Jim Irsay, Longtime Owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Dies at 65

Jim Irsay, the straight-shooting, hard-living, football-loving owner of the Indianapolis Colts who spent his entire adult life around the team that his father bought more than a half-century ago, died on Wednesday. He was 65.

His death was announced in a statement by Pete Ward, the Colts’ chief operating officer, noting that he died in his sleep that afternoon. No cause was given.

Mr. Irsay had health issues in recent years, including hip surgery, which left him reliant on walking poles. He was also battling an addiction to alcohol.

But through it all, Mr. Irsay remained an active and forceful presence in N.F.L. circles. He was on the powerful finance committee and, unlike his fellow owners, rarely shied away from offering his opinions to reporters, commenting even on sensitive topics, like contract disputes, fellow owners and their worthiness to own their teams.

He was also an active and visible cheerleader for the Colts, sending inspirational messages on social media to fire up fans before games.

By his own proclamation, Mr. Irsay considered himself one of the standard-bearers for the N.F.L. He would often point out that George Halas Sr., the founding owner of the Chicago Bears and a co-founder of the N.F.L., attended his wedding in 1980. Irsay also did not hide from one of the most controversial episodes in N.F.L. history: his father’s decision to move the Colts team from Baltimore to Indianapolis on a snowy night in 1984. The move was derided as an example of the N.F.L.’s bottomless greed and willingness to abandon fans and their city in search of more money.

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