Because there is no other topic in sports, let's consider Brett Favre Syndrome. Could it happen to the Indianapolis Colts?

Could Peyton Manning and the Colts head down a similar road a few years from now, when Manning's prime is in the rearview mirror but his competitive fire still rides shotgun?

If the Colts are as smart as they seem, the answer's no.

Colts owner Jim Irsay and team president Bill Polian have a history of treating their players like kings, but not looking back when it's time to say goodbye. That's why Edgerrin James is in Arizona and Brandon Stokley is in Denver. Not because they weren't loved in Indy. They were, for a time. Time passed. Bottom line, it's a business. Granted, Manning is a whole different story than James or Stokley.

Manning is an icon, and not just for MasterCard. He's the face of the Indianapolis Colts as much as Johnny Unitas was the face of the Baltimore Colts. When Manning retires, he'll likely hold all the career passing records Favre possesses. He's on the short list of the NFL's all-time greats.

But that doesn't mean the Colts won't put a plan in place, and keep Manning apprised of when they feel his time is over.

Irsay will want Manning to retire as a Colt. That's the perfect public relations strategy. Take off the blue No.18 as the final image.

Irsay and Polian, presuming he's still around then, will avoid the communication problems that doomed the Packers and Favre. They'll encourage Manning to take his time when he's ready to consider retirement and not to leap to conclusions. They'll do so because of their business savvy and the fact they've witnessed the Favre debacle.

Even the players who have been released by the Colts rarely talk smack about them in retrospect. James, of all people, had the right to be irritated. The man's name is all over the team record book. When he was up for free agency, the Colts let him know he cost too much. So he took the money to run in Arizona.

I've yet to hear James lash out at the Colts. His aim was to get paid while he still could. Mission accomplished. But he was treated well during his time in Indy, so there seems to be no lingering hard feelings.

Manning is 32. He's has six or seven more productive years, assuming he remains as healthy as he was prior to his recent knee surgery.

Is there a scenario where he would finish his career with another team, like Joe Montana and Unitas, if the Colts decided they were ready to move on? It's possible. Manning might find it fitting, if the circumstances arose, to play a season or two in New Orleans for his father's old team. Or maybe toil in Tennessee, a nod to his college days. (Ninety percent of former Colts end up with the Titans anyway.)

I think it's more likely Manning and the Colts will calculate the end of this time in agreement, and he'll walk into a post-playing career with the Colts. His knowledge of other team's tendencies and histories, and the NFL itself, would make him suited to be a player personnel director, a general manager or even a coach.

Wait. Who am I kidding? He'll end up on ESPN. They all do.

Manning will surely leave the Colts on good terms. Favre's situation, as ridiculous as it is from both sides, will ultimately serve as a cautionary tale for other franchises that have the elite of the elite players.

No team would ever want to be in the Packers' shoes, alienating the face of their franchise and their fans, and putting more pressure on a successor already carrying the weight of replacing a legend.

When the time comes, the Colts won't be too sentimental and hold onto Manning when he can no longer get the job done. They will be smart enough to design an exit strategy that doesn't include slamming any doors.