Colts but now it’s the Ravens. They have 2 Super Bowl rings compared to the Indianapolis Colt’s 1. The Colts lucked out with Peyton Manning and now that he has retired the Colts have not been the same. The Ravens on the other hand are the model of consistency compared to the mess the Colts have become.
@@kylenickelberry1602 Robert Irsay was indeed a bad owner, he fielded one competitive team In his time in Indianapolis. His son, however, is a good owner he knew what he didn’t know and knew to hire the people who could turn the ship around. While they only have one Super Bowl win they are a constant competitor in the league, which is more than a lot of other franchises can say. Baltimore won its first Super Bowl on the back of a player who should’ve been in jail for murder not in the Hall of Fame. No one ever accused Baltimore of being a town with a conscience.. the Indianapolis Colts would’ve cut Ray Lewis so fast his head would’ve spun
I dont blame Irsay one bit. If my city government was trying to take my business and my property away. You can be sure that property would be out of that city ASAP.
The Irsay's are dirtbags who set off a miserable chain of events leading to the Browns exodus in Cleveland. It's pretty telling that surviving Colts players from the Johnny Unitas era refuse to even acknowledge Indianapolis as part of the franchise canon.
Two points; you make no comment how Irsay's problem with alcohol impacted the negotiations and lead to the antagonism between the party. Second, the Hoosier Dome was a dump when it came to watching a football game. Finally, Baltimore is so much better off with Biscotti (recently ranked as the 3rd best NFL owner) as the owner rather than having Jim Irsay involved as he goes through his own personal issues.
I was a season ticket holder for the colts all the way up until there last game. I will never buy tickets to an NFL game ever again. There us no commitment to ANY city unless the owners are from THAT city or loves that city. Teams will move and disappoint cities and fans as long as the NFL will let them. AKA... CHARGERS,RAIDERS,CARDINALS, COLTS,RAMS...
They lost the Colts, cried foul because of ownership "sneaking out the back door". Then they sneakily negotiated with another city's horrible team owner while he was lying about his true intentions. Indianapolis got a Super Bowl, but they were pretty terribly ran for years before that. Baltimore got a team that would win a Super Bowl based off the structure built in Cleveland. Cleveland got a new franchise that has been one of the worst since being reborn. The only good thing that came out of this was a state law forcing billionaire owners in Ohio to sell the team if they weren't willing to let the city try and fix any real issues. The Columbus Crew owner tried to pull an Art move, but he got ousted and granted an expansion franchise. Columbus won a MLS Title that year.
Idc how bad of a guy Irsay was, the second you invoke eminent domain, I'm siding with the owner and I don't blame him for doing what he did. I feel bad for the fans, but the city and state screwed that one up.
I totally agree with you, and I stated all of this to the whining and griping Balmer fans at that time (I live in Annapolis). My angle was this - if another company offered to significantly increase your salary and bennies (along with getting into an easier commute and a nicer/better and more modern workplace with a "better" workforce) you would be just flat out stupid not to accept (assuming no other extraordinary circumstances). Loyalty does not matter - part of "right to work" means that - unless you are under a union or other contract - you can leave an employer for any reason with no notice, and vice-versa. Within legal, ethical and moral grounds you have to do the best you can for your family - or your business.
RIP!! MY MOTHER LOIS ANN ROUTHIER (10-28-1934-5-6-1984) & MY FATHER PHILLIP ANTHONY ROUTHIER (9-17-1924-8-6-2001) MY STEPMOM MARIE F.ROUTHIER(6-14-1913-3-24-2001) MY STEPBROTHER EUGENE BLAINE MONTZ JR.AKA GENE OR GINO(4-25-1939-3-25-1997)
If the Maryland legislature in 1984 could attempt through legislation to seize ownership of the Baltimore Colts from Robert Irsay by eminent domain, then the Pennsylvania legislature in 2024 could attempt the same thing to seize ownership of the Pittsburgh Pirates from Bottom Line Bob Nutting and sell to an ownership group in the Pittsburgh area who cares about bringing a World Series championship to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1979, something many Pirates fans (myself included) are begging to see in our lifetimes.
I get the feeling these people 5:00 have nothing to do w/ this story. Putting this video cellulite in your film is like people who don't like pina coladas or being caught in the rain.
No mention of John Elway refusing to play for the franchise after getting drafted in 1983! "If" Elway decides to play for the 'Baltimore Colts', it might be possible that the fraanchise doesn't move and that Peyton Manning doesn't become a Colt and the Cleveland Browns relocate to where? There's a lot of "what ifs" to think about? Elway as a Colt changes the NFL past as we know it now! Denver Broncos might've been horrible, who knows if the Browns makes it to those back-to-back AFC Title games that they lost to Denver? Elway as a Colt, what team drafts Peyton Manning "if" the Indianapolis Colts doesn't exist? A lot to unpack here, but I've always wondered since that '83 NFL Draft....."what happens to the Baltimore Colts if Elway agrees to play for the franchise, what happens to Peyton Manning's career and where does the Cleveland Browns move to or move at all?" 🤔🤷♂💯💙🏈
Robert Irsay was a drunk who mismanaged the team. His erratic behavior led the state to consider taking the team by eminent domain. We will always hate the Irsay family.
Because the Irsay Family was led by a drunk and the city was screwed because no new stadium. Mayflower moving can go out of business and I hope the Irsay Family gets what makes it happy. Money.
No, they did not. Baltimore went thirteen years without a team. When the NFL expanded, they passed over Baltimore for Jacksonville, even though Baltimore had a far better offer, and was a larger TV market. They openly talked to Modell. The move was announced during the season. The name and history of the Browns stayed in Cleveland. Cleveland was awarded another franchise right away> If they were not given a team, they also would most likely lured another team there
At the end of the day, the main reason Irsay left for Indianapolis is the same reason Watler O'Malley took the Dodgers from Brooklyn in 1958 and Bob Short took the Lakers from Minneapolis in 1960 to my hometown of Los Angeles is simple. The Colts got a better deal and that's that.
