Go Colts 2003!
Monday, September 29, 2003
On a day that I will remember more for freezing temperatures and Juan Pablo's losing of the F1 title, the Colts did exactly what I thought they would do and beat the living piss out of the New Orleans Saints. The final was 55-21 and in front of an ESPN national television audience.
Peyton threw for 6, count 'em 6 touchdowns on 20-25 passing for 314 yards and no picks. That translated to the 158 QB rating which is perfect. Edge didn't play, but the RB by committee did okay. Ricky Williams started, but didn't find much room early, but James Mungro and Dominic "Rocky" Rhodes both came up big. Manning hit 9 different receivers including three TD's to Marvin.
From the sound of it, only Brad "Hubie" Pyatt was seriously hurt. As of this post, no further word is in.
Surprisingly, the Colts seem to be getting less respect as they go on. The shaved ape that is Tom Jackson has the Colts listed as number 6 on his Monday morning TJ's Take column on ESPN.com. I know these rankings don't mean anything , but a lot of people are still questioning the Colts.
Well last night they did what they could. They humiliated a bad team on the road. There isn't much else they could have done to show how dominating they were over the Aint's.
Unfortunately the Titans also won to stay just a game behind us in the AFC South. Houston also beat Jacksonville to drop the Jags to 0-4 while going 2-2 themselves.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
http://www.indianapoliseye.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=1247&SectionID=3&SubSectionID=132
The above is a link to an article by Mark Rosentraub, a so-called expert on the impact of professional sports on cities. It's a little long, but I feel it is fair. I have for a long time disagreed with Mr. Rosentraub's assessment of the impact pro sports have on a city. I believe they are much greater than he alludes to. Just copy and paste the address in your browsers address bar.
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Bad news....93 Dwight Freeney out again Sunday and now Edgerrin James looks questionable. For Freeney it is the same ankle sprain, for James it is a sore back. Coach Dungy is optimistic about James and says if he can't go Ricky Williams and James Mungro are both healthy and ready to go. Rocky Rhodes is still questionable. When in the hell is that bye week?
Just got done with the weekly chat at Colts.com. It was fun but nothing special. Just some Colt fans sharing their views.
Monday, September 22, 2003
Another Sunday and another win for the Indianapolis Colts. Hey, I could get used to this!
First the bad. For the first time in three seasons the team failed to sell out the dome. Frankly this didn't really surprise me but it was sad all the same. Unfortunately there just wasn't the support from Jacksonville to get over the hump. Now we have a month until the next home game. Hopefully we can win on of the next two and really get people excited for Colts football.
The good. Once again it was the defense that kept the Jags at bay. The Jags had a 3-0 lead at the half but the Colts quickly came out after the half and kept the ball and scored three times. During that time really the offense and defense played well, but the D kept us in the ballgame in the first half when that liquored up QB was sucking.
The ugly. Well that would definitely be that first half. The D was solid, but Peyton was off, Edge couldn't get many yards and the whole O looked lethargic. And while the D was solid they had trouble stopping Fraud Taylor. We missed 93 out there.
As for me, well I basically don't have any voice today from all of the yelling I did. For the record it was me, Neil, Timmy, Paw, Tom and Drew. Paw and Drew went early to go to Pan Am. So since we didn't have them with us after the game we went to the Garter. It was about the first time I had been to the Garter after a game in 15 years at least. It was a hoot. I'm pretty sure Tom had the most fun. Affter that we had a few drinks at my place and me and Timmy went to the Chammps to grab a bite. All in all it was a great day of football and friends.
Except of course my girlfriend who is all pissed off at me. It's nothing new, she just doesn't share my passion for living and we sometimes clash over it. More later.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
The early injury report is out. Dwight Freeney is listed as doubtful. I am not sure if we really need him to get to Brunell Sunday, but my question is how long before Del Rio brings in Leftwich. Stay tuned!!
As of right now there are a reported 6900 tickets remaing for the game Sunday.
A political comment. While basking in the glow of Sunday's fabulous win, Colts fans in Indy awoke to a Indianapolis Star/WTHR poll. The poll, administered to 400 registered voters in Indianapolis showed overwhelmingly that we do not want to use tax money to help the Colts. I wonder what 400 registered voters in Marion County do want their taxes raised for. My guess is nothing! But what really got me was two things. One, the timing. Coming off a huge win while the fans were all still giddy and two, it came on the heels of a similar poll on Friday that showed voters overwhelmingly in favor of incumbent mayor Bart Peterson. What does that matter you ask? Well it matters because Peterson has pledged that he will not go down as the mayor who lost the Colts.
