Colts owner Irsay: Patriots game will be "huge"

SAN FRANCISCO -- In case you haven't heard by now, the Indianapolis Colts once not long ago accused the New England Patriots of manipulating the air pressure in their footballs running up to their AFC Championship meeting in January.

After many long and trying dramas that have followed that accusation, including the regretful surrender of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who on Tuesday announced he will not pursue any appeal for his club's punishment in that affair, and the still pending appeal of quarterback Tom Brady surrounding his alleged guilt in the national tragedy known as DeflateGate, Colts owner Jim Irsay took to the microphone to rap about the two teams' rematch this coming season.

"The Patriots game will be a huge, huge, huge, game obviously," he said, via Boston Globe, speaking at the NFL Owners' Meetings. 

One of the issues discussed at the meetings have been the impartial handling of footballs, though Irsay declined to admit what was said about the issue. He did say, though, that "the chain of custody of footballs is watched closely." Commissioner Roger Goodell did not comment on what was said about the concern.

What could make the matchup between these two clubs even more monumental is the fact that, if Brady's appeal is overturned, his first game back will be the primetime squabble at the Colts. 

Which surely wouldn't involve tens of thousands of Colts fans brandishing deflated footballs in the stands, or placards that tease Brady about his balls, right?