Colts' Carlie Irsay-Gordon Responds to Viral Videos, Explains Why She Takes Notes on Sideline

Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has drawn attention for her presence on the sidelines during games, but there's a reason for it.

While speaking to Bridget Condon of Front Office Sports Tonight , Irsay-Gordon said she's simply trying to educate herself about the team's football operations and coaching approach.

"I like to say on a good day I have like a fifth-grade reading level understanding of the game and just the basic concepts of what we're trying to do, depending on the week and depending on our opponent and depending on the situation," Irsay-Gordon told Condon . "But I think, then, it just helps to understand and to ask questions because I think one of the things, in my opinion, like being a good leader is about listening, really to understand. And I think that's what the best teams do."

Irsay-Gordon took over as the Colts' principal owner and CEO last year following the death of her father, Jim Irsay. Her sister, Kalen Jackson, serves as owner and chief brand officer, and her other sister, Casey Foyt, is also an owner and executive vice president. All three of them had been owners and vice chairs of the team for 14 seasons before taking on their current roles.

However, it's Irsay-Gordon who has become a fixture at Colts games as she tries to help rebuild a franchise that has gone five straight years without a playoff appearance. Indianapolis improved to 2-2 this year with Sunday's 30-13 win over the Washington Commanders in the NFL London Game, but Irsay-Gordon's spot on the sideline drew some criticism.

"I'm not going to tiptoe around this anymore, right? And I know it's been a topic the last couple weeks. I think the owner on the sidelines taking notes is f--king nuts," The Ringer's Bill Simmons said on his podcast on Monday. "I think it's nuts. … I think it's bonkers. I can't believe she does this. And I can't believe people in her life haven't talked her out of it."

Still, Irsay-Gordon maintained that she's learning to adjust to her new role as principal owner, and she acknowledged that the increased scrutiny comes with the job.

"With our dad passing away and kind of now me, you know, the title changed a lot of what I was doing," she told Condon. " … [But] what I'm still doing isn't any different. So I think that's been something… to be more mindful of, that now people might be paying more attention to what I'm doing."

The Colts will be back in action in Week 5 in a road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2), so it will be interesting to see if Irsay-Gordon changes her approach on game day.