This is why more cities should do what Green Bay has done and just own their team. The NFL is basically printing money now. Why give it to some rich A-hole that will leave whenever they can.
@@FootballLoreOfficialthat's correct. If ESPN ever did _Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame_ Robert Irsay for the Colts moving to Indianapolis, Pressman would be the #1 reason
I don't think that Eminent Domain should be used for regular businesses and homes, but if this would have worked, it may have been great. These sports teams aren't normal businesses, but a city trust. Also, with the way these owners hold cities hostage for new stadiums, it may have kept them in line somewhat if this happened.
@@FootballLoreOfficial Sadly, that's just the kind of weird way my brain works - connecting dots that most people usually find completely uninteresting. Welcome to the wonderful world of Asperger's. Ironic though, that the same thing also happened to Oakland - with all their teams - which isn't a world away from her Congressional District....
I have been a Colts fan my whole life. I never abandoned the team the way Baltimore did. To this day I root for the Colts, The Eagles,and the Ravens. The colts left the only way they could, because Maryland and city of Baltimore left them no other option. But none of that justifies the illegal attempt at using Eminent Domain and further nothing justifies the appalling actions of the fans of Baltimore. After The Stallions left because you got the Ravens and the Colts came to town to play a game, you so called fans had signs in the stands, and cheered the idiots that made them, that read “Die Payton Die”. You do this with Colts players to this day. They had NOTHING to do with move. Hate the Irsay family fine. Don’t support the Colts anymore no problem. But wishing death on anyone is completely wrong and unacceptable.
I believe the signs said, "IRSAY SUCKS!" I was at the game when the Colts returned to Baltimore for the first time. And I wore a Colts baseball cap with a black X through the Colts' logo. Much of the crowd was chanting "Irsay Sucks" throughout the game. And it was sweet when the Ravens beat the Colts that day.
@@glennscanlon8765 They showed the signs on camera during the game. ESPN covered it. Just because you personally didn’t doesn’t mean others didn’t. And as I mentioned you don’t have to support or like the Colts. You want to support the Ravens great. I support both teams. But men currently playing on the Colts had nothing to do with what happened, and in no way deserve that sort of treatment.
Boo hoo🙄 any city that wont at the very least work with an owner on a new stadium deserves to lose their team to a city that will🤷♂️ the only exception I've ever seen was the Rams leaving St. Louis. All other cities deserved to lose their team
I mean I feel bad for the fans who have nothing to do with the city. City wrote their own fate, just cashed the check with the fans instead of themselves
@@FootballLoreOfficial agreed. The fans that vote "yes" and are willing to some sort of tax or whatever are the victims. But I feel like they are also the ones that probably don't whine when the team leaves. That seems to be the ones that just expect everyone else to pay while they enjoy🤷♂️
Why cry over spilled milk the city of Baltimore did the same thing to the Cleveland Browns Cleveland moved to Baltimore and became the ravens so quit your bitching. You have a football team.
The difference is we didn't take their name and their history. When the NFL came back to Baltimore we couldn't use our name and history that belonged to Baltimore. Cleveland didn't have to go through that and as part of the deal for the Browns to move to Baltimore they we promised a team within 5 years, which they got. Baltimore had a much harder struggle to get a team. Even with the Stalions, we couldn't use the Colts' names in the candaian league. Whenever I hear Baltimore did the same thing with Cleveland, it makes me so mad. You don't know what you're talking about. INDY celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ice bowl, 1958 championship, they had nothing to do with that, that's Baltimore's history. So no, it's not the same.
We never would of taken another team if the NFL didnt repeatedly reject us having an expansion team. Why not you stop your bitching. The loser Browns got their name and records back. No one in Baltimore wanted that crap. The Browns 2.0 was back within three years. But they cant manage to win much. LOL
Whatever, The Colts move was 40 years ago in 2025 the Browns move will be 30 years ago, your all are going to be going to your graves living events in the past
I hear what you saying, we just want the whole truth to come out. There was no mention of how terrible an owner Bob Irsay was. It's easy to edit out facts but those of us who lived through it know better. We are way better off with the Ravens and no Irsay. I'm sure Indy has enjoyed the Irsay experience 100%, Jim isn't much better that his Dad.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
My Grandfather was a season ticket holder all the way to the end. He was also the President of his local Colts Corral. The Irsay name is dirt in my family! The Ravens coming to Baltimore was amazing! My Pop was all in from day one. Season ticket holder until he passed away.
Great story!
It’s ironic that Robert Irsay is still despised by many in Baltimore while Art Modell is revered there after abandoning Cleveland to move his team to Baltimore. I’m not saying that in an insulting nor negative way but rather with humor because 40 years later I still remember my uncle’s anger that the Colts were “grown men packing up & fleeing into the night like cowards!” 😂 Americanwelder, if your grandfather is no longer with us he’d be proud that you remember him as a diehard Colts fan while being a fan of the Ravens for calling Baltimore home. Unitas & other Colts players also gave their full support to the Ravens. As a lifelong Steelers fan, I believe that your Ravens are the top contenders for the Super Bowl this season. Good luck in every game in this season except for when you’re playing us! ☘️ 👍
I Still have a "Give Baltimore the Ball" tee shirt
@@americanwelder9865 hypocrite. Indianapolis welcomed a team in turmoil a team the city of Baltimore threatened to steal from its rightful owners. Cleveland Browns had a team that was simply balking at creating a new stadium, but were still selling out every week. This was not happening in Baltimore, supported its team with about 20,000 attendees every week Indianapolis made the most of a bad situation created by Baltimore. We welcomed, what were essentially refugees. Even the league itself said it was wrong for Baltimore to shape Cleveland and made no such statement about Indianapolis’ actions. as a matter of fact, the league moved quickly to remedy Baltimore’s wronging of Cleveland..Baltimore in turn created a terrible terrible situation in Cleveland, raping Cleveland and its fans. Quite a difference. Your pop can suck eggs. oh wait. He can’t, sorry.
