Marcellus: Night of the fight, you might feel a slight sting. That's pride fuckin' with you. Fuck pride! Pride only hurts, it never helps. You fight through that shit. 'Cause a year from now, when you kicking it in the Caribbean, you gonna say to yourself, "Marcellus Wallace was right."

Marcellus Wallace, Pulp Fiction, telling Butch to take a dive in round 5 of the fight.

 

via content7.flixster.com


The Colts played the Jets strong for most of 3 quarters, then took a dive. And, Marcellus was right, even as a spectator, my pride was stung. I can only imagine what it felt like for the players. Jim Caldwell and Bill Polian have voluntarily put a giant monkey on their backs and on that of the Colts. It will be chittering loudly in their ear throughout the playoffs, and if they don't win the Super Bowl this year, they will have broken Curtis Painter's psyche for nothing.

I don't know that the extra quarter of rest that Manning and the rest of the starters will add to the next 3 weeks of rest were worth the trade.  Presumably Polian and Caldwell  (and Shake-n-Bake) know better than me, and I hope they do, but last night's game was horribly disappointing. The Colts were playing solidly and had a small lead through most of three quarters when coach Caldwell benched Manning and most of the rest of the starters. Backup quarterback Curtis Painter was placed in a horrible situation where the pressure of 23 consecutive regular season wins and a 14-0 season was abruptly placed on his shoulders in front of a very unhappy crowd. He crumbled. He went 3 and out. He fumbled a ball into the end zone for a Jets touchdown. He threw an interception. And then I turned off the game.

Maybe taking the next 3 weeks off will leave the Colts fresh as daisies and sharp as knives cutting through the playoffs like warm butter. I sure hope so. But, the decision to quit on the regular season just added more pressure to those playoff games.  Quitters never win, I've been told. Hopefully the Colts can prove that old adage wrong.

In honor of the Colts' last game in the dome, I thought I'd post their record since they've been in Indy:

Their history there:
 1984: 4-12
 1985: 5-11
 1986: 3-13
 1987: 9-7, lost to the Browns in the divisional round
 1988: 9-7
 1989: 8-8
 1990: 7-9
 1991: 1-15
 1992: 9-7
 1993: 4-12
 1994: 8-8
 1995: 9-7, lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship
 1996: 9-7, lost to the Steelers in the Wildcard Round
 1997: 3-13
 ---------------------
 Manning arrives
 1998: 3-13
 1999: 13-3, lost to the Titans in the playoffs.
 2000: 10-6, lost to the Dolphins in the wildcard round.
 2001: 6-10, Jim Mora fired as a coach; Colts defense was awful.

 ---------------------
 Dungy arrives
 2002: 10-6, got walloped by the Jets in the wildcard round.
 2003: 12-4, lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship.
 2004: 12-4, lost to the Patriots in the divisional round.
 2005: 14-2, lost to the Steelers in the divisional round.
 2006: 12-4, won the Super Bowl
 2007: 13-3, playoff results to be determined.

Someone once told me, "Friends help you move; true friends help you move bodies." Jeff Saturday is apparently in the latter category . . . when he's not trying to shoot you from the woods.

According to a story in the New Castle Star Press, a New Castle man's neighbor called police and told them that the man had reported that Jeff Saturday, in uniform, was trying to shoot him from a wooded area near his house. The man also said, "Mr. Saturday asked if he could help him bury dead bodies."

The neighbor acknowledged that the man may have been hallucinating. The man hadn't slept in three days and also reported that "Saturday and the two other men had barged into his mobile home Thursday night demanding a 'favor.'"

Well, damn it. If it's the regular season, and Jeff Saturday asks for something, figment of your imagination or not, I say you just salute, say, "Yes sir, Mr. Saturday, sir," and give him what he wants.

My wife recently described some problems she had with our young kids (Cole - boy, age 4; Harper - girl, age 2).

Cole wanted Harper's paper.  I told him he couldn't have it, and he started to run away from me.  I grabbed his arm (because I wasn't done talking to him) and he then slid and rammed his mouth into the corner of the table.  I know that one hurt, and his mouth was bleeding all over the place.

See, here's the thing. You can't arm tackle. You have to wrap up the runner. If my wife had just wrapped the boy up, this never would have happened.

This has been Real Life Lessons from Football.

Reflecting our collective need to rank everything, Sports Illustrated has ranked NFL game day value. Coming in at number one were the Green Bay Packers -- they had the best combination of ticket price, food & souvenirs, accessibility to the game, tailgating environment, team quality, stadium atmosphere, and stadium neighborhood.

In coming to the conclusion that the Colts' ranked 8th in this particular list,  SI determined that ticket price & availability was average as were the food and souvenirs and accessibility. Tailgating suffers from construction of Lucas Oil Stadium and being spread out in various locations and into the near by restaurants and bars.

