Creative Geography 101

Payton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts surpassed Johnny Unitas' franchise record for career completions yesterday.

An impressive feat, except for one thing: Unitas set his record when he played with the Baltimore Colts from 1956-1972. The Colts didn't leave Baltimore until 1984.

Johnny Unitas was arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football. He led his team to victory in the 1958 championship game, also known as The Greatest Game Ever Played. Unitas is a legend in Baltimore, and to have one his franchise records fall to someone who plays half a continent away hardly seems right.

Actually, football isn't the only sport facing this question. The Washington Nationals are also in an odd position when it comes to franchise records. Should those records only go back to last year, when they first began to play in DC? Or should one include the time that the team spent as the Montreal Expos? And what about the Washington Senators? That team moved and became the Texas Rangers in 1971. What figures should be used when determining a "franchise record?" Statistics accumulated when the same team played in Canada, or when a baseball team previously played in the same city?

Don't look at me. I have no idea what the answer is. Hell, I can't even figure out how to get us out of Iraq.