The Colts: America's Favorite Whipping Boy--UPDATED
It's a familiar refrain on sports talk radio in Indianapolis: "The national media's been dissing us all year! Finally, we're gonna show them all!"
This is boring, but true. Keyshawn Johnson called the Colts "the worst 14-0 team ever." That's a ridiculous statement on its face. The pundits picked the Ravens to beat the Colts. The pundits picked the Jets to beat the Colts. The Colts not only won, but dominated both games. Most recently, they out-rushed the best rushing team in the league and out-defensed the best defensive team. They made the best cornerback in the game look awkward.
Now the Colts are in the Super Bowl. They have answered every question and overcome every obstacle. They won 23 regular-season games in a row--when do you think that record will be broken?--and lost only because saving their starters for the Super Bowl was more important.
And anyone who hasn't watched Peyton Manning week-in and week-out just doesn't understand. You didn't see how many balls the "phenomenal" youngsters Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon dropped over the course of the year. Manning kept working with them. Peyton Manning is a clinic. Unless you are a Colts fan, he is a dream-killing machine.
Which brings us to the Super Bowl.
And the cuddly feel-good story of the year, the New Orleans Saints.
For practically the first time this season, everyone's picking the Colts. And everyone's rooting against them. The Saints are America's Team. The Colts are the big, bad football wolves.
Ridiculous.
The Colts' organization may be as good as any that's ever played the game. They produce winners over and over and over again. They make smart draft picks. They develop talent, seemingly out of nowhere. They reward success. Hell: they had Edgerrin Freaking James on the podium when they won the AFC Championship! Dude has not played with them for four years. He played against them this year.
That's class, friends.
So: the Colts have gone from wimps who couldn't possibly win...to monsters out to dash the hopes of the teddy bear Saints. Please.
Shut up, National Sports Media. You're ridiculous.
UPDATE: Thanks to Mom for bringing up the point that the Manning family has probably done more for the City of New Orleans than anyone.
Also: Here's a picture of me advising Peyton Manning on his mechanics. "You've got to lead Pierre just that much more, Peyton. Dude is faster than you think."
*Picture of Peyton from chicagonow.com.
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Comments
This could be a very good, high scoring game but in the end the Colts should take the Saints.
Do I seem angry?
And it's only fair to say that I've held a grudge against Drew Brees since week 15, 2005.
I live in a fairly boring midwestern town (Kansas City) but we are like Antlantis compared to "Indy".
What it takes to beat the Colts is pressure on Manning, simple as that. Did you see how many times Favre and Warner ended up on their asses? Poor Warner when he threw that interception and tried to become a tackler! Now retired... as Favre will soon be too.
All that said, I do believe that the Colts are the better team over all.
HOWEVER they have no gris gris (gree gree)! Their city has no history and magic. Their uniforms and fans look gay. Give me black and gold any day.
Destiny is on the side of the Saints. "Nuff said.
Saints 51 Colts 45 OT
The Colts will probably win but they haven't been one of the good guys since they snuck out of Baltimore.
So, Indianapolis can implode for all I care. Kurt Vonnegut left there years ago. There's nothing of value left in that town anymore.
What are some things that make Kansas City so much more exciting than Indianapolis? Never been to Kansas City; quite familiar with Indy; just curious.
Please. Everybody thinks their team is disrespected because the national media doesn’t give them the blind love that the local media does. When my Mets (yours too, wtf?) played the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, New Yorkers thought the NBC broadcast crew was biased against them, and my friends in Boston thought NBC was biased against them. Your proof that the Colts are not respected is something Keyshawn Johnson said? He’s a moron!
As a Jets fan, I’ll admit that the media jumped on our bandwagon way too quickly. Personally, I never thought they would win. Peyton Manning is difficult to rattle, and once the O-line started picking up the blitz, I knew he’d pick us apart.
I love Peyton Manning – a great athlete from a great family who’s one of the few athletes to display genuine personality and comic timing in his commercial work. There are only three times when I root against the Colts – when they play the two NY teams and yes, when they play the Saints, because who doesn’t have sympathy for that city? Wanting to give the Big Easy a reason for a big celebration is not the same as hating the Colts. Stop believing that it is.
Kansas City (the Missouri side at least) has culture, art and a bit of history. Indianapolis has what, besides redneck car racing? I just learned that Vonnegut used to live there, but was somehow compelled to leave. To me "Indy" is the epitome of midwestern low culture boringness. Of course I could be wrong.
Indianapolis is a great city. Ask anyone associated with the Final Four who puts on the best show. The NFL loves coming here. It's clean, friendly, and easy to get around. Great music scene. Great art scene. Great museums. Great sports. Low cost of living. Safe, clean, vibrant downtown. What is not to love?
Seriously though, sorry for cracking on your town when I know so little about it. My frustration may be from being sick of my own town, and America in general.
Geaux Saints!
A few specific comments:
Anybody who's not forgiven the Colts for moving should get over it. (Except for old, diehard Baltimore Colts fans. I get that. I really do.) And Jim Irsay is not Bob Irsay. Jim Irsay hangs with Stephen Stills and owns the original manuscript of On The Road. He also invited a whole teamload of old Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis for the weekend this year and treated them like royalty. Ask Bert Jones what he things of Jim Irsay.
Christopher Rodgers: "Scared of gays" is quite a charge. Perhaps you can tell us what you know? Seriously. Make your case, and maybe I'll change my mind about the Colts.
Mom: xo.
That's one of the many reasons why people don't like them.
(Thanks, Mary!)
(Sic 'er, Mom.)
I'm rootin for New Orleans because I used to live there and I remember going to games for absolutely free and seeing the folks wearing the bags over their heads.
Now quitcher trash talkin, and let's root for some GREAT football, like we've had these past few superbowls. God knows it could be a blowout, and we don't want that. We want it to be a close game, maybe ending up 38-30 or 35-28.
But I'm afraid it will be the Colts who emerge victorious.
A great game it will be, as it should be. I don't see any kind of "blow-out". I'm counting on some voodoo etc...
My related post to be published in the morning. HA
i think i you are confusing hopefulness..i will refrain from the political here...with skill. do i want the saints to win...yes. do i think they are "america's team?" not really, except if you believe it the american ideal of the tough will survive and hard work pays off. so what if the media is critical...football has nothing to do with hurricanes or politics.....may the best team win.
Tough day for the Colts. I think if was Freeney was healthy, it would have made a big difference. I think coaching made a big difference too. The inside kick was gutsy, but Peyton Manning makes opponents do things like that - I'm sure Belichick would not have gone for it on 4th-and-2 against any other QB. Caldwell should have never tried for that long FG - should have tried to pin the Saints deep in their own territory. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.
Manning still has a few peak years ahead of him. Great receivers, pretty good defense, smart management - they might well be back next year.
Also, re a past question: I grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey. I am still a Mets fan. Was a Jets fan back in Broadway Joe days, too.
And Favre did win a Super Bowl instead of having one given to him loke Manning did. Manning is 9-9 in playoff games, a record well below that of Favre and most other elite QBs. His TD to interception ratio in the playoffs is worse than Favre's, Marino's Warner's, Rothlesberger's, leave alone the true greats, Montana, Elway, Brady, Unitas, etc.
For perhaps the greatest regular season QB in the history of the NFL, Manning's post-season numbers are just really, really bad, and that pick last night was one of the all-time anti-Montana moments. I'm not saying he chokes, but he sure don't breathe easily.