Pat McAfee glad ‘Hard Knocks’ finally paid Jim Irsay proper tribute

The Indianapolis Colts‘ season being chronicled by “Hard Knocks” has helped fans outside the local market come to grips with just how likable this team really is.

In the latest episode, the HBO series documented how some members of the team spent the bye week.

Darius Leonard spent most of his time getting at the facility receiving treatment for his ailing ankle, during which he opened up on his brother’s passing and his continued efforts to bring awareness to mental health.

Fans also got to see Kenny Moore, a weekly star of the series, get surprised by his mother, who broke the news that he’d been selected as the Colts’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

While touching in their own right, those stories weren’t the most fascinating aspect of Wednesday’s episode, as “Hard Knocks” dedicated a large chunk of it to highlighting owner Jim Irsay’s love for the organization.

It was an overdue tribute for Irsay, and former Colts punter Pat McAfee expressed how much he enjoyed watching Irsay be celebrated.

Former Colts punter Pat McAfee loved seeing Jim Irsay on the latest episode of “Hard Knocks.”

Irsay lives and breathes Colts football, and has done so his entire life.

He’s involved with the team as much as any owner in the league. That includes watching practices, wishing players and coaches good luck outside of the locker room before games and congratulating them in-person after wins.

To make a long story short, Irsay cares. A LOT.

Go take a look at his Twitter account. On top of sharing the team’s daily injury report, he’s been retweeting posts in an effort to get his players to the Pro Bowl. He even gassed up Quenton Nelson by quote-tweeting a stat from PFF that said the star guard’s allowed just one sack over his last 2,098 pass-blocking snaps.

What other owners are doing that? The answer is none.

Getting beyond his love of Colts football, however, Irsay’s tribute also shed light on his unwavering passion for music.

The episode even cut to a clip of the 62-year-old performing live in front of a small crowd and showed his collection of musical artifacts, which included guitars that once belonged to John Lennon and Bob Dylan, as well as Ringo Starr’s pinky ring.

Seriously, it’s all in there.

The bye week episode was the perfect time to give Irsay the spotlight, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t say that the show would be better off if it managed to give the Colts owner more camera time in the remaining episodes.

He’s simply that awesome.

Will Hard Knocks be a factor in the Colts vs Patriots game?

Could the Indianapolis Colts time on Hard Knocks be used by opponents to gain an edge? Bill Belichick will surely test this theory.