WE SAW IRSAY’S DEATH ON THE HORIZON, AS AN ADDICT ROOTING FOR THE PACERS
Hours before he passed away “peacefully in his sleep,” the Colts owner wished the best for Indiana’s NBA team in New York, where a victory brought hope after a dizzy lifetime with one Super Bowl title
The final text from Jim Irsay’s powers of reasoning came shortly before the game. “Go PACERS,” he wrote, with thoughts for owner Herb Simon. “Good luck to Herb, the entire @Pacers organization and our city!!” It came hours after a post concerning his cause for life, mental health, including photos of Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders.
“Your mind matters — every day, in every way. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth.”
The common wish for Irsay was to let him enjoy ownership of an NFL franchise, text as he pleased on social media and collect guitars from rock stars. You did not want him to pass away “peacefully in his sleep,” because that is how we saw his death arriving at 65. He is the one NFL billionaire who should have been suspended often, if only to let him ditch painkillers and booze and whatever else he put in his body. You never knew what he would do next, whether it was winning a Super Bowl championship with Peyton Manning or releasing Manning to draft Andrew Luck or involving himself in a scandalous DUI that led to a six-game suspension and prompted him to admit in an interview: He had been to rehab at least 15 times.
He carried on as a rabble-rousing addict — “I have my hand on the reins,” he said — but the football world worried for him in collective grief. His skin had turned “blue” in December of 2023, when he suffered an overdose at his home in suburban Carmel. “It wasn’t an overdose,’’ Irsay said. “I don’t know why when you have your name in the paper in the past, people throw that out there quickly. I don’t pay attention to it all that much, but I don’t think it’s fair.’’
Irsay’s death was announced Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. We weren’t shocked as much as we were sad. But in the spirit of a state that rallies around sports teams more than most communities, and in the spirit of Irsay, all Indiana eyes shifted to New York. Would the Pacers succeed at Madison Square Garden as Irsay had hoped? Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals looked bleak with 2:45 remaining, as the Knicks led by 14 points and had Celebrity Row freaked out with first-championship-since-1973 on brains.
But the Pacers are forged around the gutted belief of coach Rick Carlisle and weren’t done. They returned quickly — never mind that teams previously were 994-0 when stuck in that space — and there was Tyrese Haliburton, the NBA’s so-called most overrated player, with the ball as the buzzer was about to sound. They needed his two-point jumper to force overtime. It clanked off the back of the rim. It fell through the hoop, stunning the big city and leading Haliburton to make a choke signal that recalled Reggie Miller’s 1994 punking of Spike Lee. Miller was in the building, analyzing the game for TNT. This was the center of the sports universe, just what Irsay had wanted.
Haliburton thought he had won the game with a three-pointer. It was a two. “I wasn't like plotting on it or anything," he said. “Everybody wanted me to do it last year at some point, but it's got to feel right. It felt right at the time — well, if I would've known it was a two, I would not have done it. So I think I might have wasted it.” Hardly. It was the third time the Pacers have returned from ice, trailing by seven or more points in the final 50 seconds this postseason. They went on to win 138-135.
Timothee Chalamet can let go of Bad Bunny.
Back in Indiana, people knew what Irsay had wanted. A victory for the Pacers, as he was passing away.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Jim Irsay,” Simon and his family said. “Jim took the time today to cheer us on — he was more than the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, he was a transformative figure in our city and state, a passionate advocate for the community, and someone whose generosity, vision and spirit touched countless lives. Jim helped shape our city into the sports capital it is today, and his legacy, both on and off the field, will continue to inspire us and generations to come. On behalf of our family, we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Irsay family, the Colts organization, fans and all who loved Jim. He will be sorely missed.”
Said the Colts: “Jim’s generosity can be felt all over Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and the country," the team wrote. "He made philanthropy a daily endeavor. He never hesitated to help countless organizations and individuals live better lives. Music was one of Jim’s passions and the ability to share his band and collection with millions of people across the world brought him tremendous joy. Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and that philosophy never wavered. Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.”
Players gathered to praise him. Said Manning, who went on to win a second Super Bowl in Denver: “I am heartbroken to hear about Jim Irsay's passing. He was an incredibly generous and passionate owner and I will always be indebted to him for giving me my start in the NFL. His love for the Colts and the city of Indy was unmatched. His impact on the players who played for him will not be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone in the Colts community. He will be missed. Jim, rest in peace my friend, #18.”
Pat McAfee punted for the Colts before he became an ESPN star. “Playing for a team that Mr. Irsay ran was an honor. He was funny, brilliant, unique and somehow still wildly relatable for a man who became the sole owner of an NFL team at the age of 37,” he said. “He battled demons, as we all do but, God blessed Jim Irsay with an abundance of compassion. he wanted to give back and help everybody and everything he saw or knew about … putting a list together of all of the causes/things/people that he’s given to would be an impossible task.. probably well over $100,000,000. He was a mogul who had a creative artist’s brain. He was a billionaire who yearned to share his wealth in fun ways. Anybody that met him would say that he seemingly woke up everyday wanting to help people.. life got in the way sometimes but, anybody who actually knew him, loved him.”
They all seemed to love Irsay, in spite of himself. “We were deeply saddened to learn of Jim Irsay's passing today. Jim was a friend, and a man deeply committed to his family, the game, the Colts, and the Indianapolis community,” Goodell said. "He led with integrity, passion and care for the Colts' players, coaches and staff, and his courageous work in support of mental health will be a lasting legacy. ... On behalf of the entire NFL, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Jim's daughters and their families, and to his many friends throughout the NFL.”
Remember, Irsay led the way for Dan Snyder to be expunged from Washington. He cared about the league and the Colts and his city. If alive, he’d be the bigger cheerleader when the Pacers return home this weekend. How many more wild finishes?
“Well, I would like to not keep being in this situation,” Haliburton said. “But we're just a group that has spent a lot of time with each other. That just gives us all confidence in each other. I've seen people joke about us. We're like a college team with how close we are and how we've been together. We're all super young. But man, it's special. I love playing with these guys.”
The future of the Colts will be determined by Irsay’s three daughters. The team is worth about $4.5 billion. Carlie Irsay-Gordon has been a central figure in the football operation. Years ago, Irsay said he intended to win three straight championships. That hasn’t happened, considering the Colts haven’t won the AFC South since 2014.
“When I said three in a row, that's because how can you get up and go to work without accepting wanting to be the absolute best?” he said. “No other thinking makes sense to me.”
There was so much more for Irsay to accomplish. He had more life to live and more time as a football steward. He died much too young, peacefully in his sleep. Hours later, he left with a victory.
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.