Indy Disses Unitas By Still Using #19 Jersey

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 8, 2011 7:00 PM EDT

Baltimore Colts Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas (#10)

If there is ever a reason for any number to be retired and stay retired on any team in the NFL, the #19 jersey of Johnny Unitas should never again grace the back of an NFL player on the Colts, be it the old Baltimore or current Indianapolis version of the team. Since there is no Baltimore Colts display in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame and all the old Colts records and memorabilia there are listed under the Indianapolis Colts, why shouldn't the retired jerseys of the old Colts be considered "off-limits" out of respect as well?

That doesn't appear to be the case, as the Indianapolis Colts have a player who was given the #19 jersey. Kole Heckendorf is a wide receiver who has bummed around the NFL since 2009, having been signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. He's had stints with the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers but never really has gotten a sniff of playing time.

Signed as a free agent by the Colts, he was "awarded" for his meritorious service by being asked to wear the hallowed #19 Colts jersey last worn by the legendary Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas. Heckendorf was placed on Injured Reserve in August by the Colts, so you will not be seeing that jersey number on the field when the Colts come here to M&T Bank Stadium to face the Ravens in week 14 on December 11, 2011.

While Heckendorf probably had no idea who once wore this jersey number for the Colts, he also probably didn't know this could end up being such a firestorm of a public relations nightmare and continue to throw fuel on the fire that remains between the two cities and especially the Irsay family.

What were you thinking, Jimmy Irsay!?

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19, 24, 82, 70, 89

All of those numbers should be retired. I might be forgetting one or two more. Bisciotti ought to throw a “Take back the Colts” day next year, and have a big Number Retirement Day in Baltimore. The hell with Indy, they don’t have those memories, they don’t even deserve those memories (despite the uncanny similarities between Manning and Unitas).

Those numbers belong to Baltimore fans, and by assigning 19 to someone else, those people at Indianapolis are agreeing with that view.

by Sam25 on Oct 8, 2011 8:02 PM EDT reply actions

forgot 77 and 88

They are surely deserving too!

by Sam25 on Oct 8, 2011 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Canton needs to seperate the history of the Colts between Baltimore and Indy. Obviously Indy neither respects nor has any connection to Baltimore Colts history. If I were an Indy fan, I would probably feel the same way.

The Ravens do honor the Baltimore Colts Hall of Famers.

Note to Sam25: Add #83 Ted “The Mad Stork” Hendricks to your list.

"What we've got here is failure to communicate."

by Fandemonium on Oct 8, 2011 9:13 PM EDT reply actions

nonstarter for me

who cares what the colts do? i care what the ravens do, and as fandem said, they honor the baltimore colts.

by Luke E on Oct 8, 2011 10:38 PM EDT reply actions

It was so long ago and most of the players werent even born when the Colts moved. To keep bringing it back up makes us no better than the Browns fans that like to bitch non stop about it while failing to work on their own team. Very few are still alive that was involved in the whole moving thing.

In addition, Indy while keeping the records, really don’t recognize the history so much. We need to have a forget the F’ing Colts day and just bury the hatchet about it all and stop bringing it up like we are rivals with the team.

by Mstevens_Design on Oct 9, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

What?

I am really, really lost with what you are trying to say. Care to clarify?

To keep bringing it back up makes us no better than the Browns fans

Very few are still alive that was involved in the whole moving thing.

Indy while keeping the records, really don’t recognize the history so much. We need to have a forget the F’ing Colts day and just bury the hatchet about it all and stop bringing it up like we are rivals with the team.

"What we've got here is failure to communicate."

by Fandemonium on Oct 9, 2011 1:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Every time someone brings up the Colts in any way it always comes back to “they stole our team!” regardless of the fact it was a long ass time ago, and none of the players were alive when it happened. We as a city keep holding on to the situation and its time is done with.

I guarantee that when we play the Colts, a bunch of people will bring up them moving from here as a reason we have to beat them. We as fans just need to bury the hatchet and put that in the past. As Luke mentioned, I could care less about the Colts, their organization, their players, their fans, that city until we have to play them. We are the Ravens now and we should focus on our own players and our own legacy as the Ravens.

While it is a shame that the Colts don’t recognize their own past as much as they should, it really doesn’t matter to me as a Ravens fan. I think the more we bring it up, the more petty it makes us seem and we just seem whiny about it at this point. We get frustrated when Cleveland fans get all bent out of shape about us “taking their team” yet we continue to get pissy about the Colts.

by Mstevens_Design on Oct 9, 2011 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions

While it is a shame that the Colts don’t recognize their own past

The Colts’ past IS our past as well. And it is also a shame that younger generations don’t appreciate/acknowledge that the Colts were OUR team first and their greatest achievements happened under that aegis, not under the Indianapolis one. Whether any of the younger folks would like to accept it (or not), there would be no Baltimore Ravens to be a fan of if it wasn’t for the Baltimore Colts.

none of the players were alive when it happened

And this is justification for ignoring a city’s sports history? So according to this thinking, any “important” events older than 20-30 years should just be forgotten and ignored because the most recent generation wasn’t alive when they happened? Well, that’s certainly fitting with the over-inflated self-importance of youth, but one would hope for something better than, “Woodstock? Moon Landing? Martin Luther King? WW II? Screw that crap. I could care less about that.”

