R-E-D-E-M-P-T-I-O-N. As a Colt fan living here in Indy words cant express how big this is for the organization, the fans the city and all of Indiana. The Colts have never been to the Super Bowl while here in Indianapolis. I hope our success breeds hope in the eyes of Cardinals fans...the son sometimes does learn from the "sins" of the father, so hopefully your new owner "son" can bring success to your cursed franchise. Anyways... Irsay never waivered from his promise to not move the team. There was an outside chance we would lose them to LA, but our governor stepped up to the plate and squashed that with our new dome deal. Another step toward puttin our little market on the map. As for the game, it reminded me of last years loss to Pittsburgh, we fell behind early and had to catch-up. That game was a back and forth roller coaster of emotion as well. Fortunately, the ending was much, much, better. As to changing the force out rule, thats stupid... Gaffney's other foot probably would have come down inbounds anyways. I thought it was good judgement call, in fact the whole game was pretty well officiated. Howard T, needs to get a life, if you want to argue 3 calls, Brown pushed him...sorry, u cant do that, and the personal foul, yeah those QB ultra-protection rules suck, but it didnt change much, Wayne didnt fumble the ball, and we just would have chewed up more clock anyways. The Offense was rollin... I'll tell you what surprised me was how many penalties N.E. committed, that with the dropped balls was very un-patriot like, you cant blame it on bad officiating, no way. That and the Colts D only allowing 13 second half points, if it wasnt for our sorry special teams coverage NE probablyy doesnt get that 20yd TD drive. Key play of the game: 3 and 7, NE 34 - Indy 31 Bob Sanders streaks in and knocks the ball away from an open T. Brown to force a punt. If he doesnt make it? 1st down NE, game over. I think the Colts took a few pages from NE Patriot book, "How to win the big game." KUDOS to the pats, the NE fans I met were good people, good football fans...but it was the Colts time.
"The pass is to the back of the endzone, Smith leaps up to grab it...caught it! But before his feet hit the turf, he's CAUGHT by the two cornerbacks! He's struggling, but they are carrying him sideways to the edge of the endzone and they throw him out of bounds! Oh! Tough break for Smith. I guess they are going to have to go for the field goal now." Actually, in college, your feet have to come down in bounds, period, just like this proposal. Never seen the sort of thing grum describes happen in college. It would be pretty hard. I'd second this proposal, and add the other part of the college rule, which only requires one foot in bounds. (Personally, I wish such a rule change had been in effect before the Nate Poole pseudo-catch that cost the Vikings the NFC North title a few years back.) That being said (and this being from a de-facto Colts fan), I agree with the officiaiting mistakes Howard pointed out. That being said, the Pats don't choke away 15-point leads everyday, either. I wonder: Did the Colts turn up the temperature in the RCA Dome on purpose? The announcers were talking about how hot it was, and New England clearly looked exhausted.
holden and tieguy, I know the media has been repeating the line about the Pats' cap room; I was posting it as info only, not as a rebuke or anything. As for the Pats getting that info out to the public, it's hard to do in a media market that thrives on negative results. Given Belichick's poor behavior this season, I wonder if we'll see more of the guy who got run out Cleveland in his relationship with the press.
I sense there is a perception out there that the team is not spending compared to other teams. In actuality, they've spent to a level that is actually going to penalize them. I cannot figure out what he is talking about. I have looked it up and the latest CBA and cannot find any penalty related to spending under the salary cap. The Patriots do have to share revenue as one of the top revenue producing teams. If anyone can find info on what he is talking about, I'd like to read more. Could he be making this up?
Did the Colts turn up the temperature in the RCA Dome on purpose? The announcers were talking about how hot it was, and New England clearly looked exhausted. Oh, man -- did Indy hire the former Metrodome super?
I thought New England's clock management was really poor on their final drive. They got the ball with a minute left and two timeouts, and and let a lot of time (25-30 seconds?) run off the clock.
Actually, in college, your feet have to come down in bounds, period, just like this proposal. Never seen the sort of thing grum describes happen in college. Actually, in college, your foot has to come down in bounds, not feet, which makes this rule irrelevant in the college game. ...the Pats don't choke away 15-point leads everyday, either. Or an 18 point lead, which was the case yesterday.