@@r.williamcomm7693 As a Steeler fan took many bus trips to Baltimore , as far back as the Colts playing in Memorial stadium Always had a great
even when we would down to the combat zone
The Art Model story deserves its own video 🤦🏽♂️
working on it now
True!!!
Yes, I'd like to see that story for sure. Modell turned his back on Cleveland and tried to justify his move to Baltimore by saying his stadium in Cleveland (Municipal Stadium 82,000 capacity) was outdated and costing his organization too much money. He used the threat of moving the team as an attempt to coerce the city of Cleveland to ante up and build a new stadium. The City of Cleveland called his bluff and Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore. Truth was he got a sweetheart offer from the city of Baltimore (the promise of a new stadium with lots of corporate suites and revenue) to lure him to move his team there. Modell's initial involvement with the Browns as a part owner, was granted in a backroom agreement with the old boys regime of the NFL, (some of whom wanted Paul Brown out). But IMO Modell should never have been allowed to be an owner of the Browns to start with. Once he became a part owner, he pushed co-owner Paul Brown, (the founder, original owner and Head Coach of the Browns) completely out of the Browns organization after several seasons and then he (Modell) took credit for any successes the Browns had for the next few seasons. Then, he took the Browns and left Cleveland high and dry while using the media to publicly claim the city of Cleveland wasn't acting in good faith
@@Chiefsfansince-qb1kt Terrible take!
In Baltimore & in Cleveland... the politicians & people failed to heed the decade or more of warning that the Colts and Browns needed new stadiums to compete with other teams.
FA was drastically changing the landscape of the NFL in the 1990's when Modell left Cleveland for Baltimore's stadium deal.
And Modell had poured millions into Cleveland Stadium.... while Cleveland & Ohio took care of other teams and built the Rock Hall of Fame.
In 1984... luxury suites and club level amenities were starting to come into the picture as added non shareable revenue for NFL teams, so Irsay took the Colts to Indianapolis and got those things in the Hoosier Dome.
And Baltimore & Maryland refused funding for a dome in 1974... that would have been built right where Oriole Park is today, that would have been used as a multi purpose 70, 000 seat venue for the Colts, Orioles & Bullets.
The Bullets would have remained in Baltimore had this facility been built.
And... the Baltimore County Executive... nixed the former owner of the Colts', Carroll Rosenbloom's idea of building a stadium about 10 miles outside of the city... and said the " Colts belong in Baltimore City! "
The people of Baltimore voted against taxes for a stadium and the state refused to fund one also.
The same can be said for Oakland & most other relocations in every sport.
The people or a combination of the people and politicians refuse to act to keep their teams most of the time & the owners just get scapegoated...
Baltimore hates Bob and Jimmy Irsay... but a superficial look into the situation in Baltimore tells one that Bob Irsay isn't to blame for the Colts leaving Baltimore. The people and the politicians are... for refusing to get the team a new, VERY MUCH NEEDED, stadium!
Then the state tried to give Baltimore permission to steal the Colts from Irsay!!
Irsay would not have moved the Colts when he did ( basically in April of 1984, ) as it was so late in the off season... had the state of Md not started those eminent domain proceedings!
Irsay is to blame for killing the spirit of the Baltimore Colts fans with his drunken, chaotic and embarrassing actions as owner of the team, however.
And... if you also just superficially delve into Modell's situation... it was probably even worse, because he was using his own $$$$ on the Mistake By The Lake, and was losing his shirt, while FA was starting to really kick in in the NFL!!
Oakland is losing the A's now... after losing the Raiders... because action by the politicians came a day late and a dollar short... as in Baltimore & in Cleveland.
KC is going to lose the Royals and maybe the Chiefs (to a nearby area thankfully for the fans ) because the people have voted to NOT fund new stadiums or renovations.
So, we can scapegoat in a populist manner the rich owners of these teams, but any analysis shows that, for the most part, they don't wanna move their teams, and try for many years to resolve stadium issues where the team is.... without success!
So does Paul Brown. He changed football in so many ways with his innovations: the face mask, play calling guards, speakers in headphones, game films, etc...
My father was from DC so he lived and died Redskins.
I grew up in Bowie, down hwy 301 from Baltimore. l liked Colts.
I left in 1975 for the military.
When this happened I was so mad, I was going to fly back from Seattle and protest.
I dont blame you
Exactly seven years and nine months to the day/night before I was born when the Mayflower moving trucks first arrived in Owings Mills.
And?
damn
Irsay was a drunk and shopped the team around for years while fielding a poor team... he created the fan erosion
he could have invested more thats true
Do you have any knowledge of Memorial Stadium at that time? Even the Orioles wanted out of that stadium it was a dump. While Irsay could have invested more the city abandoned the Colts first.
I remember Irsay's drunken news conference at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (as it was called at the time) where he said, "I'm not moving that G--D--- team." He arrived in Baltimore after shopping the team to Tampa and other cities.
@@glennscanlon8765 The city had every opportunity to keep the team. They weren’t asked to pay for the whole stadium only part , they refused, then tried to change the law so that an act they knew was illegal wouldn’t be so they could steal it. Also the city of Baltimore was told if they could put together a team the name, history, and trademark for the Colts would be returned to the city. They couldn’t do it. Are they the best owners no, but the city and the fans of Baltimore have their share of the blame. Also don’t mistake the current Irsay with the his father.
