INDIANAPOLIS -- As the clock ticked past midnight on the evening of July 23, 2022, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay found himself in something of a sudden-death scenario.
Even after his decades-long association with the NFL, this was a nail-biter unlike any Irsay had ever experienced.
Irsay and another persistent bidder were squaring off in a virtual auction in pursuit of one of the most revered pieces of sports memorabilia. It became apparent that landing Muhammad Ali's "Rumble in the Jungle" championship belt, from his 1974 victory over George Foreman in Zaire, would be a stressful endeavor.