By(e) the number

 I get prerogatives. They're not the same thing as traditions, exactly, but they live in the same neighborhood and their kids go to school together.

So I understand why some people are upset with Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman, because he won't give up the No. 11 he's worn all his life. He was asked to do this, respectfully, by Carson Wentz, the quarterback at whom the Colts just threw a pile of money. That's because 11 has been Wentz's number all his life, too.

It was Wentz's absolute prerogative to do this, as both A) a big deal quarterback, and B) a big-deal quarterback whose contract is far more hefty than Michael Pittman's.

The prerogative for Pittman, therefore, is to give up the number.

But he won't. 

And somehow I kind of admire him for that.

Let everyone else call him a bad teammate and say he's creating a harmful rift between receiver and quarterback, and that he's helping get Wentz's working relationship with the Colts off to a sour start. All of that's true only if everyone decides not to be a grownup about this, however. And I sense Wentz will be, and that the Colts locker room is not the sort of place where non-grownups are welcome.

There's also this: It's Pittman's number.

For that reason it strikes the Blob as wrong, somehow, that he should be regarded by some as the bad guy here because he won't give it up -- even to a quarterback with a fatter paycheck, and even to a far more accomplished player at this point in their careers.

Now, I suppose enough heat could be applied from certain quarters to convince Pittman to concede, and that next fall Wentz will be wearing No. 11. Or not. Joe Montana, after all, finished his career wearing No. 19 in Kansas City because his number (16) was also Chiefs' legend Len Dawson's number, and had already been retired. So Montana shrugged and pulled on a new number.

Didn't seem to bother him any -- even though Montana had four rings, and would retire as perhaps the greatest quarterback in history up to that point.

Maybe Wentz will follow that example, and pull on No. 19 for the Colts himself.

Oh. Wait ...