Colts fans start petition to prevent Jim Irsay from hiring Jeff Saturday
Jeff Saturday has become one of the more polarizing sports figures in Indianapolis, so much so that Colts fans started a petition to encourage team owner Jim Irsay to not hire Saturday as the team’s permanent head coach.
The petition, which is hosted on change.org, has garnered 3,826 signatures in the four days it’s been active. With 2,500 signatures set as the initial objective on Jan. 26, it was promptly changed to 5,000 just 24 hours later after blowing past the initial benchmark.
“We as Colts fans will always love the memories of the SB XLI team; we love the former players and the people they've become, but we don't want Jeff Saturday as the head coach of this team going forward,” petition organizer Shawn Ward wrote. “Please hire someone with experience and save your fan base from revolting and losing interest.”
Saturday, who posted a 1-7 record as Indy’s interim head coach this year despite having no previous head coaching experience, is among one of seven candidates reported to have second interviews with the Colts.
However, NFL insider Tom Pelissero recently stated on “The Rich Eisen Show” that he believes there’s little chance Saturday actually gets the job.
“Jim Irsay likes him a lot and wanted to see him get a fair shake through the interview process,” Pelissero said . “I would say, I would be surprised if Jeff Saturday ends up being the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. … You never say never, because again, Jim Irsay just has a high degree of belief in what Jeff Saturday can be, but do I anticipate Jeff Saturday being the coach? Do I believe he’s the frontrunner? I would say not as of now.”
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