Make no mistake, although major league sports team may act (and be treated) like independent nation-states, they are part of the city where they play – as much as the league and the owners may want to draw from the largest pool of potential fans by making them seem generic to a state or an area (Vikings, Patriots). As someone who had MY team ripped out from under me, NO, I’m not going to “let it go” just because bringing it up “inconveniences” those who weren’t alive at the time. Baltimore Colts fans, Cleveland fans, Raiders fans (both LA and Oakland), St. Louis fans, and LA Rams fans ALL have every justification in the world to retain their anger about what the NFL allowed to be done to them and/or repaid them for their fandom. I, for one, will continue to be as “pissy” as I like until, at least, the records and history of the BALTIMORE Colts is returned to its rightful place.

re: Big Ben - "God can have his soul. His ass is mine." - Terrell Suggs

by GrumpyOldBird on Oct 10, 2011 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah, sure, sure, be a grumpyoldbird

i think the ravens should continue to honor the baltimore colts even if the league won’t officially recognize it.

what i don’t care about is what the INDIANAPOLIS colts do. you said it yourself: “a city’s sports history”. well, that’s not Indy’s sports history, so why SHOULD they care? and why should I?

that’s why i don’t care if the current Colts honor the former Colts. it’s a different city. the league’s too dumb or too arrogant to change, but the cities know to honor their own. let US honor the baltimore colts, and leave indy out of it.

by Luke E on Oct 10, 2011 7:26 AM EDT up reply actions

let US honor the baltimore colts, and leave indy out of it.

I wasn’t articulating myself properly, but this is dead on! I love the fact that the Baltimore Colts were here and I love the fact that we still recognize those years in this town. But I could care less what the Colts will or will not do now because it isn’t my city and it isn’t my team. We have the Ravens and should focus on what our own city is doing right now.

My point is that I am too young to remember when the Colts left as are a lot of fans and all of the players. To keep harping on what the Colts do now is irrelevant to a majority of people because we weren’t around at that time and it has been so long ago that we just don’t care if they retire a jersey or recognize their own past. It doesn’t mean that we ignore our town’s history by any means and it doesnt mean that we expect everyone to just let it go, it does mean that we should have moved on from them moving so decades ago and we should be doing just fine making history as the Ravens.

We all know who really has those records and no amount of stupidity from the NFL or the owners in Indy will keep that from us. That is why we have the statue out front of the stadium.

by Mstevens_Design on Oct 10, 2011 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions

If Indy truly doesn't care,

then give us back all the old Colts memorabilia the team has (probably in storage) and move Johnny U’s stuff over to the Ravens area at the HoF.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 10, 2011 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

that would be nice

but in the meantime, i’m not sure what it has to do with anything else.

by Luke E on Oct 10, 2011 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

We have the Super Bowl V trophy in Baltimore

and a lot more of the old Colts memorabilia at Sports Legends Museum next to Camden Yards in Baltimore .
People should go and see it if they care so much about it.

"Raise the black flag and ride hard, boys! Our cause is just and our enemies many! "

by Corvus Baltimorius on Oct 10, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions

But that is the issue right there. We shouldn’t care if Indy cares or not. We respect the Colts history around here on our own and having the records isn’t going to change that for any of us. The fact that they don’t respect their own history should show everyone how bad the ownership is and has been.

Lets face it, everyone knows the history of the Colts. Unitas stuck around with the Ravens as do most of the old players. As long as Indy knows, the players know and Baltimore knows…. thats all I need.

My main issue lies with people that constantly bring up the Colts moving like it was yesterday. Was it unfair? Yep! Did it suck? Yep! Was it decades ago and should we move on to making records with the Ravens? Yep!

by Mstevens_Design on Oct 11, 2011 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Everything you say is logical – except for the moving on.

Let me put it to you this way – remember when some kid sucker punched you in the mouth on the playground in 3rd grade? Remember it like it was yesterday? Same thing for us old guys and the Colts. And if that never happened to you, substitute some other event you still remember every detail of and you’ll know how fresh the Colts sneaking out of town is for those us who were here and grew up with them.

I’m not saying there should be a huge weeping session every time the Ravens meet the Colts during a season. And I get tired of people bringing it up as well – because it’s a moot argument. It happened. It can’t be changed. None of the Irsays will ever have the spine to do the right thing. Hell, they can’t even stay sober. So, unless you’re going to form some sort of Civil War style Baltimore Colts re-enactors thing, why dredge it back up? And I’m not asking us to have a rivalry with Indy either. A rivalry would require the ability to win and so far, we get our ass kicked almost every time we play, so until then, rivalry is not possible.

But don’t ask me to give up my memories (or my hatred) just because it happens to fall outside the small timeline of your life. By that token, we should stop ever mentioning the Ravens 2000 SB win now, because the youngest generation watching the team now (10 year olds) weren’t alive at the time and we don’t want to “bother” them by prattling on about the old days.