That's definitely true, but the legislature made the deal happen. Irsay called Indianapolis and sealed the deal the very afternoon the legislature was debating it.
I was a kid from NYC and an Oriole fan in 1970. Then discovered the NFL and chose the Colts because they were also from Baltimore. Years later the Mayflower incident and I was angry over it. However because I was not from Baltimore and the Colts kept their name and uniforms I followed them to Indy. Still a Colts fan.Many friends asked me how I could still be a fan. I just followed the horseshoe. I'm still a Baltimore Oriole fan. I was a Baltimore Bullet fan too who became the Washington Wizards. Life.
Loyal fan
Baltimoreans have never been told the truth about this. Irsay was not a good guy, but he tried for more than a decade to work something out with the city. Baltimore and Maryland politicians refused one penny to renovate Memorial Stadium or to even consider a new stadium. Irsay did not take the team in the middle of the night without notice (as it has been portrayed). He warned the city for more than 10 years. I miss the Colts and it was terrible to see them leave, but 100% of the blame lays with the politicians of Maryland.
someone with some sense
Exactly! Irsay didn't just go and leave overnight. He made it clear for years that he needed stadium upgrades or a new facility. For YEARS!!
No one ever brings up the city's blue law which made every early Sunday home game start at 2:15 instead of 1:00 like every other team.
Carrol Rosenbloom tried and Irsay did not have a chance.
“I have no intention to move the g&@ d$’n team. If I did I’d tell ya, okay?” -Bob Irsay 1984. Not long before he moved the Colts in the middle of the night.
Wasn't much of a mystery. I was 7 years old and it was all that had been talked about for weeks, as far as I remember. When Bob Irsay passed away, we celebrated.
Well it was a mystery for people born this century
It was worth it to get the drunk owner out of Baltimore. Glad we have the Ravens
i think it worked out for Baltimore
Ironic how we listened to Colts fans moan for years how unfair it was for Indianapolis to steal their team, only to have Cleveland's team move to Baltimore. I guess the figured that was okay.
@@pepawg2281 2 completely different things…first Cleveland got to say goodbye to their team…the colts left n the middle of the night. Second, when the Browns left Cleveland, that asshat Tagliabue guaranteed Cleveland would get the next expansion team….Baltimore never got that! Oh and Cleveland got to keep the name, the colors and all the history….the Colts took everything including all the trophies! Was the city of Baltimore to blame for many of those things? Yes but Irsay was a jackass!
The city of Baltimore are still piss off to the colts to this day.
WEIRD
Nah, we have the Ravens and couldn’t care less
@starwars518 Tagliabue told us to just build a museum. Modell brought us a team. Tag used to be Jack Kent Cook's lawyer. Cook owned the Redskins and didn't want a team in Baltimore. The whole Irsay story is about rich louts having their own way. We won. Go Ravens! Colts suck.
Reading about the Colts move to Indianapolis years later, Baltimore Deserved to Lose the Colts, and the main reason why, Because Baltimore was Stupid enough not to build a new Stadium for the Colts, no wonder the Colts moved to Indianapolis!!!!
@adamdorgant9454 I lived thru it. A stadium wasn't the reason. You are full of crap. Irsay was a drunken ass. He was erratic and it's that simple.
The politicians in Baltimore are to blame
exactly
And the owner wasn’t making matters any better
The politicians are still bad
No that incompetent disgusting drunk Bob Irsay was to blame. He singlehandedly turned a proud NFL franchise into a joke for years. Then Bourbon Bob snuck out of town in the middle of the night like the sleazeball that he was.
@@andrewoolman Bourbon Bob, worst NFL owner in NFL history
I ain't moving the godamn team! Quote from Robert Irsay one week before the sneaking out in the Mayfower vans
lol
The Colts have played longer in Indianapolis than they did in Baltimore - let that sink in!
that's wild
Its funny the St. Louis Browns move to Balitmore and we reject the name and the colors going back to the 1890 championship Orioles. Then Cleveland Browns come to Baltimore and we reject the names and colors completely. We even reject their records and statistics. No one in Balitmore EVER counts St. Louis or Cleveland Brown stats into our total franchise stats. We gave Cleveland back their colors and records. We wanted nothing to do with them. Its kind of funny quirk of the city. Like the A's take their records and colors wherever they go. The Raiders take their colors and records where ever they go. Baltimore says screw that crap. Only the Baltimore numbers count.
They got a Unitas statue outside of Raven Stadium.
One a side note they also have a Babe Ruth statue outside of Camden Yards. Because the Babe was a Balitmore Oriole first before a RedSox. His father owned a bar that was located in centerfield of Camden Yards. And the original Orioles moved to NY and became the Highlanders then the Yankees.
Whats even stranger is the Baltimore Browns sounds good. It matches better than St. Louis or Cleveland Browns. But we gave all that away. We want our own thing. Also it hurt so bad when the Colts left and took the name. We fought them for it but failed. NO way Baltimore was going to do that to Cleveland.
i agree
@@JohnGaltGurgi no Baltimore, just raped the city of Cleveland and left the evidence behind. Indianapolis simply stabilized the league by welcoming refugees that were going to be stolen by Baltimore from the rightful owners. Baltimore deserved to lose everything they lost and more. They should never have been granted another team.
Astronaut/Congressman (can't remember his name) went to court to secure the old Cleveland Browns records and uniforms. I'm sure it cost money to rebrand a franchise, so Model probably was reluctant to change.
The city of Cleveland forced Modell to keep the name, colors, and records in Cleveland. Baltimore did not reject the name.
Maybe so with the owners and politicians, but we, the fans want our own team. The Baltimore colts and those memories belong to the fans of those years, and the same goes with the browns... that's Cleveland's legacy, not ours.
Wow! I didnt know about the eminent domain angle! All this time, I thought the Colts were very slimy for doing what they did. Your channel definitely deserves more subscribers!
thank you so much!
