Colts owner Jim Irsay receiving medical care for 'severe respiratory illness'
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is being treated for a "severe respiratory illness," the team said in a statement released Tuesday.
The 64-year-old is "receiving excellent care," the Colts added.
Irsay has not been seen publicly in weeks, leading reporters to approach the Colts with questions about his whereabouts, ESPN's Stephen Holder noted Tuesday.
Throughout his life, Irsay has amassed a robust collection of artifacts from music, American history and pop culture. It has reportedly been valued at more than $100 million, including a set of drums which once belonged to Ringo Starr of The Beatles.
He was scheduled to appear at an event at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Thursday to exhibit the collection and preform with his rock n' roll group, the Jim Irsay Band.
In light of Irsay's condition, he will miss the event.
"[Irsay] looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible," the team said Tuesday. "We’ll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers.”
Irsay has owned the Colts for 26 years. He assumed leadership of the team's daily operations in 1995 after his father, Robert, suffered a stroke. Jim Irsay inherited the franchise after a legal battle with his stepmother when Robert died in 1997.
Following the Colts' relocation from Baltimore to Indy in 1984, Irsay became the NFL's youngest general manager at age 25. Under his leadership, the Colts have won a Super Bowl (2006) and two AFC titles in 16 playoff appearances.
This story will be updated.