There were some pretty interesting decisions by the officials on both sides. I don't think any of those penalties called were the wrong calls, but they certainly didn't jive with the pattern the rest of the game followed, which was to let them play and let a lot go. There were some other little things that got missed too, like for instance that fumbled kickoff before the INT where Wilkins was clearly down. The replay (I'm watching on tivo right now) shows that he was facemasked first off, and was very clearly down, yet they spotted the ball at the spot of Hagler's "recovery." I think that for a supposed all-star crew, they did a mediocre job. I don't think that any of it really affected the outcome though. Had the ball been left at the 22 instead of the 11 at the end there, it just would've taken them another thirty seconds to score. That wide open Caldwell play happened right in front of me. Had he caught it, he likely would have been stopped at about the five. I don't remember the down and distance, so I can't say if that would've been a big deal or not, but obviously those yards would've helped the Pats. By the way, that was an amazing pick by Samuel. Great read, jump, and especially a nice catch. I've seen a lot of DBs drop balls like that. He had some sticky fingers there.
kirk, I agree: they let a ton of time tick away after the first completion. The whole second half seemed out of character.
The Pats coach showed what an ahole he is in the post game "interview". Did you see the guys in the studio shake their heads and smirk at his disrespectful attitude? For a guy that has had such success to show so little class in defeat speaks volumes about his character. Everyone from the colts made it a point to say how good the pats played. I can't remember a coach show so little class after a loss. After the last few years of his team getting away with pass interference on every play against the colts you can't call it if they do it on EVERY play. I was glad to see Indy over come it last night. Peyton deservers this so much. I have met him several times and he is a class person all around. He talks to people on the street and shops at wal-mart himself. I used to run into him there when we lived in Indy. Not sure if he still does since he got married. People call Peyton a cry baby, when he is just a perfectionist who holds himself up to such a high standard that it is almost impossible to achieve. He is mad at HIMSELF for mistakes. But has been always gracious in defeat. The Pats could learn a lesson in that respect.
I haven't read too much about the temperature being turned way up (or whatever you do in those stadiums). The announcers did make quite a deal about it, though, so I was wondering if it was that huge a difference between this game and other Colts home games. I can't help but think that would be a classic Bill Polian move. He knows his team thrives on speed, moving quick, and not letting the Patriots always get in the subs they want. That, plus the fact a few of the Pats were reported to have had the flu all last week, it could have been a move to impact N.E.s defense. He's waited so long to get a big playoff game on their home turf, I could just imagine his wheels were really turning with regards to any advantage the Colts could get. The Pats D was definitely run down, but maybe the San Diego game took a lot out of them.
Vipers-pit, can you please provide a citation for the nonsense you are spewing. Here are the comments I saw from Belichick: ""It was a very tough football game against a good team. You've got to give the Colts credit. They made more plays than we did and they deserved to win. It was about as competitive a game as you can get. They just made a couple more plays than we did." - Belichick yesterday Maybe you have a problem with his sour demeanor - he is ALWAYS LIKE THAT, win or lose. Quite frankly I think your comments are a load of crap. Manning doesn't deserve to go to the Super Bowl because he is a nice guy who shops at Walmart. He deserves to go because he couldn't be denied yesterday. The Patriots committed pass interference on every play? What a load of hyperbolic nonsense. STFU. I strongly believe that the Patriots organization and fans have just as much "class" as anyone else in the league, no more, no less, and all this stereotyping is a bunch of bullshit.
The Pats D was definitely run down, but maybe the San Diego game took a lot out of them. Not maybe, definitely. The cross-country flights, the flu epidemic, and that brutal game against the Chargers all contributed to their downfall. But in the end, the Colts were clicking and found a new level last night. Ultimately, a lot of factors combined to hurt the Pats but that doesn't change the fact that the Colts finally stepped up and won a very big game. Good luck in the SB (although I'll be rooting for the Bears).
Go get you that ring PEYTON..........
Maybe some of you aren't watching the same Patriot games? Ever notice how the Pats win the big games by 3 points or less? It usually resulted from being "opportunistic" or a result of a "fortunate call". This is media-speak for disguising the fact that the refs blew a call and gave NE a chance to win.
He talks to people on the street and shops at wal-mart himself. I used to run into him there when we lived in Indy. I don't think shopping at Wal-Mart is a ringing endorsement for anything good. Peyton may be a great, folksy kind of guy, but doing business with a company that treats their employees as a lower life form is not a feather in his cap.