@@FootballLoreOfficialare you going to do a video about the Houston Oilers moving to Tennessee?
@@treyblaze22 working on it now
Yes, the state tried to steal private property.
What was left out of this video is that Robert Irsay, considered one of the wworst, if not the worst owner in NMFL history, was nearly impossible to deal with. GM Ernie Accorsi said he had to talk to Irsay before noon, because he was usyually drunk by then. Irsay would say one thing one day, and then denied he said it the next. The City and State did make some offers, including a $25 million renovation, and a large low loan. Irsay would say yes one day, and then say no the next. He was a buffoon, who made his millions (He was not a billionaire) by dtsrting an HVAC company, after lerninmg the trade from his father. He thenm stole many of his Dads clients. His own mother called him the devil on earth.
damn
Then why didn't Accorsi draft someone else beside Elwank because I know this guy named Dan was in that draft
Irsay was a joke, but the offers were awful. The Memorial Park upgrade mandated that they stayed there for 30 year, and the upgrades wouldn't have held up for that long.
The Baltodome was also proposed as a mixed used stadium for the Orioles and Colts. Government officials sabotaged it, and a scaled back version ticked the Orioles off and they pulled out. Then, the government wouldn't build a stadium for just one team.
Irsay was a horrible person, but the politicians were just as bad.
Well done. Thanks for
Thank you
If you've ever been to Baltimore, you'd understand anyone wanting to leave.
lol
The problem is: Bob Irsay completely purged the Super Bowl V team in two years to a slipshod roster of bad performers. As a result, the fan base dropped. When Bert Jones (QB) sparked the team and made the playoffs in 1975-77, Irsay eventually sold him for no-name, do-nothing players, to the point to where they were winless in the 1981 season. The city of Baltimore had a love of the football team, along with a hate of its owner, especially since Irsay was threatening to move the team seven years before he did.
Thanks Irsay
@@glennscanlon8765 the GM knew exactly when to get rid of Bert Jones who had no career after he left Baltimore
They had to rid themselves of aging past their prime players. The Colts had to rebuild the team. That is very normal general manager stuff. Bert Jones became injury prone Lydell Mitchell left for free agency, so the Colts declined from there. Remember John Elway did not want any part of Baltimore and that should be telling you something.
1982 strike short season Colts finished 0-8-1.
Most fans were hurt just as much by the Taking of the team name. Cleveland was able to keep the Browns name .
true
good video
Thanks
Irsay has enough $ to buy lawyers who could easily block Maryland taking the team. Plus, the NFL never should've let any owner relocate without the approval of other owners.
.
To this day, I refer to this team as the Colts. It's been 30 years, and it still hurts.
Well they're gone Glen
I'm over it all. The only thing that upsets me is combining the great Baltimore Colt records, which far outshine the success of the Indy team, at the Hall of Fame. The people of Indianapolis should have done the honorable thing and rejected someone else's name and colors. It's comical when I see Johnny Unitas' or Lenny Moore's names used by the current team.
I wish the branding had stayed in Baltimore like the Browns did.
Same goes for the Houston Oilers...
New subscriber
Thanks for subbing
I would love to see the Colts return back to the City of Baltimore. 😊
i dont think they will
Jesus. Yall couldn’t get a better picture of Jim😂 he looks like hairless cat!
i love the phot personally
@@FootballLoreOfficial 😂😂
They needed s new stadium. And when they didn't get it Irssy had to show who was in charge. It was an iconic scene when the media showed the Mayflower trucks moving out in the night to Indianapolis.
yep
You’re right about that!!!!
Irsay was never going to keep the Colts in Baltimore stadium or not. They even played a preseason game in Tampa in 1972 to gauge interest.
You did a great job of making even a hardened fan like me soften my stance on Robert Irsay's situation. He was still a massive dirtbag, but he was justified here.
he is a strange man but I would have moved the team too
I remember when the Colts left Baltimore!! It was March of 1984!! I was 11 going on 12.My father Phillip Anthony Routhier was 59 going on 60 that year.My mother Lois Ann Routhier was suffering off & on with cervical cancer until her May 6 1984 death.We were living at 319 W.Lorraine Ave.Balto.21211(before my stepmom Marie & stepbrother Gene came into the picture.)
rip
I feel bad that your mom died when you were so young. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. Did she ever contact you after she passed away through dreams etc. ? I find the subject interesting.
@@alspencer3826 I LOST 3 MOMS!! MY REAL MOM LOIS ANN ROUTHIER ON MAY 6 1984 from cervical cancer at age 49 going on 50--I was 12!! I lost my stepmom MARIE F.ROUTHIER on March 24 2001 from lung cancer & respiratory failure she was 87 going on 88 after she was in my life 17.5 years(1984-2001) & I lost a lady friend who later became my Godmother MS.JEEN CATHERINE WAGNER BOURGET ON October 16 2016 from dementia at age 85.I was going on 29 when Marie died in 2001 & I was 44 when Godmother died in 2016!!
I am one of those fans. The NFL and the Colts lost me that day. If they had spoken out publicly about whatever the truth is and walked out to a published day and time, I would not still be angry (pissed off) at both of these entities. Then I would understand and just be angry with the city and state officials. The owner was hated by all Marylanders and Colts fans.
I'm sorry.
Damn, The Colts have been in Indianapolis longer than in Baltimore. Time goes way too quick.
facts
In couple years it will be the same with Ravens and Browns too
Bob Irsay was a drunk dufus. However, it took Irsay letting the lease run out and moving to a new stadium in another city to get the Maryland politicians off of their keesters.
Memorial Stadium had a LOT of history but it was a DUMP. Carroll Rosenbloom hated it when he owned the Colts.
