My name is Murrell, and I'm going to tell why the only person you can blame for Peyton Manning no longer being with the Colts....is me. I remember it all too well. The date was January 8th, 2011. I was scheduled to work both of my jobs that day but we had gotten hammered with about 30" of snow in the last 24 hours. I had famously taken this picture:
I battled though the snow to get to work at the store that morning. I was probably like 45 minutes late, but I was there. We ended up closing early due the terrible conditions, so I decided to drive immediately to the radio station so I could work my other job. I was scheduled to air the broadcast of the Colts-Jets playoffs game that evening. I was there about 90 minutes early, but it made far more sense to just drive straight to the radio station and kill time there than it would have to drive home in those conditions and drive to the station later.
As I was waiting for the game to start, Rob, one of the program directors for the radio station, walked in and informed me that since there was a snow emergency I wasn't obligated to stay and run the game. I told him I would stay because I didn't think it was fair me to work one job but not the other one. He understood and told me to be careful when I left that night. As soon he left, I started to rethink my decision to stay. It was going to be a late game, and I'd probably have to be there until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, and there was supposed to be more snow coming. But since I had said I would stay, I stayed.
A few minutes after Rob left, he came right back. This was still before the pre-game show had even started. He talked to me again about going home, and even though it was my decision, he made it pretty clear he would have felt better if I did NOT stay and work that night. So, I decided to go home.
I went home and relaxed, watching the very same Colts-Jets playoff game on TV. As soon as the game started, my brother called. He always called me and asked what radio station the game was on because he didn't have a TV at work. I told him the game wasn't on the radio that night, and if it were, I would have been there airing it.
David was clearly not happy with me that night. Not only was he not able to listen to a Colts playoff game, it was his own brother's decision to not work that night that led to it not being on the air.
I don't remember his exact words, but his tone was menacing. He had no concern for my safety and well being. He said something like, "You have no idea what the ramifications of this decision will be. You have just cursed the Colts franchise."
Well at the time, I just thought it was his way of blaming me if the Colts would happen to lose (which they did). Little did either of us know that would be the very last game Peyton Manning would play for the Indianapolis Colts.
I'm not sure what the exact series of events were, but clearly there was a butterfly effect from my not working that night that led to Peyton Manning's neck injury in May, his multiple surgeries, the 2-14 season, the #1 pick in the upcoming draft, and ultimately Peyton's release and signing with Denver. Had I known the consequences, I would have stayed.
To all Colts fans, I'm sorry.
Thank you for reading.
My Name is Murrell
