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Colts fire top execs Bill and Chris Polian

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay Monday fired longtime Vice Chairman Bill Polian and his son, General Manager Chris Polian, in a post-season shake-up.

Irsay, saying he's seeking a new direction after the Colts finished with the NFL's worst record at 2-14, announced he had dumped Bill Polian, who in 1998 selected quarterback Peyton Manning with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

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Polian and Manning led the Colts to eight division titles, 11 playoff appearances and the 2006 Super Bowl championship in the intervening years.

"It was difficult," Irsay said. "[But] it was time."

Manning was unable to play this season because of a neck injury, leading the team's collapse.

"Fourteen years is a long time," Irsay said of the elder Polian. "In the end, I thought this was the best move for the franchise."

Chris Polian was let go after two years as the team's GM.

The move comes as the Colts must decide whether to stick with Manning next season or draft standout Stanford signal-caller Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the draft -- just as they did with Manning.

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