I've been a HUGE Colts fan since I was a kid in the 1960s (anyone remember Johnny Unitas?). In that time, the Colts have been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In the past decade the Colts have been on the high side; however, this year Peyton Manning has been out all year because of multiple neck surgeries. The Colts, one of the winningest teams in football, now stand at 0-8 and could be 0-16 at the end of the season.
There is no doubt that Peyton Manning means everything to the Colts, but there's more - he's the glue that holds the team together. His absence has proved his value. Professionally, his absence defines him.
The great Johnny Unitas played in two Super Bowls, winning one and losing one (ironically, that's Manning's Super Bowl record too). The difference between Unitas and Manning is that in both of Unitas' Super Bowl years, he was out most of the year with injuries and Earl Morrall led the Colts to the playoffs. Without Manning, the current Colts aren't themselves, they're completely defined by Manning.
In my previous post, I wrote - "When establishing a brand, the best way to get to the crux of the meaning of the brand, the "why" behind the brand, is to define the absence of the brand." You, my friends, are a brand and your absence defines your brand. What hole do you leave personally and professionally?
