As many of you may know, I hate the fact that Baltimore Colts numbers are retired. To be honest, I don’t care about the Colts pre-1984. I do not consider them a part of Colts history. Currently, the Colts have 7 retired numbers, none of them are Indianapolis Colts. However, with the star power and the recent success, that is bound to change. In 10 years, these numbers will be hanging from the rafters of Lucas Oil Stadium.
4. Adam Vinatieri AND Jim Harbaugh: A dual number retirement is uncommon, but in this situation, it has to be done. Harbaugh is the best game-manager in Colts history. Vinatieri was the kicker for the Colts Super Bowl team, and he will finish his career out in Indy, presumably winning more championships. Vinatieri is a Hall of Famer, and John Harbaugh is a Colts great. Seeing Vinatieri’s and Harbaugh’s names under the number will look pretty cool.
18. Peyton Manning: Um, do I even have to explain this? Seeing anyone but Peyton wearing the number 18 for the Colts would make me physically sick. Like number 4 in Green Bay, 18 should be retired immediately after Peyton retires and becomes QB coach for the Colts.
32. Edgerrin James: I really hope Mike Hart changes his number. James is a Hall of Famer, and his number should be preserved. Edgerrin gained almost 10,000 yards on the ground as a member of the Colts. He is the greatest Colts running back in history, and Hart should wear a different number so Edgerrin can be the last player to wear 32 for the Colts.
63. Jeff Saturday: Saturday will make it to the Hall of Fame when his career is done. Comparing him to modern-era Hall of Fame centers, he matches up with the best of them. By the end of his career, Saturday will have been named to the All-Pro team more than 5 times, and that alone qualifies him for the Hall of Fame. Saturday is the premier center of this era, and he should be immortalized by his name and number hanging from the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium.
78. Tarik Glenn: Like 32, no rookie should take this number. Sadly, Mike Pollak is wearing 78. I hope after roster cuts, he will change to a different number so Glenn can be the last to have 78 on his back as a member of the Colts. Glenn was a major contributor to the dominant Colts of the 2000s, and without him, Super Bowl XLI might have been another Patriots Super Bowl. 78 should not be worn again. Period.
88. Marvin Harrison: Another obvious one. Harrison is a future Hall of Famer, and he is the greatest Colts receiver of all-time, Baltimore or Indianapolis. Harrison’s career will undoubtably be cut short by his knee injuries, but that will not keep him from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. 88 is another untouchable number.
As you may notice, 21, 87, and 93 are missing. I believe that Sanders, Wayne, and Freeney all could be playing come 2018 barring injuries. I’m not going to predict on when they will retire. We’ll just have to wait and see. If I am not certain that in 2018 they will be playing, I won’t put them on this list. It’s as simple as that.
This is pretty random, but I thought this was a good time to say some info I got on Lucas Oil Stadium.
1) The Lube’s stands can retract so soccer can fit on the field. As a soccer fan who desperately wants an MLS team in Indiana, this is great news.
2) Lucas Oil is not an outdoor stadium with the option of being indoors. Vice versa, actually. Lucas Oil will be used as a dome that can hold outdoor events, an employee of the team said.