The team gets a 9 out of 10. The physical stadium is deemed aging, cramped, and uncomfortable. But the fans seem to find the stadium is good for the fans being loud and "intimate". "The Dome reflects Indiana culture: not many frills and the action on the field is what we're there to see."

The neighborhood in which the stadium is set gets major props - a 10/10. ""Indianapolis is the single-most amenity-filled location in the country." With the Colts' new home set to open next to the Dome next year, that isn't likely to change."

Bob Kravitz luvs Tony Kornheiser and if you don't, it's kind of like you're one of those people who doesn't like Seinfeld.

I don't have independently generated feelings about either guy, but this site has taught me to disregard both of them, so I thought I'd flag it for a diary.

I will say this. Stampede Blue has taught me more about football than any columnist ever has. Now I might be able to have a conversation with my brother the high school football coach at Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks Stampede Blue!

The AFC South is looking tough these days. The playoff rankings for the AFC go something like this:

1. New England
   
2. Indianapolis
   
3. Pittsburgh
   
4. Oakland
   
5. Tennessee
   
6. Jacksonville
   
7. Houston
   
8. Baltimore
   
9. Cleveland
   
10. Kansas City
    
11. San Diego
    
12. Denver
    
13. Cincinnati
    
14. Buffalo
    
15. Jets
    
16. Miami

New England outranks Indy simply because New England has more AFC wins so far since they haven't played any NFC opponents. Oakland is up there because they happen to lead what looks to be a weak division.

Note: AFC South teams occupy the first non-conference leader positions: numbers 5, 6, and 7.

Also note that New England's victories have come against teams #15, 14, 13, 11, and 9. (Jets, Buffalo, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Cleveland, respectively).

Meanwhile, Indy has beaten #5, #7, and #12 (Tennessee, Houston, and Denver) as well as New Orleans (#15-NFC) and Tampa Bay (#6-NFC).

I'm not knocking New England for this. They can only play the teams on their schedule and beat them. That's what they've done. But the media adulation for the Patriots seems awfully premature.

This didn't really feel like a diary entry, but I'll make it one anyway.

I went to see my best friend from college in Ohio over Memorial Day Weekend. I was wearing a Colts' Super Bowl T-shirt. My buddy says, "Nice shirt. My boss's new favorite team." I was puzzled, but figured it was a champion-chaser comment about his boss being on the bandwagon. I knew that my buddy worked for a guy named Ed Gonzalez. But, he had to spell it out for me that Ed is Anthony's dad. So, cool: My best friend reports directly to Anthony's dad. Now, I just have to figure out a way to wrangle tickets or something.

Just a "small world" moment.

Just wanted to post this picture because it amused me:

(In case pictures aren't allowed in diaries, the URL is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14172160@N00/375889058/)

Now, what it doesn't show you is that Manning side steps the front bear, steps up to avoid the back bear, and actually completes a 15 yard pass to Dallas Clark.

Shamelessly re-posting this from my own site. But, it's certainly topical.

Today is a day of bipartisanship in Indiana. Democrats and Republicans alike are in harmony. We want the Colts to beat the Patriots. Come a Super Bowl between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, and we may be back to partisan rivalry. But, today, the hatchet is buried. Democratic Mayor of Indianapolis, Bart Peterson has invited Republican Governor Daniels to watch the game.

Democrats are known as soft, bleeding hearts. Everybody is on edge about the tragic consequences of domestic violence and neglected children. But, I think everybody should agree: The Colts should beat on the Patriots like they're red-headed step-children. Because, as MasterRWayne soberly observes at Stampede Blue:

This game is war! Nay, war is too light for this is a contest of two incompatibility ideals meeting upon the stage of the world. This is freedom versus slavery! Love against hate! Civilization versus barbarity! The hope of Manning versus the dark fascism of Brady! And knowledge versus ignorance itself!!!! This IS Colts vs. Patriots! And comrades... we must prevail!!!!!!

Reading Phil Richards analysis of the upcoming game, if Peyton Manning loses this one, he may as well never have played the game at all.  He will be consigned to the ringless quarterback corner of the Football Hall of Fame along with Dan Fouts, Warren Moon, and Dan Marino. (I've never been there, but I envision it as a dank, cobwebby cellar with leaky pipes.)

But, alas, according to Boston Herald columnist Michael Felger, the Colts will not win because they  hit like girls, unlike the testerone-filled freaks from Foxboro, Manly Men who do Manly Things with Other Men. According to him, the Patriots can only be stopped if the referees insist on enforcing the "rules." I'm less concerned about losing because of Felger's rationale and more concerned with overcoming the Kravitz jinx.  He says we'll win because we "just have to." Last week, for example, he said we couldn't win unless Manning played really, really well.

So, with Kravitz predicting a win, Felger saying the Patriots are more Manly, all sorts of analysts predicting a Colts victory, and all the other pre-game nonsense, we should probably just forfeit now with a quiet announcement that Peyton Manning is retiring with a humble request that all of his achievements to date be scrubbed from the record books because he has never been to a Super Bowl.

