Jim Irsay, in a way, was an ideal person to own a sports franchise in Indianapolis.

Think about where we live. It's a big city with a small-town, tight-knit feel. It sometimes seems like everybody knows everybody here; chances are, you know somebody who was directly impacted by Irsay's generous spirit.

Indianapolis takes care of its own, and few took care of Indianapolis like Irsay.

But Indianapolis is also a relentlessly competitive city. It's a place that, over the last 50 or so years, has scrapped and fought its way to becoming a nationally-recognized metropolis. That didn't just happen; it took a clear, collective vision and an immense amount of hard work to get Indianapolis to where it is today.

Irsay, too, was defined by the same competitive energy of this city. His vision for th

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