Congratulations to the Indy (nee Baltimore) Colts

Peyton Manning has finally gotten that monkey off his back, and can now rest easily knowing that as a legitimate first ballot Hall-of-Famer has he done the one remaining thing left off his resume; Won the Super Bowl.

Congratulations to Tony Dungy and the rest of the Indianapolis organization. They played an excellent game, even after giving up a 92 yard opening kick-off return to open the game. An early 7-0 whole and an interception by Manning made it look like the Colts could be conquered by the Bears. But by the time the kids were bathed, storied and in bed, the score was 14-9 Bears, and the Colts seemed to be warming up to the rain. I was amazed at how methodically the Colts ate up the clock and tired down the aggressive Bears Defense. Kudo's to the Bears tired D for keeping the Colts O out of the end zone in the second half.

It was a bit surprising seeing the Colts offense being so conservative, run, dump pass, run, etc. I would have like to see Peyton air out a few more balls in the second half. For as much as they had the ball, you would have thunk that the Colts won by 20-30 pionts. Obviously it worked, but would it have killed them to kick a field goal at the end of the game since it cost me $500? (I had the Colts 2, and Bears 7 box (yes I won $150 at the end of the 3rd quarter, so I am not complaining too much)). I know Dungy did not want to A) embarass his friend Lovie Smith by not running up the score, and B) worry about a blocked field goal that could have been run back for a TD and given Da Bears a shot of life but still you do have Mr. Automatic Adam Viniteiri kicking, at least give me a shot. Oh well.

My final thought on this football season is Bill Irsay and the entire Irsay family are still reprehensible scumbags in my mind, for the way they abandoned Baltimore in the middle of the night so many years ago. It is a shame that the Baltimore did not consider doing what Cleveland did more recently. You can take the franchise, but you cannot take the team name and history with it. I don't remember the details, but Browns fan maybe can refresh my memory, but when the not so honorable Art Modell moved his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore, Cleveland fought to keep the Browns name and history in Cleveland. Thus the Baltimore Ravens were born.

I just wish Baltimore had done the same thing with the Colts. Whenever I think of the Colts, I automatically think of Baltimore, not Indianapolis. I think of Unitas, Shula, Donovan, Bert Jones, Lydell Mitchell. I remember that famous scene in Diner, where the guys are grilling Ellen Barkin about Colts History to see if she is worthy of marriage. It clearly show how closely the folks who lived there associated their lives with their team. Even an episode of Homicide:Life on the Street touched on this subject with the crotchety old Ned Beatty playing Stanley Bolander, lamenting how the only football team that belongs in Baltimore is the Colts, not the CFL team that played there then, nor the Ravens who currently reside there. Somehow, this victory has to bite a bit for those Johnny U fans down in Charm City.

This franchise that just won the Super Bowl really should be known by another nickname and the Ravens should be known as the Colts. Anyone got any good suggestions on what this team should have been renamed when they moved?