Mailbagg has a request: Stop judging my words so harshly – I was always better at math!

The Colts played and lost. Anthony Richardson was superhuman in some ways, subpar in others. Put it like this:

Richardson became the first Colts QB since at least 2000 to complete three passes of 50-plus yards in a single game – and since 2000, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck have played 17 combined seasons here. Richardson has started five games. That’s unfathomable, as was the 3-yard rushing touchdown where he ran past one defender and carried three others into the end zone.

But overall he was 9-for-19, and badly missed open receivers at least four times – including Adonai Mitchell on passes that would’ve gone for touchdowns of 29 and 70 yards. And the defense was a disappointment. All things considered, not a great result for the Colts, but plenty to be encouraged about in Week 1, especially against the defending AFC South champion (and improved) Texans.

Complicated story to get the tone right, in other words. Lots going on. Competing emotions.

So I wrote this.

Doyel: Colts QB Anthony Richardson was unfathomable, but not enough, in loss to Houston

And here came the text messages on my free weekly text group with subscribers.

From: Steve C.

Nice story. I don't know what I think, but those are my exact feelings.

Hahaha Steve!! I love this text group. I might rename it, though. Call it something original and tough, like … X.

From: Debbie D.

C'mon Gregg... Richardson played four games last season. This kid can play and will be a phenom with us for a long time. Yes, we could have and should have won this game, but we do need to firm up the secondary as you know. We are on our way! Who's not excited !??

You read that story and deduced I was NOT excited about Richardson? I’m quitting this text group.

From: Rejeana P.

Great article, sad game.

There’s your answer, Debbie: Rejeana’s not excited.

From: Ron G.

What's the final determination on when habitually losing on opening day becomes a tradition ?

Ron G. doesn’t sound excited either.

From: Bob P

New year. Same result: Can't win their first game. Can't get off the field on third down. So much for the "vaunted" d-line .

Bob P., on the other hand, sounds awfully … no, never mind, he’s not excited either.

From: Sarge

This is the exact same team, every year. A star will get hurt and that will be the excuse they don't make the playoffs, yet again. At this point it's formulaic.

I'm remembering this from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the greatest movie of all time: “Formulas work. Let's stick with the formulas. I like formulas.”

Love that movie! I’m never leaving this text group!

From: Daniel F.

The Colts have been in the bottom 10 of the NFL for defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's entire time with them and no one calls this out.

No one? I wrote on Jan. 9, 2024, and I quote: “Gus Bradley is a bad defensive coordinator.” But I wrote it nicely – yes, I did – and included this charming analogy to explain the disconnect between the Colts’ go-for-it head coach and hide-from-it defensive coordinator:

“When it comes to their football philosophy, Shane Steichen sees every game as a party – and he’s the guy swinging from the chandelier, calling trick plays and going for it on fourth-and-whatever. Gus Bradley? He skipped the party. All that drinking, laughing and horseplay? A person can get hurt doing that. Gus is better outside, parked away from everyone else so his minivan won’t get dinged.”

But no one calls this out, Daniel? You're making this accusation on the text chain of the guy who wrote THAT? “Quitting this text group” has re-entered the chat.

Did you know about the Athletic, and me?

From: Steve P.

I read the Athletic's power rankings today. Here's what it said about the Colts:

" 18. Indianapolis Colts . Preseason vibes: Wishful thinking "

Who is this Josh Kendall character, anyway?

No offense to that Josh Kendall character – thought he played catcher for the Pirates – but I don't read the Athletic. Won't support a company trying to kill off local sports sections around the country.

True story: When the Athletic came to Indy before the pandemic, it tried to build its site around me – I was their first attempted hire – and I said no. They were mentioning financial numbers that would’ve doubled my salary. I said no, and told them their little venture wouldn’t work in Indy, so go away. Yes, I did! I’m combative.

From: Vincent D.

You had to kick a guy out of this text group ? People suck!

I hit the heavy bag hard, 2-3 times a week, and still spar a little ... and secretly dream of people like THAT guy, the one I kicked out last week, attacking me in public. Because make no mistake: He’s no real fighter. Real fighters don't act tough on their keyboard, like he was doing there.

Or like I’m doing here, I guess. Sigh.

Combative, I tell ya!

From: Jack L.

I’m driving with Focus turned on. I’ll see your message when I get where I’m going.

Don't tick me off, Jack.

From: Jeff B.

I am driving or otherwise unavailable. I’ll return your message soon.

Man, Jeff, it’s so much nicer to get a response from a real person. All these auto-replies are bringing me down. I appreciate your humanity. It comes through loud and clear. Yes, in just two sentences. I consider myself something of a genius when it comes to reading people.

Math is fun! And easy – for me

From: Scott F.

I love the nerd challenge idea with Alec Pierce. I would start with asking him how to make change for a $2.73 charge if he's handed a $5 bill. Doesn't seem like this generation can handle that math, but they know their calculus.

Everyone does arithmetic on their phone now. When I was in high school, I knew my batting average after every at-bat, because I’d figure it out after I got on base. I hit roughly (OK, exactly) .379 as a junior and .443 as a senior, so I was on base a lot. What.