In the 1960s and 1970s, new stadiums were built in New England, the Jersey Meadowlands, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St.Louis, Kansas City, Dallas, New Orleans, Houston, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
Maryland pols dragged their feet. The Maryland Stadium Authority was established, using lottery funds, to build a new ballpark for the Orioles and a new football stadium.
Art Modell moved his team to Baltimore for several specific reasons.
Modell owned the operating lease on Cleveland Stadium and lost the Indians as a tenant in 1994. Modell had no other income but the Browns and the Stadium Corporation and the stadium was falling apart.
His minority partner was Al Lerner, who had connections to Maryland banks.
Upon the promise of a new stadium, the refinancing of the considerable debt the Browns carried and a relocation bonus, Modell moved his team. Cuyahoga County had to build a new football stadium to get a team back, and they did, and it all kinda worked out, except that the current Browns have been mostly lousy and the current owner wants a new stadium.
yeah
I’m glad a lot of people know that the government of Maryland itself was planning to take over the team in something called imminent domain, and the city of Baltimore put a law in place that would veto any attempt to make renovations to Baltimore Memorial Stadium. Yes, Irsay was a terrible owner when it came to the on field product, but he was forced to move the team. I’ve seen some UA-camrs or NFL media paint the move to Indianapolis as just Bob Irsay backstabbing Baltimore fans, without even mentioning the way the politicians in the city basically screwed the Colts.
the city really ruined the deal
We have a better team and better franchise no one here cares anymore.
i just thought it was interesting
Baltimore as a city is now decaying.
True!!
I wouldn't go to a night game in Baltimore if you gave me free tickets. The city has become so dangerous that I left. Teenagers don't get arrested, they get a free ride home from the police.
@@chrisgrylewicz8182 You’re right about that!!!
F
@@chrisgrylewicz8182what a dork…. Lol. I’m too scared to go to a night game wahhh wahhha wahh 😢 they’re always sold out so ur not missed
I think Irsay just didn't want to be stripped of the ability to make decisions about the Colts. In Indy, there was a stadium already present, so it just made sense for the Colts to move there. It seems better than what the Oilers later did, giving Houston a lame duck season where everyone knew they were moving to Tennessee.
100%
Memorial stadium was dilapidated. I went once in 1990 as a kid. Fun fact the plans for a dome similar to the kingdome almost made it in the mid 70s
yep
Bob irsay doesn’t have to tell the city of Baltimore why he moved the team in the middle of the night doesn’t owe them explanation or anything
facts
They got a Democrat Judge to agree to allow the city to declare a privately held team as eminent domain
yep
Best thing that ever happened to the Colts was when Irsay passed away.
dam
I am a lifelong Baltimoreian. The Colts are still missed
I prefer the Ravens myself
No. They are not. Smh
@@joshuablevins4340 Oh yes they are. Talk to the people that grew up around that time or older folk that lived around that time
The Colts truly became a different organization when no longer owned by Rosenbloom. As a lifelong Steelers fan I still remember how Baltimoreians loved their Colts. It was a source of old fashioned civic pride. Johnny Unitas’ 2010 Top 100 NFL Players of All Time video is only a few minutes long but in it legendary Baltimore sports reporter Frank Deford perfectly describes what the Colts & Unitas meant to Baltimore. Unitas & other Colts players switched their loyalties to the Ravens.
I loved the Colts but now it’s the Ravens. They have 2 Super Bowl rings compared to the Indianapolis Colt’s 1. The Colts lucked out with Peyton Manning and now that he has retired the Colts have not been the same. The Ravens on the other hand are the model of consistency compared to the mess the Colts have become.
Irsay was a lousy owner but the move was necessary.
yes
@@FootballLoreOfficial BTW..good video. I'm subscribing and looking forward to more content.
@@kylenickelberry1602 Robert Irsay was indeed a bad owner, he fielded one competitive team In his time in Indianapolis. His son, however, is a good owner he knew what he didn’t know and knew to hire the people who could turn the ship around. While they only have one Super Bowl win they are a constant competitor in the league, which is more than a lot of other franchises can say. Baltimore won its first Super Bowl on the back of a player who should’ve been in jail for murder not in the Hall of Fame. No one ever accused Baltimore of being a town with a conscience.. the Indianapolis Colts would’ve cut Ray Lewis so fast his head would’ve spun
@alfredodedarc FYI. I'm an Indianapolis resident. However,thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I dont blame Irsay one bit. If my city government was trying to take my business and my property away. You can be sure that property would be out of that city ASAP.
neither do i
Now I know the big reason why The Colts Abandon Baltimore.
facts
I’m from Baltimore! He left , I’m finally over it !
LOL
The Irsay's are dirtbags who set off a miserable chain of events leading to the Browns exodus in Cleveland. It's pretty telling that surviving Colts players from the Johnny Unitas era refuse to even acknowledge Indianapolis as part of the franchise canon.
true
The Colts should have stayed, the stadium however had to go
yeah
Two points; you make no comment how Irsay's problem with alcohol impacted the negotiations and lead to the antagonism between the party. Second, the Hoosier Dome was a dump when it came to watching a football game.
Finally, Baltimore is so much better off with Biscotti (recently ranked as the 3rd best NFL owner) as the owner rather than having Jim Irsay involved as he goes through his own personal issues.
I wasn't gonna get into allegations against a billionaire but i feel you
Watch a few of Irsays interviews near the end of his time in Baltimore and it made move allegation toward fact. The man needed help
The downside Baltimore lost the Colts.
The upside they lost Robert Irsay.
lol
Because the city of Baltimore was going to steal the team after not providing adequate facilities. Leaving was absolutely justified.
yep
I dont care that they left, I get it. But they shoulda left the name behind like Art did for the Browns
i get it
Art didn't do that! It was one of the conditions of the NFL owners approving the relocation.
