INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts fired a shot across the bow Thursday in the ongoing tussle over the Capital Improvement Board's $47 million deficit.

The team said it sought to clear up what it called "misleading or simply untrue" statements about its position.

Lawmakers who have been grappling with ways to foot the bill for gaping operating shortfalls for Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse have called on the Colts and the Indiana Pacers to pitch in $5 million, something neither organization has committed to do. Lawmakers are also considering raising several taxes to cover the deficit.

The Colts said they never asked for Lucas Oil Stadium to be built in the first place, saying the city approached them about the possibility in 2004 because leaders wanted to expand the convention center and accommodate the NCAA.

"At no time did the Colts threaten to leave Indianapolis or otherwise hold the city hostage," the statement read.

In a November 2003 interview with 6News, Irsay didn't discuss consequences if a new stadium wasn't built, but did directly say a new stadium was needed.

"It's certainly something that's going to have to happen as the decade goes forward," he said. "Ultimately, a new stadium is where we have to go. I think the question, of course, is when. There's no denying saying sooner or later you have to have a new stadium."

Asked directly about rumors at the time that he was considering moving the team to Los Angeles, Irsay denied that.

"Not at all -- I love the Midwest and to me, my interest is to have a great football team, have a chance to win a championship and have a first-class organization," he said in 2003.

Bob Grand, president of the Capital Improvement Board, said the Colts are incorrectly placing blame by saying that the organization knew about the shortfall all along and is just now acting on the problem.

"It seems to me that Bart Peterson and Fred Glass should answer that question, because we have a huge stadium and we now have a deficit," Grand said. "If we didn't need to build the stadium to keep the Colts, I guess I would ask the question, 'Why did we do that?'"

Contacted by 6News Thursday evening, Peterson declined comment.

The team stressed that it is committed to staying in Indianapolis for the remainder of a 30-year contract it signed nearly four years ago, even though it exposed them to the potential of financial downturns.

"In essence, the risk of financial success in a small market has been shifted from the city solely to the Colts," the statement read.

But Rep. Phil Hinkle told 6News' Norman Cox that while he believes former Mayor Bart Peterson bungled the initial negotiations with the Colts, he also thinks team owner Jim Irsay had to know he was leaving the city without the cash to maintain the stadium.

"Jim Irsay and his negotiators had to know what they were doing to the taxpayers of Indianapolis. They literally took every single penny and sucked it like blood out of a turnip," he said.

The team said it contributed more than $100 million to the construction of Lucas Oil Stadium and pointed out that it doesn't have exclusive use of the facility.

"The fact of the mater is the Colts only use the stadium a maximum of 19 days a year and the facility is available for use by virtually anyone else the remaining 346 days," the statement read.

The Colts said they have been in discussions with Sen. Luke Kenley and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard about the CIB's situation, but said the shortfall "is neither new or unexpected."

Kenley said he is glad the team has finally spoken out.

"They're such a major part of this whole issue, it's very important for them to make their thoughts be known publicly, and I encouraged them to do that when I met with them out at their facility," he said.

The Colts also appeared to be bristled by some comments last week from House Speaker Pat Bauer and others that called team's corporate citizenship into question, calling those comments "unwarranted and unfair."

"We are extremely proud to have one of professional sports' most comprehensive community outreach programs," the statement read. "We have not predicated charitable giving and civic involvement upon how much public acclaim the club gets in return."

The current CIB bailout bill is scheduled to go before a House-Senate conference committee Friday.