This is media-speak for disguising the fact that the refs blew a call and gave NE a chance to win. Are you going to give specifics or are you just going to cast wide, unprovable assertions? The media and referees are all together in a vast conspiracy to help the Patriots, one of the least "Exciting" football teams in the land. Pray tell, whitedog, how did the Patriots become so fortunate to be the recipient of this grand fix? Do the shadowy Illuminati love the screen pass? Are the Elders of Zion big fans of teams with very few star players that don't have many highlight-reel plays? Or maybe it's just the world's biggest coincidence, blown calls in game after game after game over years on end, handing almost every big game to the Patriots. I guess if the expert Patriots analyst whitedog says so, it must be true.
Venice You are no one to tell me what to do. I never said a word about the Pats fans or organization. I was talking about the Coach ONLY. Look back at the video and you will see that EVERY member of the broadcast team had the EXACT same reaction to the interview as I did. So you should look at the crap you are shoveling. I am an Arizona Cardinals fan since the 1970s. I do not leave my team. We lived in Indy for 10 years and went to countless games. A game in the dome is like watching one in your living room. Perfect lighting, temperature and views from anywhere in the stands. Also keep in mind that the roof is kept up by AIR PRESSURE ONLY. Ask anyone that walks out after a game and is nearly sucked out of the building. It was very cold in Indy yesterday, my brother still lives 10 min from the dome, and he commented on it, Maybe the heat was turned up for the cold, maybe for an advantage, either way, that is why it is called home field advantage. I do not believe the Colts have ever had a home game this late in the season and the temp maybe SOP to keep snow off the roof. You never see any on it when it snows in town. Manning deserves to go to the Super Bowl because he is the best player in the NFL (don't bother attacking me on this). My point addressed people calling him a cry baby. You need to read and UNDERSTAND before you comment. The Colts line up better against the Bears than they do the Saints. So I was very happy to see the Bears win. Can't wait for the party!!!
No, venicemenace, it's because their called Patriots and it would be un-American to not give a patriot a clear advantage. (Seems as lame an excuse as any.)
You said, "But has been always gracious in defeat. The Pats could learn a lesson in that respect." And I'm saying, bullshit.
I think people are referring to how Belichick treated Solomon Wilcotts after the game, Venice. You, like me, probably didn't hang around to catch that.
I just think if someone is going to come into this thread throwing bombs, they need to come correct. "Did you hear what he said...and the broadcast team was outraged!" is not working for me.
Maybe video will shine some light on it for you. www.youtube.com Whtch the reaction of the guys in the studio after they cut back. Oh and LT does not think to highly of him either. www.youtube.com The media loves him as well www.youtube.com So its not "throwing bombs", its simply stating fact. Try it out sometime. This is priceless, www.youtube.com
I wonder how the 'Edge' likes Arizona now?
The Pats coach showed what an ahole he is in the post game "interview" I'm having a "Risky Business" flashback right about now.
Maybe video will shine some light on it for you. I really don't think he was being an asshole, as you said. I don't think that one interview defines class versus classlessness. He was succinct and not much for talking. It's how Belichick is and always has been... which you're obviously aware of and have found humor in, since you linked to the animated clip spoofing Belichick.
Maybe video will shine some light on it for you. I have no opinion on Belichick. That said, in the first video he seems very pissed and doesn't want to talk. He does say "the colts did more than we did" or something along those lines. He didn't pull out the "we beat ourselves" card. Mad? Yes. Sore loser? Classless? No. The second link makes LT seem like a sore loser. The third one has one guy who seems to be on belichick's side and one guy not (not to mention who gives a damn what the media thinks of him). The fourth one is a cartoon. Belichick certainly won't win a mr. personality contest, but other than that your videos prove nothing (except you hate the guy). and shops at wal-mart himself I've been to walmart a few times. That doesn't prove anything other than bad taste.
I can't remember a coach show so little class after a loss. Well, Cardinals fan, how much class did your coach show this season after losing to Chicago?
I don't understand the complaints about the temperature/heat in the RCA Dome, I'm pretty sure both teams had to play in the same conditions. That is simply a copout. Congratulations to the Colts, go Indy!