I was a season ticket holder for the colts all the way up until there last game. I will never buy tickets to an NFL game ever again. There us no commitment to ANY city unless the owners are from THAT city or loves that city. Teams will move and disappoint cities and fans as long as the NFL will let them. AKA... CHARGERS,RAIDERS,CARDINALS, COLTS,RAMS...
rip
They lost the Colts, cried foul because of ownership "sneaking out the back door". Then they sneakily negotiated with another city's horrible team owner while he was lying about his true intentions. Indianapolis got a Super Bowl, but they were pretty terribly ran for years before that.
Baltimore got a team that would win a Super Bowl based off the structure built in Cleveland. Cleveland got a new franchise that has been one of the worst since being reborn.
The only good thing that came out of this was a state law forcing billionaire owners in Ohio to sell the team if they weren't willing to let the city try and fix any real issues. The Columbus Crew owner tried to pull an Art move, but he got ousted and granted an expansion franchise. Columbus won a MLS Title that year.
yeah
Idc how bad of a guy Irsay was, the second you invoke eminent domain, I'm siding with the owner and I don't blame him for doing what he did. I feel bad for the fans, but the city and state screwed that one up.
Money. It’s always about making more money.
yes
Baltimore is mad about the colts leaving but it's okay that modell took the browns to Baltimore
lol
I totally agree with you, and I stated all of this to the whining and griping Balmer fans at that time (I live in Annapolis). My angle was this - if another company offered to significantly increase your salary and bennies (along with getting into an easier commute and a nicer/better and more modern workplace with a "better" workforce) you would be just flat out stupid not to accept (assuming no other extraordinary circumstances). Loyalty does not matter - part of "right to work" means that - unless you are under a union or other contract - you can leave an employer for any reason with no notice, and vice-versa. Within legal, ethical and moral grounds you have to do the best you can for your family - or your business.
I think it was a no brainer for Irsay, especially when they threatened to take the team away from him.
RIP!! MY MOTHER LOIS ANN ROUTHIER (10-28-1934-5-6-1984) & MY FATHER PHILLIP ANTHONY ROUTHIER (9-17-1924-8-6-2001) MY STEPMOM MARIE F.ROUTHIER(6-14-1913-3-24-2001) MY STEPBROTHER EUGENE BLAINE MONTZ JR.AKA GENE OR GINO(4-25-1939-3-25-1997)
rip
If the Maryland legislature in 1984 could attempt through legislation to seize ownership of the Baltimore Colts from Robert Irsay by eminent domain, then the Pennsylvania legislature in 2024 could attempt the same thing to seize ownership of the Pittsburgh Pirates from Bottom Line Bob Nutting and sell to an ownership group in the Pittsburgh area who cares about bringing a World Series championship to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1979, something many Pirates fans (myself included) are begging to see in our lifetimes.
The problem is as soon as the government threatens that the owner will do EVERYTHING to move the team.
I get the feeling these people 5:00 have nothing to do w/ this story. Putting this video cellulite in your film is like people who don't like pina coladas or being caught in the rain.
so you're mad at.....stock footage?
The Colts have been gone from Baltimore for 41 years
yes
They have actually been in Indy longer than they were in Baltimore...so let it go!
im not mad about it, just wanted to make a video about the history
The Colts and the Ravens need to switch nicknames
facts
Wish it would be that simple.
I’m surprised everyone doesn’t leave Baltimore. Gross city
lol
The Colts didn't abandon Baltimore. Irsay did.
well the colts are agone
This is the reason browns became the ravens
yes
Fuck the Irsays! Go Ravens!
Go Ravens!
No mention of John Elway refusing to play for the franchise after getting drafted in 1983! "If" Elway decides to play for the 'Baltimore Colts', it might be possible that the fraanchise doesn't move and that Peyton Manning doesn't become a Colt and the Cleveland Browns relocate to where? There's a lot of "what ifs" to think about? Elway as a Colt changes the NFL past as we know it now! Denver Broncos might've been horrible, who knows if the Browns makes it to those back-to-back AFC Title games that they lost to Denver? Elway as a Colt, what team drafts Peyton Manning "if" the Indianapolis Colts doesn't exist? A lot to unpack here, but I've always wondered since that '83 NFL Draft....."what happens to the Baltimore Colts if Elway agrees to play for the franchise, what happens to Peyton Manning's career and where does the Cleveland Browns move to or move at all?" 🤔🤷♂💯💙🏈
damn
Was it money and how much
yes, billions
Irsay was a nut case much like another one I can think of!
lol
Robert Irsay was a drunk who mismanaged the team. His erratic behavior led the state to consider taking the team by eminent domain. We will always hate the Irsay family.
damn
Because the Irsay Family was led by a drunk and the city was screwed because no new stadium. Mayflower moving can go out of business and I hope the Irsay Family gets what makes it happy. Money.
sheesh
Ironic that Baltimore gained the Ravens the same way they lost the Colts: Secret negotiations with slimy businessmen.
exactly, quite ironic
No, they did not. Baltimore went thirteen years without a team. When the NFL expanded, they passed over Baltimore for Jacksonville, even though Baltimore had a far better offer, and was a larger TV market. They openly talked to Modell. The move was announced during the season. The name and history of the Browns stayed in Cleveland. Cleveland was awarded another franchise right away> If they were not given a team, they also would most likely lured another team there
Money talks and it’s the sin of all sin and with enough money can make anyone scum
absolutely, well said
I'm glad the colts r gone. If not we would not have the ravens and 2 superbowls already. Thank u for leaving colts.
lol
At the end of the day, the main reason Irsay left for Indianapolis is the same reason Watler O'Malley took the Dodgers from Brooklyn in 1958 and Bob Short took the Lakers from Minneapolis in 1960 to my hometown of Los Angeles is simple. The Colts got a better deal and that's that.
pretty much
@@chrisbacos to me, it’s not what he did. But how he did it.
