All My Teams

The Colts are in Miami. Yesterday there were a couple of big send offs in town. Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but that's okay. It was cold anyway! It did make me think though. Here we are, fans of a team that is 60 minutes from a World Championship. 3600 measly seconds from the biggest thrill a fan of a team can have. I sometimes look back and see that the Indiana Pacers of the ABA were the only professional winners this city has ever had, but still, I have been lucky as a sports fan.

Those of you who know me, know also that I was a Bengal and a Raider fan prior to 1984 and the Colts arrival in Indianapolis. Being a long time fan of the game I knew about Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Ray Berry, John Mackey, Artie Donovan etc. I was never a Colt fan, but those were household football names. As a Raider fan however, I was ecstatic when they won it all in 1976 against the favored Vikings, again in 1981 as the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl and again in 1984 when, again as underdogs, beat the piss out of the Redskins. Hell by the time I was 24 my favorite football team had won three championships.

However, as time moved on and I became more and more involved with being a Colt fan, my love of the Raiders waned (despite what Neil might say!!) Sure I rooted for them a few years back against the Tampa Bay Bucs, but they were so outmanned it was ridiculous!

I also have been a Cincinnati Red and New York Yankee fan. The Reds took the title in 1976 and 77 and again, miraculously destroyed what everyone said was a superior Oakland team in 1990. The Yankee's always seem to be in contention and won three in a row at the end of the century.

These were all great as a fan, but they still left me wanting. Now of course there are the Indiana Hoosiers. National Champions in 1976, 81 and 87. Led by a series of All-American players and a hall of fame coach, the Hoosiers were a joy to watch and root for and few were bigger fans than me or my friends. We all knew when the team played and usually worked schedules around it. Of course we were all younger and had relatively few responsibilities, but by God, if the Hoosiers were playing we were together and watching.

Times changed for me over the years though. I still like the Hoosiers (although I really have not warmed up to the new coach) but it is nothing like the passion I had back in the 80's and 90's. Maybe it is because I feel like Bob Knight let us down beginning in 1994, maybe it was the lackluster teams. I don't really know, but in 2002 when the guys got to the title game I watched, but it was just different. Some of you may have been at DK's house when they won 1987 and know what that was like. Going to the final game in 2002 was nothing like that for me.

But all-in-all I have to admit I have had some good teams to root for. Hell, even Roncalli HS has given me some very proud moments over the years. The Pacers, well they had a couple of close calls, but still led us on some wonderful journeys over the years. But the Colts, well, pretty much until Peyton Manning arrived the team has sucked. Sure we had the 95 team that was so close to the Super Bowl. An unlikely bunch out of nowhere that was a dropped pass from playing the Cowboys.

But this time we are there and if the team can bring home the win I imagine it will eclipse all of the Raider, Hoosier, Reds, Yankee and Rebel wins combined. Like I said, I count myself lucky enough to have been fans of those teams when they won. Maybe it is just me being selfish. I do know what all this means, and I want it!