Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, is reluctant to pay his star running back, Jonathan Taylor.
While he is hesitant to provide Taylor with a significant payday, Irsay is willing to spend $20 million to transport a killer whale named Lolita from Miami to the Pacific Ocean.
Lolita has been living in a Miami enclosure for the past 53 years, and Irsay, being a billionaire philanthropist, aims to reunite her with her pod in Washington State.
BREAKING NEWS: Instead of paying his star running back Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis #Colts owner Jim Irsay is spending 20 MILLION DOLLARS to transport a large killer whale across the US from a small enclosure in Miami
where she had lived for 53 years to the Pacific Ocean, per… pic.twitter.com/EDlxBY7D4L— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 3, 2023
The elaborate plan involves loading the 8,000lb orca into a glass tank, transporting her by truck to an airport, flying her 2,700 miles to Seattle in a cargo plane, and eventually releasing her in the Salish Sea.
Fans reacted to the news:
Whales don’t have a salary cap.
— Ryan Ermanni (@RyanEFox2) August 3, 2023
L for Taylor but a huge W for letting the whales roam free.
— Josh Sweat Truther (@EaglesBurna) August 3, 2023
Ah yes because transporting the whale counts against the nfl salary cap…
— Weesh (@Weesherr) August 3, 2023
I mean if this was supposed to paint Irsay in a bad light it didn’t do the job.
— Champ Buddy (@jnh06001) August 3, 2023
Sounds like money well spent to me. Good for him.
— Jesse (@DynastyHumbleSR) August 3, 2023
Good for him helping the whale but sad for Taylor but one thing has nothing to do with the other.
— Whodat (@Whodat49007529) August 3, 2023
I’m not an Irsay fan but he should be applauded for his involvement on the Orca move.
— Ben Chappelle (@Bchappelle3) August 3, 2023
whale is more valuable than a running back by far
— I’m sad (@realDANjeff) August 3, 2023
Omg ????
— MJ (@MJ54) August 3, 2023
Whale that sucks for Taylor
— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) August 3, 2023
On ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ in July, Irsay expressed his readiness to move the healthy whale, emphasizing his financial capability for the project, while his stance on Taylor’s contract remains unclear.
Props to Irsay for going above and beyond for the Whale.
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