Obviously, the same 400 people did not vote in both polls. And if they did they have a lot of decision making to do between now and November. Let's face it people, no one wants to raise taxes, but shit costs money and in business you have to spend it to make it. Naysayers will knock the existence of the Colts and their community value all day, but the bottom line is that the Colts and the city have a symbiotic relationship and no one on either side is getting screwed. This is not a zero sum game people. There doesn't have to be a winner and a loser. They can both win or they can both lose.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Well I waited a full day to make this entry. I just kind of wanted to maintain some dignity and try not to gush too much about the Colts. But 46 hours after the fact I am still giddy! WOW, what a performance!
I simply cannot express how much fun it was at the Dome Sunday. Finally, the 600-pound gorilla that is the Tennessee Titans is off our back! And in what style! A 33 to 7 waxing of the Titan was just what this team needed. It had been since the Philadelphia game last year since the Colts played so well. And it has been since just before the first New England game in 2001 that I have had this much confidence in them.
Where to start? Well letís take it from my house. Pretty tame pregame. Couple of beers, a Red Bull and vodka. Nothing major. Got our parking spot reserved at Moeís for the year.
Once the game began though it was all hell breaking loose. The crowd was into it in a major way. Obviously we had been hearing so much about how many Titan fans were going to be there that the Colts fans just came prepared to out yell them. And it was mission accomplished. In fact, by the time the Colts had regained the lead halfway through the second quarter the Titans fans had been silenced. They knew it was over.
By halftime, the Titan trainers had scraped up 4 players and sent two to the locker room including Steve McNair.
The Colts offense was efficient and productive. The defense was stifling and special teams were stellar. The Colts, on this day, were excellent. They outphysicalled the mighty Titans and sent them home with their tails between their legs and in a bad mood.
Colts DB Nick Harper intercepted a late pass and while trying to run out as much clock as possible trotted all over the field before finally crossing the goal line. The Titans are all pissed off. Well fuck them! They got clobbered and they just canít take it. Weíll see them down there in December and give them the second part of their ass kicking.
Finally after the game we went to Tailgators, but their Cheerleaders on Trampolines show was lame at best. We had a quick one and took off. Hopefully they will get the show straightened out.
Next up is the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think there may be a let down but more on that later in the week. For now the Colts are at number 3 on the ESPN Power Rankings. Everyone is talking about the resurgent Colts and, at least for this week, all is well in the football world. Oh, did I mention that Notre Dame got beat 38-0!!!!!!
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Well itís official. The Colts will, for the third time in the past four home games, not be televised locally. As for me, I could care less. Iíll still be there and I will still be hoarse when it is all said and done. But what gets me is the cavalier attitude that some people take about having the Colts and that same shitty attitude the Colts have about being here.
If everyone is sick and tired of hearing about the future of this team then they are certainly showing it. There is no logical reason, except for their uncertainty, that people donít come out and see what may be a damn fine team. And the owner, well he is just in no hurry to get anything done. He has let this all fall in his lap and he is now willing to wait until after the election to decide what to do. We need solutions now, not after some dumb ass republican gets in there and decides he is going to be ìfiscally responsibleî and not help the team out.
It works both ways and if the morons who canít see that the Colts and the NFL are good for the city then they arenít using their heads. Itís one thing to not root for the home team, itís quite another to run off a proven moneymaker. Yet, thatís exactly what some would have done.
Oh sure, just giving them money is not good enough. Make sure of the numbers. I am sure you will find that the team being here is beneficial for all of us. And this idiot republican running for mayor. What is up with ìI wonít give the Colts any moneyî. Heís going to get responsible. I guess he isnít down with the program that is happening with the GOP. These assholes keep dumping money into a war that we had no business starting and obviously have no clue as to how to end it.
So I suppose we will have about 10K Titans fans all liquored up and yelling Sunday at the Dome. Those pieces of shit better behave or they will learn the new ìColts Sundayî edition of Hoosier Hospitality.
BTW, for what its worth, I see the Colts winning 24-21. But I know it could easily go the other way. It comes down to two things. We HAVE to stop Steve McNair and Peyton Manning has to play better. Last year we lost twice because we couldnít and he didnít.