Or, you know, we could just play the game. GO COLTS!!!

(This is a repost of something I put on my own blog and much of that is a rehash of stuff I've posted in comments here and elsewhere, so sorry about the breach of netiquette. Nonetheless:)

So, the AFC Championship game will be the Colts versus the Patriots in Indianapolis. Bill Belichick reminds me of the Cobra Kai's evil dojo master in The Karate Kid. ("Sweep the leg, Johnny") Hopefully Tony Dungy will be able to make like Mr. Miyagi and  tweak him on the nose. Hopefully Peyton Manning will not suffer a knee injury from an illegal hit or try the "Crane Technique" to finish off the Pats at the end.

This will be only the second time the Patriots have played in Indianapolis since the Colts moved to the AFC South in 2002. The Colts lost that game in 2003, thanks in large part to Patriots player Willie McGinest faking an injury that allowed the Patriots to put a new defensive package on the field -- McGinest was instrumental in stopping that final drive of the Colts before he sprinted off to the Colts logo to celebrate without the slightest evidence of the debilitating leg injury that had been so grievous just two plays before that he had to writhe around on the field and stop play. (This year, I suggest we have an "injury team" that acts like a ball boy in a tennis match, swooping in to scoop "injured" Patriots off the field before they can stop play.)

Meanwhile, since 2002 while the Patriots have played in Indy only once, the Colts have played in Foxboro 5 times, compiling a record of 2-3 in New England. CJ at "Charlie Weiss Ate My Baby" suggests that we send the Patriots head office directions from Mapquest to make sure they know how to get here.  Big Blue Shoe at Stampede Blue knew this was coming and advises us to relish it. In fact, Big Blue Shoe made a prediction before the playoffs that was entirely unlikely and (so far) dead on accurate:

The Colts will beat the Chiefs, and then they will play their next playoff game in Baltimore for the first time since the Baltimore fans abandoned the Colts, thus prompting them for Indy. The Colts will then beat the Ravens, and then square off in the AFC Championship game against... the Patriots. Yes folks. The Patriots will beat the heavily favored San Diego Chargers, and they will face the Colts in the AFC Championship Game in Indianapolis. The Colts will beat New England (again), and thus make the Super Bowl. A road through the AFC like this is storybook: Beleaguered run defense against Larry Johnson; Colts in Baltimore for the playoffs; Colts against Patriots in AFC Championship Game. In one swoop, all playoff demons get exorcized.

(According to the prediction, the Saints will win the NFC Championship, to bring in the Archie Manning angle.)

But, first things first: the Patriots. Kerry Byrne, writing a column that appeared at MSNBC.com knows Belichick's secret. It's not his imaginative defensive schemes, though they help. Nope, it's simply a liking for unnecessary roughness, blatant brutality  -  he instructs his players to hit the opposition really, really hard whether they have the ball or not.  So, the lesson is simple, we have to hit them harder than they hit us.  (And, of course, don't believe they're injured just because they pretend to be.)

Go Colts!

John Woestendiek, writing for the Baltimore Sun, has a column entitled "Many fans but fewer fanatics in Indy: Are folks nicer there or just indifferent?"

Jason at Four Square No. 266 gives the simple answer to the dumb question: nicer.

(More on the flip)

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Just to make myself feel better, and not because it means anything, particularly, I thought I'd see how many wins San Diego's opponents had and figure out the average number of wins by teams beaten by San Diego. Then I did the same for the Colts.

For what it's worth, San Diego's 12 opponents have a total of 64 victories. The 10 opponents beaten by San Diego have a total of 48 victories. Therefore, the teams San Diego has beaten, on average, have 4.8 wins.

Indy's 12 opponents have a total of 73 victories. The 10 opponents beaten by Indy have a total of 60 victories. Therefore, the teams Indy has beaten, on average, have 6 wins.

Toward the end of the first half of the Patriots/Colts game on Sunday night, Tom Brady ran a keeper on 4th and 1 and was pretty clearly stuffed. I say "pretty" clearly because you have to assume the yellow line on the television broadcast is accurate. At no time did Brady or the ball ever cross that line.

Despite this, referee Ron Winter not only gave the Patriots the first down, he didn't even call for a measurement. The chains had already been moved by the time the Colts were able to call for a challenge, so the officials took the easy way out and denied the challenge.

We won, so I should probably just let it go. But this is the kind of messed up officiating that seems to happen in Foxboro far more often than anywhere else in the league. Anybody catch a follow up or an explanation on that call?

Just one guy's opinion, but I re-watched the second half of the Indy/Denver game and I think the moment when Indy's run defense started to suck came relatively early in the 3rd quarter. Nick Harper tackled Mike Bell for a fairly short game, but in the process Bell put a devastating lick on Harper. The Colts stopped the Broncos on that series, but after that, the Broncos just ran wild.