Anyhoo ... teammates asked me for their updated batting average after their at-bats, too. This is me, bragging on my math and baseball skills. And this is me coming clean:

After a bunt single my senior year, I asked the first-base coach if it was a hit or error (I’m a lefty, and didn’t see the play.) After the game, a loss – we won state my sophomore and junior years – coach Bubber (yes, Bubber) Adams asked me, “Duckie, what’s your batting average?” (Yes, my nickname was "Duckie." Focus people!)

Stupidly, I told him my updated batting average. Because I knew it, down to the decimal.

Bubber explodes: “And that’s what’s wrong with this team! All of you know your batting average because of Duckie!”

Sigh.

Doyel on glory days: 'Greatest game ever pitched' starred Sandy Koufax ... and my high school coach

More Doyel: Youth baseball in Oxford, Miss., was segregated in 1978. Here's what Dad did

From: Rex P.

I do not know if she still has it, but Steve Alford's wife Tanya could do math in her head at a level that amazed me. My Dad was really good too, and my actuarial nephews are off the charts.

Actuarily, I’m better at math than all of them. Says me. Also, as I told my text group four days before the opener, sad news on the Alec Pierce math front:

The Colts WR is a big math guy, and I wanted to playfully challenge him to a nerd duel of speed arithmetic. I asked him, for example, if he could do 12×17 really quickly. He smiled and said not really - it’s 204, btw - but added that he majored in engineering and got A’s in all those math classes. He said: Give him an engineering problem, and he can solve that.

I told him I will stick to my little kid math.

From: Chris S.

Maybe not start a text with "sad news on the Alec Pierce front" four days before the opener!! (People tend to gloss right over the "math" part.

I implied I was a genius at arithmetic, Chris, not at writing! Ha!

Wait what? I really should quit this text group. For my own good.

From: Scott F.

I don't think you can claim to be good at math and not do 12x17 in your head in 10 seconds.

Ten seconds?!? Do 12x17 in two seconds or less, or just use your phone.

From: Mike T.

As a football guy, Pierce should know all of the multiplication tables for 7 – and I suppose 3, 6 and 8.

I learned the 7's young. I grew up in Norman, Okla., the son of a huge OU football fan, when Barry Switzer had the wishbone rolling. I learned how to multiply sevens up to 84 before kindergarten. Didn’t learn 3's until later because field goals were for losers. And for Texas.

More from Doyel: The Christmas I learned the truth about my Grandma in Shawnee, Okla.

From: Nat N.

19x21=??

You're on the clock .

Look everybody – it's 399 – it's my boss again . Definitely quitting this text group.

Richard Lugar, RINOS and rhinos

The city recently unveiled a statue honoring former Indianapolis mayor and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar. It was an honor to attend, and write this.

Doyel: Who was Richard Lugar? Only the most important person in Downtown Indianapolis history.

From: Gregory S.

Richard Lugar left Indiana as a brilliant conservative who rebuilt Indianapolis into one of the greatest cities in the country. Unfortunately, he came back a moderate RINO. Such promise coupled with huge disappointment.

Did he change ... or did the world around him change by moving farther right? He lost his senate seat when he was swept up in the Tea Party mini-revolution. That wasn’t him moving away from his beliefs. That was the Tea Party moving away from him – and the millions of voters who elected him.

From: Christopher M.

Very nice column befitting a truly good man. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Lugar twice, and as a liberal Democrat I exercised my privilege of voting for him twice.

You hearing this, Gregory S.? Sounds like Lugar was Lugar.

From: Sid B.

I've lived long enough to be familiar with Lugar's history as you so accurately have described it. In 1971 I was a 27-year-old Democrat who was so impressed with Lugar that I voted for him. I continued to vote for him for the rest of his political career. Never once did I hesitate.

Another vote for Lugar being Lugar, and for Gregory S. being wrong, and for RINO being an unfair usage of that fascinating species’ name.

From: Sharyn K.

Oh my goodness! They’re taking our pier out right now?!? 5 guys! Officiant!!

I’m calling this text "odd."

From: Sharyn K.

Not for you, Gregg! Sorry!

Your text has been returned to you, as the recipient has quit this text group. It’s his boss’ fault.

From: Larry C.

In the early '90s my softball buddies and I had our own fantasy league. We named it the Raiser science league. One night Raiser was at a Pacers game signing autographs and I brought the current standings with Raiser science league across the top and had him sign it. He got a great big kick out of it.

Raiser science, huh?

From: Larry C.

Sorry, that was all supposed to be Razor Shines . Darn autocorrect on talk-to-text .

What kind of autocorrect is Razor to Raiser?!? Then again ... occasionally I’ll speak a word into my phone, and autocorrect will change it to three smaller words, two of them not even English. My iPhone thinks I’m a moron.

Definitely quitting technology.

Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar .

More: Join the text conversation with sports columnist Gregg Doyel for insights, reader questions and Doyel's peeks behind the curtain.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mailbagg has a request: Stop judging my words so harshly – I was always better at math!