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Well here we are just about 48 hours from the TV blackout deadline. According to Colts officials, as of this morning there were approximately 6500 tickets remaining. It doesn't look good. Sty tuned for when I really lay into this team for what has happened over the past year and why they aren't selling out. It has nothing to do with Peyton, Edge, Marvin, the Titans or the 1-0 record.
Monday, September 08, 2003
A win is a win! No matter how ugly or pretty it still counts as a win. And ugly it was, but a win it also was. For the record the final score was 9-6. The Colts played their 2 minute drill nearly to perfection as they drove down the field and gave Vandy the opportunity to win the game with a 45 yard FG with just 1 second remaining. Peyton Manning who had pretty much played like crap all afternoon was nothing short of brilliant on the last drive. Cleveland has to lead the league in having their hearts ripped out in the last 2 minutes of ball games. We did it to them last year and who can forget the epic battles with the Broncos in the 80's and 90's.
The stats aren't pretty. Manning was 27 of 43 passing for 211 yards and 2 awful interceptions. The first of which was in the end zone as the Colts were getting ready to score. I'm not gonna get down on P. because of the last drive., but he is going to have to step it up. Edge looked solid rushing 15 times for 67 yards and adding another 29 receiving. Marvin had 9 catches. Even slippery handed Reggie Wayne made a couple of nice catches.
Defensivly the Colts were superb. Nich Harper had a couple of picks, the D had a beautiful goal line stand in the first quarter and basically yielded nada in the red zone. Great job guys!
So now we are where we should be. 1-0 on the season. And if there were ever must win games this early in the season, next Sunday is one of them. The evil Titans come calling. Everyone is aware of the Colts lack of success against the Titans. The Titans come in 1-0 after knocking off my Raiders last night. This is turning into one of the best rivalries in the league and it most assuredly will go a long way to determining the AFC South. The Colts can do it, but Peyton will have to come to play if they are to have a chance.
In other news, my picks were nothing to write home about. I went 10-5. Skip hit 15 with Baltimore in the 15 pool, although that number coulld get hit tonight. Some highlights from yesterdays action, Miami loses to Houston, Minnesota knocks off the Pack in Green Bay, The Pats get pasted 31-0 by the Bills and the Bears get hammered by SFO 49-7. As for me, I met Gunta at the new Damons at 65 and Southport Rd. Nice place to see the games, but the bar may be the way to go. They have them big plasma screens in there. I'll probably give them another chance. She took off at halftime and I watched the second half at Pawly's.
Bottom line: Colts WIN!!!
Thursday, September 04, 2003
Tonight. Jets at Redskins as the 2003 NFL season FINALLY gets under way! YYYYYYYY-EEEEEE-SSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
The last preseason game and the final cuts are all behind us now. For the record the Colts won a meaningless game Friday night 21-20 over the Bengals. The starters barely played so there isn't really any reason to dissect the game very thouroghly. "Hubie" Pyatt ran the opening kickoff all the way back for a TD and had several good returns. He had a nice preseason and as a result was not on the cut list on Sunday.
Although the D gave up 231 yards passing to the Bengals in the first half they managed to rebound to intercept a Carson Palmer pass and return it for a TD as well as causing Palmer to fumble one and return it for a TD. Judging from what I have seen and heard about Carson Palmer he is not ready for the NFL. He probably will be one of these days but not yet.
Overall it was a fun time. K & G's before the game. Tailgators after. Good time.
The final cuts were Sunday and for me there were a couple of surprises. Most notably David Gibson, who the Colts were trying to move to LB was cut and LB Josh Mallard was cut. I guess trying to make a LB out of a 205 pounder like Gibson should have signaled what was to come. I thought Mallard played well enough to make it though. Keyon Whiteside was cut and I wuld like to see him clear waivers so we can get him back. Especially in light of the fact that Brandon Stokely was hurt again Friday night. Finally the so-called kicking battle was settled with Brett Conway being shown the door. Vandy you better have your shit together starting Sunday!
So now we go to the regular season and I predict the Colts will post a 10-6 mark and win the AFC South. I think we showed some things in preseason that get me excited about the games. The return of Edge is the key. He looked good in preseason and if he is 100% we will be fine. To me, the Colts go as Edge goes. To those who doubt it you onlyhave to look at the past 25 or so regular season games.