I hate to come to Belichick's defense, but JG is right. He is a man of few words. And while I admit I was not impressed with the interview right after the game (I did not see any other interview) that is just the way he is, and always has been. His team just lost a title game, what do you want, that he should sing the praises of the Colts and be all "balloons and champaign"? However I would like to congratulate the Colts on their much overdue win! The game was fantastic, right down to the last minute! I am glad is wasn't a blow out by either team. As for Peyton Manning all I can say (in my best Etta James voice with the hair brush microphone in front of the bathroom mirror) is "Aaaaatt laassst!"
Well, Cardinals fan, how much class did your coach show this season after losing to Chicago? I thought that was all done for comic relief. You mean it wasn't?
People call Peyton a cry baby, when he is just a perfectionist who holds himself up to such a high standard that it is almost impossible to achieve. He is mad at HIMSELF for mistakes. But has been always gracious in defeat. I'm a big fan of Peyton Manning, but I'm going to call bullshit on that one. I'm guessing your memory doesn't extend all the way back to last year when he trashed his offensive line on national television after they got beaten by the Steelers. It's cool to be a fan of your local team and to think nothing but good thoughts about them. Just be sure not to get too wound up in the whole thing and lose a sense of perspective.
MY coach? What position do I have on the team? Only a moron says "we need a touchdown? Unless you are ON the team or were ON the team in the past. I still have a spot for the cards and always will, but they are a total joke. The owner of the colts is near brain dead. If you have ever had to sit and listen to him speak for 30 minutes, you would want a frontal lobotomy. I lost count of him saying "you know" somewhere north of 200. He only said it twice last night in the 90 second speech. My issue is with his lack of class. Some people have it and some do not. All you have to do is read peoples views on things. Wal-Mart is a great company. My mother retired from Wal-Mart last year with 1.2 million in stock. Mostly given by the company. When my son was born I worked the overnight shift so I could be with my son while he was awake. If Wal-Mart is so bad, then why do so many Americans shop there?
If Wal-Mart is so bad, then why do so many Americans shop there? It's cheap. But let's not get into a walmart is great/ walmart is evil debate. On topic, you believe belichick's classless. As someone who really has no opinion on the man your links don't say that to me at all. Angry, maybe antisocial, but not classless.
As a Colts fan I have no problem with Belichick's postgame comments. The guy just had his season ended because his team blew a big lead in a game they could have put away early. He's not going to be all happy. Given his baseline demeanor and personality I was actually impressed that he even bothered to give the Colts the compliments that they made more plays. Obviously he thought that they should have been stopped on some of those plays, but hey, he's right. The Pats should have. If they had played their best, they would have won that game. Viper, Irsay is a little spacey, but has done nothing to warrant that random negative commentary. He's one of the friendliest, most down to earth owners in sports, and he deserves to enjoy this win. Re: the temperature. It is always set to be freezing cold in that dome by default, because it obviously heats up quite a bit when 57000 people arrive. I brought my fleece in with me (after not doing so for the Chiefs game) because it is always freezing during warmups. It was no different 3 hours before game time, so the "it keeps the snow off the roof" thing is not true. I had the fleece off during the game, but by the trophy presentation I was all the way down to my tshirt, because I was downright HOT in a shirt and jersey. It didn't occur to me at the time that the heat might have been from sources other than a lot of excited people, but hey, if they jacked it up a few degrees, good. With the Pats tired and somewhat sick, it was a great strategy, and certainly within the realm of fair game, especially after the Pats pulled their turf games a few years ago. Bruschi may retire, according to SportsCenter. I think that'd be a wise and self-aware move. The Colts and others have been picking on him ever since the stroke, and it's clear that he has lost a step or two. His tackle totals are high because most teams run right at him. The Pats linebackers have definitely become the weak spot instead of the secondary (which played GREAT in the first half btw), and I wouldn't be shocked at all to see them use their first pick to take the Colts guy again this year (though in hindsight I'm not so upset with the Maroney/Addai result). Perhaps the fact that they play different schemes will mean they're after different LBs anyway. Or Polian might draft another tackle. Who knows. Finally, I still don't think that saying "we had some protection problems" is considered trashing your line, especially when it was obviously true. He's partly responsible for his own protection anyway, and admitted as much. If he was throwing them under the bus, they'd have been pissed about it, but to a man, that line agreed with him. Aside from that, he was perfectly graceful and willing to credit the Steelers last year.