In other words……. GREED
Im not saying they shoulda relocate like a thief in the in the night....."but i do understand"
if it was either move secretly or lose your team.... you move secretly
who funded this video?
no one? It's a UA-cam video not a think tank
This is why more cities should do what Green Bay has done and just own their team. The NFL is basically printing money now. Why give it to some rich A-hole that will leave whenever they can.
i agree
why did the grammar missed?
what
Was that city or state money
yes
Damn, just say you don’t like Baltimore….completely different tone from other cities. 😊
baltimore sucks
*HYMAN PRESSMAN* is the number one person to blame, not Bob Irsay
pressman is why it moved, irsay owned the colts
@@FootballLoreOfficialthat's correct. If ESPN ever did _Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame_ Robert Irsay for the Colts moving to Indianapolis, Pressman would be the #1 reason
Who?
@@victormattison5110 Look up Descendants of the Mayflower Colts.
True!!!!
Crime.
yes
I don't think that Eminent Domain should be used for regular businesses and homes, but if this would have worked, it may have been great. These sports teams aren't normal businesses, but a city trust. Also, with the way these owners hold cities hostage for new stadiums, it may have kept them in line somewhat if this happened.
Idk that is a scary precident
should have nevr left
idk
Because Baltimore was Stupid enough not to build a new stadium for the Colts!!!!
The Mayor in 1950 Nancy Pelosi's Dad - it's a small world
lol
@@FootballLoreOfficial Sadly, that's just the kind of weird way my brain works - connecting dots that most people usually find completely uninteresting. Welcome to the wonderful world of Asperger's.
Ironic though, that the same thing also happened to Oakland - with all their teams - which isn't a world away from her Congressional District....
Money
sorta
Have you seen Baltimore?
yes I grew up there
I have been a Colts fan my whole life. I never abandoned the team the way Baltimore did. To this day I root for the Colts, The Eagles,and the Ravens. The colts left the only way they could, because Maryland and city of Baltimore left them no other option. But none of that justifies the illegal attempt at using Eminent Domain and further nothing justifies the appalling actions of the fans of Baltimore. After The Stallions left because you got the Ravens and the Colts came to town to play a game, you so called fans had signs in the stands, and cheered the idiots that made them, that read “Die Payton Die”. You do this with Colts players to this day. They had NOTHING to do with move. Hate the Irsay family fine. Don’t support the Colts anymore no problem. But wishing death on anyone is completely wrong and unacceptable.
wisely spoken
I believe the signs said, "IRSAY SUCKS!" I was at the game when the Colts returned to Baltimore for the first time. And I wore a Colts baseball cap with a black X through the Colts' logo. Much of the crowd was chanting "Irsay Sucks" throughout the game. And it was sweet when the Ravens beat the Colts that day.
@@glennscanlon8765 They showed the signs on camera during the game. ESPN covered it. Just because you personally didn’t doesn’t mean others didn’t. And as I mentioned you don’t have to support or like the Colts. You want to support the Ravens great. I support both teams. But men currently playing on the Colts had nothing to do with what happened, and in no way deserve that sort of treatment.
screw all of this the main story is this!! Schafer could had token the colt name from Irsay ! like the mayor of cleland did but it didn't happen
he left before they could eminent domain the team
Learn proper English if your gonna make videos. Why did the colts abandoned Baltimore. Lmao smh
damn bro you corrected a grammar mistake, you must be invited to lots of parties and have a hot wife
@@FootballLoreOfficialThat's a detail that improves the appearance of your work.
Boo hoo🙄 any city that wont at the very least work with an owner on a new stadium deserves to lose their team to a city that will🤷♂️ the only exception I've ever seen was the Rams leaving St. Louis. All other cities deserved to lose their team
I mean I feel bad for the fans who have nothing to do with the city. City wrote their own fate, just cashed the check with the fans instead of themselves
@@FootballLoreOfficial agreed. The fans that vote "yes" and are willing to some sort of tax or whatever are the victims. But I feel like they are also the ones that probably don't whine when the team leaves. That seems to be the ones that just expect everyone else to pay while they enjoy🤷♂️
@@FootballLoreOfficialCan you do one on Georgia Frontiere. The Owner of the Rams and late husband Carroll Rosebloom and Stan Kroenke
Houston didn't deserve to lose their Oilers
Why cry over spilled milk the city of Baltimore did the same thing to the Cleveland Browns Cleveland moved to Baltimore and became the ravens so quit your bitching. You have a football team.
This is just a video about what transpired, i dont care one way or the other
The difference is we didn't take their name and their history. When the NFL came back to Baltimore we couldn't use our name and history that belonged to Baltimore. Cleveland didn't have to go through that and as part of the deal for the Browns to move to Baltimore they we promised a team within 5 years, which they got. Baltimore had a much harder struggle to get a team. Even with the Stalions, we couldn't use the Colts' names in the candaian league. Whenever I hear Baltimore did the same thing with Cleveland, it makes me so mad. You don't know what you're talking about. INDY celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ice bowl, 1958 championship, they had nothing to do with that, that's Baltimore's history. So no, it's not the same.
We never would of taken another team if the NFL didnt repeatedly reject us having an expansion team. Why not you stop your bitching. The loser Browns got their name and records back. No one in Baltimore wanted that crap. The Browns 2.0 was back within three years. But they cant manage to win much. LOL
Whatever, The Colts move was 40 years ago in 2025 the Browns move will be 30 years ago, your all are going to be going to your graves living events in the past
I hear what you saying, we just want the whole truth to come out. There was no mention of how terrible an owner Bob Irsay was. It's easy to edit out facts but those of us who lived through it know better. We are way better off with the Ravens and no Irsay. I'm sure Indy has enjoyed the Irsay experience 100%, Jim isn't much better that his Dad.