The Replay: Peyton Manning, Chuck Pagano, and South Park

Park’s Closed Edition

Every Friday, we post up The Replay, our weekly look at sports. It’s mostly fouls and airballs.

 

» Shot in the Arm? This week we learned that Peyton Manning is a really, really nice guy—and that many are starting to believe the Colts former quarterback should just be a former quarterback. While he wasn’t perfect on Thursday, Manning ignored the whispers and after a shaky start became the second NFL quarterback to throw for 70,000 yards in a career as he keyed a late-game rally. How does he do it?

 

» Raze the Roof: Lucas Oil Stadium’s gazillion-dollar, taxpayer-funded retractable roof no longer retracts—at least not without shitting bolts on fans. The Capital Improvement Board decided to keep the roof closed for Monday’s Colts-Jets game and, pending an investigation and possible repairs, indefinitely.

parksclosed

 

» Don’t Go Fishing, Chuck: After the Colts season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills, owner Jim Irsay quashed rumors of an alleged rift between coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson and said Pagano isn’t coaching for his job.

godfather

 

» Can’t Draw it Up Any Better: Comedy Central’s South Park nailed the ridiculousness of Deflategate in its Season 19 debut, and, in a 30-second dream sequence, the animated series managed to do what the Colts haven’t: crush Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

More Deflategate goodness, courtesy our deputy editor:

 

» Crown Jewel: Betty Cantrell, aka Miss America, thinks Brady cheated. I think.

 

» Now Read This: The New York Times Magazine profiles one of the most misunderstood athletes of all time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.