I can't remember a coach show so little class after a loss. Then it's a good thing you don't watch the Pats weekly show on Channel 5. That is exactly how he talks on that show and he's friendly with the host. After all the talk on 'EEI about his post-game smackdown of Solomon Wilcotts, I am amazed to finally see that video. What did he do that was so classless? The post-game interview is such a brain-dead idea anyway. How many variations on "We won"/ "We lost" can there possibly be? You expect Shakespeare at a time like that?
Although a coach reciting the St. Crispin's day speech after a victory would be downright hilarious. Even if it is better suited to pregame.
Wow, that took no time: Dennis and Callahan were killing Belichick this morning. Dennis claimed his psychology degree1 allowed him to see that Belichick didn't go out and gladhand after games because Bill probably thinks it shows fear and that's why he's "not enough of a man" to go congratulate Peyton Manning after a game. Because Lord knows BB wants to have to wade through another throng of media members after a crushing loss and get called out for shoving another photog. Callahan was pleased that Dennis had finally realized it, as he had known all along Belichick was an awful person. You see, football coaching is just like talk radio, where you have to put up the numbers above all else. Herr Callahan then went on to point out a guy like Thomas Oliphant, a columnist "no one reads", would never make it in the real world, where liberal opinions aren't allowed. The truly frustrating thing is these assholes will get away with sitting in judgment. As much as I am not a fan of teams restricting media access to only friendly voices, it'd be nice to see the Pats pull all the players from 'EEI and let them fill those programming holes, rather than watch these failures who spend their lives running down world-class athletes2 push Belichick back into the situation he was in in Cleveland. 1. The amazing thing here is that Dennis doesn't have a degree in psychology. "Physician heal thyself" and all that. 2. I'm not talking about legitimate criticism of performances, I'm talking about running Nomar out of town, calling Jose Offerman "a bag of you-know-what" for the sole crime of not being an All-Star, etc.
Wow, that took no time: Dennis and Callahan were killing Belichick this morning. Yeah, and skunks still stink, too. Big surprise considering the source. It will be interesting to see if this produces a counter-reaction. As much as I am not a fan of teams restricting media access to only friendly voices, it'd be nice to see the Pats pull all the players from 'EEI and let them fill those programming holes, rather than watch these failures who spend their lives running down world-class athletes2 push Belichick back into the situation he was in in Cleveland. Concur. I think they can find a comfortable middle ground somewhere between restricting media access to cheerleaders, and continuing to grant access to mercenary shit-disturbers.
Nearly all coaches in their post-game interview congratulate the other team. It is pretty much part of the script. The most Belichick could muster was that they played better than his team. Classless is probably not the right word, but there has to be some adjective to describe the man. Just this year with Mangini and the shoved photographer and the weak acknowledgement of Peyton after the game, he definitely isn't going to win any personality contests. There was a promo on this year that they kept playing on the NFL Network and you could win a lunch with a head coach and they had the image of Belichick, I immediately thought what a nightmare that would be. You could probably get maybe ten words from him the whole meal. Still he is the best coach in the league, maybe one of the best coaches ever.
Classless is probably not the right word, but there has to be some adjective to describe the man. If you wanted to be pejorative (and most of those picking nits over Belichick's behavior seem to), you could try "brusque". If you don't, try "businesslike". Just this year with Mangini and the shoved photographer and the weak acknowledgement of Peyton after the game, he definitely isn't going to win any personality contests. Since he isn't in a personality contest, I expect he's still managing to sleep nights. I'm sure his concern is appropriately directed at why they lost on Sunday and what happens in the future, not what a bunch of people he'll never meet think of his hoodies or how some can't-find-a-real-story so-called sports writers/casters/commentators try to make a mountain out of a molehill re: his "personality".
they had the image of Belichick, I immediately thought what a nightmare that would be. You could probably get maybe ten words from him the whole meal. My honest, if homerific, opinion is that is not so. When he talks to people he's comfortable with, he can be a really interesting guy. The only reason I watch the local Pats show is for the 5 minutes of "Belistrator" time each week. Authors who get to know him seem to really like him. My elitist opinion is he doesn't suffer fools and so the vast majority of sports writers and commentators get a brush-off from him. It's interesting D&C compared his press conference demeanor unfavorably to Parcells; Parcells was much beloved (until the Superbowl) around here for his "witty" press conferences, but the fount of his wit was exclusively stupid sports writers who he would kill for the enjoyment of others. Interesting they're ok with a guy being cruel if he's entertaining, but it's not ok to be bland.
I pity the fool who suffers fools.