Not everything in the world has to function on the “what have you done for me lately” paradigm.

re: Big Ben - "God can have his soul. His ass is mine." - Terrell Suggs

by GrumpyOldBird on Oct 11, 2011 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Grumpy, You bring up some solid points and I get where you are coming from. I’m sure I came off a little harsh initially because I just had this discussion with someone like a day earlier :)

But don’t ask me to give up my memories (or my hatred

I’m not asking anyone to give up anything. I just want people to chill out on it a little bit and stop bringing it up at any given moment the Colts do anything good or bad like they are still our team.

By that token, we should stop ever mentioning the Ravens 2000 SB win now, because the youngest generation watching the team now (10 year olds) weren’t alive at the time and we don’t want to "bother" them by prattling on about the old days.

To a certain degree, that is absolutely true. It has absolutely no merit on this year. But at the same time, it is close enough to where a majority of people know and remember that. I’m 25 in a few days and I wasn’t born when the Colts moved and wouldn’t know if I didn’t know my city history and love my current team. That being said, I am right in the middle of the age group for fans and if someone my age wasn’t born when it happened, it probably should be dropped from normal conversation and be moved on.

remember when some kid sucker punched you in the mouth on the playground in 3rd grade? Remember it like it was yesterday?

I’d like to say that I do remember but have no hatred for that kid, but I’d be lying a bit. But then again, that was much more recent and directed at me personally. I really doubt the Colts moved specifically because of you Grumpy. But it is an interesting point and I get you on this one.

Basically, they think it was similar to our situation with Modell in reverse

This is what gets me. I love Modell and think he was a classy guy. But lets face it, he moved the team because he wouldn’t get a new stadium deal and he acted like a baby to a certain degree. It might not be the same circumstances, but Cleveland fans have just as much of a right to be pissed at us as we do at Indy. Who we all need to be angry at is the NFL and its leadership. They are the ones that have kept the records in Indy… they were the ones that allowed us to go for so long without a team while states like Florida get 3 of them and can’t sell out a stadium. We don’t like to look at the situation from others perspective, but if we continue to hold a grudge against Irsay and Indy then we have absolutely no right to expect Cleveland to ever let go of theirs and that will never be a good way to go about it.

So just to recap…. I understand the frustration and the hatred. But its pointed at the wrong people for the wrong reasons and has been for so long. At this point, the people involved are dead and we as a city need to move on to the Ravens and build a better record book, while educating people about the Baltimore Colts as a team and not solely for moving.

by Mstevens_Design on Oct 11, 2011 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Just one other thing

Indy doesn’t necessarily know. Last time we played the Colts, I was involved in a few of the discussions on here with Indy fans – and you’d be surprised at the scenario that some of them think actually went down. Basically, they think it was similar to our situation with Modell in reverse – that we told Irsay to get lost and Indy just took in a poor orphan team that nobody else wanted.

Truthfully, I’d assume there are just as many young Baltimore/Ravens fans who are as misinformed. So might not be a good idea to assume that everyone knows the details or the history.

re: Big Ben - "God can have his soul. His ass is mine." - Terrell Suggs

by GrumpyOldBird on Oct 11, 2011 1:38 AM EDT up reply actions

I’d like an en explanation of these comments, also… unless you’re 30 or younger… that would explain everything

by Evan Skev on Oct 9, 2011 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions

I hate regurgitating the memories

but this is Johnny ‘friggin’ Unitas we’re talking about and to let anyone in the horseshoe uni wear it is plain disrespectful. Surprised Peyton, who is a huge fan of Johnny U’s, didn’t say anything.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Oct 9, 2011 1:34 AM EDT reply actions

What were you thinking, Jimmy Irsay!?

Jimmy Irsay is a drug addict, so most likely he’s constantly thinking, “where can I get a fix?”.

Of course it’s a travesty for any Baltimore Colts fans old enough to remember, but since when do memories count in the NFL? The NFL is a marketing business and the last thing marketing people want is for the rubes they’re suckering money out of to remember things – unless, of course, that’s what they’re trying to sell that week (throwback jerseys, etc.).

The NFL holds a grudge against Baltimore since we were the “test case” for a team holding a city/state hostage for a new stadium/improvements/whatever it could get for free and we failed miserably. We didn’t roll over (as we, and many others would later) and say, “Oh yes, Mr. Irsay, we would be glad to put the city/state in hock so you don’t have to spend any of your precious money to build the improvements that only you’ll see the majority of profits from.”. They would have to wait another year or two until Al Davis raped Oakland and LA to set their precedent. Baltimore is the prom date that wouldn’t put out, so we have to made to pay for that by the date rapists who own the NFL.

Is someone wearing Unitas’ (or Berry’s or Mackey’s…) number a travesty? Of course, if you’re old enough to remember when the NFL was a sport and not a marketing business. But to most of the drunken frat boys who now inhabit M&T Stadium on any given Sunday, who don’t even know the Colts once played here, what does it matter? There used to be a saying that they can’t take away my memories. Well, apparently, now they can.

re: Big Ben - "God can have his soul. His ass is mine." - Terrell Suggs

by GrumpyOldBird on Oct 9, 2011 10:21 AM EDT reply actions