Four years ago, Indiana taxpayers were forced to finance a new stadium for the Indianapolis Colts. Forbes reported in 2008:

In 2005 Marion County [Indiana] and the state agreed to finance all but $100 million of a new $719 million retractable-roof stadium for the Colts. Lucas Oil, a California fuel additives producer...chipped in $122 million for naming rights over 20 years. The Colts moved into Lucas Oil Stadium earlier this month. The team is on the hook for only a $66 million loan from the city, which [Colts owner Robert] Irsay can pay back over 27 years. The Colts pay a tiny $250,000 in annual rent while reaping all football-related revenues (tickets, parking, concessions, sponsorships), which will add $30 million a year. Remarkably, Irsay faced little resistance from taxpayers asked to pick up so much of the cost. "It's definitely one of the most favorable leases in recent league history," says Robert Vogel, president of the Bonham Group.

This year, Indiana politicians tried to raise $32 million in additional taxes to offset Lucas Oil Field's operating losses. But one need not worry: The Colts remain profitable.

I mention all this because today's game at Lucas Oil Field left a sour taste in the mouths of many Colts fans. The Colts, 14-0 going into today, were two wins away from only the third perfect regular season in modern NFL history – and a chance to become the first undefeated Super Bowl champion since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. This afternoon, the Colts faced the mediocre New York Jets in front of a raucous Indianapolis crowd. The Colts lost.

Losses happen, of course. There's a reason only two teams have finished a regular season undefeated. But the Colts lost the game intentionally. Coach Jim Caldwell pulled starting quarterback Peyton Manning – a future Hall of Famer – while the Colts were ahead but the outcome was in doubt. Caldwell, following the example of his predecessor Tony Dungy, decided to rest his star player since the Colts already cemented their playoff berth; the outcome of the Jets game was mathematically irrelevant.

Well, irrelevant to the Colts. The Jets needed a win to remain alive in their hunt for a playoff berth. More on that in a second.

Caldwell played rookie quarterback Curtis Painter. He was literally a rookie: It was Painter's first NFL game ever. He responded accordingly, turning the ball over twice and allowing a critical Jets touchdown.

The official justification for this move – parroted by Dungy, now an NBC analyst – is that the Colts' objective is not to win every game, but to win a Super Bowl. Resting Manning now reduces the risk of injury before the playoffs. (Never mind there's no empirical evidence to support this theory.)

So if the goal wasn't to win today, then why were the fans charged full price for admission? It's not an academic point. The fans wanted the Colts to go for a perfect season. Heck, the fans wanted the Colts to try and win the game.

Caldwell and Dungy think it's in the team's prudent, long term interest to rest key players. That makes sense if there are genuine health issues. But Manning wasn't injured. He started the game, after all. If it was so critical to rest him, why not give Painter the outright start – instead of throwing an untested player into the middle of a game against a team that was trying – very hard – to win?

More to the point, it's arrogant to tell your customers that you refuse to put a quality product on the field. And I submit that arrogance is at least partially a consequence of the taxpayer financing of Lucas Oil Field. The Colts know they can jerk around their customers and get away with it. After all, if you can force people to pay for the stadium, why worry about upsetting them by losing a game intentionally?

As for long term consequences, the National Football League should be concerned about this type of behavior. Caldwell's decision to throw the game gave the Jets an unfair advantage in the playoff chase. And, not to raise an unpleasant subject, many people enjoy wagering on the outcome of NFL games. Anyone who took the Colts minus the three today is mighty upset right now. Cynical folks might wonder if Jim Caldwell had a few bucks on the game himself.

Now, I don't really think Caldwell bet against his own team. He's not Pete Rose. Then again, I'd argue what Caldwell did today was worse then the behavior that got Rose permanently banned from baseball. Baseball officials accused Rose of wagering on games while he was a manager. They never proved he bet against his own team or that his managerial decisions were influenced by his wagering. Nor do I recall any suggestion that Rose's actions somehow compromised a pennant race or a World Series. Caldwell's actions compromised the integrity of not just today's game but this year's NFL playoffs. It should not be excused or praised.