Filed Under » Indianapolis Colts

Mayflower moving trucks were seen pulling into Baltimore this morning. Inside were the Indianapolis Colts — equipment, furniture, files, supplies, even the players and coaches.

The lead truck's driver was given a note to hand to Baltimore's mayor:

"Dear Baltimore — You can have the Colts back. Sorry about taking them before. Please do not return them. All the best! Sincerely, Mayor Gregory Ballard and the People of Indianapolis."

Baltimore's mayor read the note with a blank expression.

"I don't know what to think," said Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. "A lot of people still wish the Colts were here, so they'll be happy about this. But we have the Ravens now. This city isn't big enough to support two NFL teams."

Indianapolis Mayor Ballard said that should not be an issue: "The Colts are not currently an NFL-quality team. But Indianapolis hopes to get an NFL team again someday."

Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy says he has been meeting with and counseling Peyton Manning's neck in recent days in hopes of getting the neck back on the straight and narrow.

"There are a lot of things that can be a distraction to a modern athlete's neck," said Dungy, who has written self-help books and mentored Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress and others since stepping away from coaching. "But I find that if a neck just stays looking ahead at the Lord, it doesn't need to twist or turn, so it will never get hurt. Jesus saves necks."

Manning underwent offseason neck surgery on May 23rd, but his rehab and arm strength have plateaued and it is expected that he will miss the Colts' season opener, if not more games, and end his consecutive starts streak at 208.

"It's been frustrating, obviously," said Manning. "But I do feel like I'm getting closer to being 100-percent again. I just need rehab and rest. Unfortunately, it's been tough to do either the last few days with Tony always appearing out of nowhere to try to talk to my neck or pray for my neck. He was a pretty good coach, I guess, but he's super weird."

Effective immediately, any NFL defensive player who hits or touches a quarterback's neck will be immediately ejected from play and suspended for 6 games.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the rule change today after being summoned to meet with Peyton Manning and his father, Archie, at the family's New Orleans home.

"It is my job to look out for the best interests of the NFL," said Goodell, "and it occurred to me today, while being served tea by Archie Manning while, I have to admit, quite fearful that he was going to pour the hot kettle on my lap, that no hitting or touching of quarterback necks should be allowed."

In addition to the no hitting or touching of quarterback necks, defensive players will be subject to ejection if they force a quarterback to move or twist his neck.

"Essentially, if anyone plays too tight of defensive on Peyton's primary receiver, forcing him to turn his neck and look for someone else to throw to, that player will be ejected," said Archie Manning. "I've been pushing for this rule for my boys for years, even before Peyton hurt his neck."

Despite taking much of the blame for the team's struggles on himself in Sunday's post-game press conference, reports out of Indianapolis suggest a riff has developed between Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Colts head coach Peyton Manning.

"Peyton Manning has been the coach here for 13 years," said one source inside the organization. "I'm starting to get the sense some of the players are tuning him out. Especially Peyton Manning."

A tense relationship between former Vikings head coach Brad Childress and Brett Favre helped doom Minnesota's season earlier this year, and the same may be happening in Indianapolis where Manning has thrown 11 interceptions in his past three games, all Colt losses.

One Colts receiver, who wished to remain anonymous, said Manning is giving Peyton bad plays.