Posted on 02/06/2007 5:53:24 AM PST by Military family member
NFL's Best Fans Welcome Home World Champions
INDIANAPOLIS - They celebrated in Miami, and the celebration continued on the plane ride to Indianapolis.
But through those moments, through the late hours of Sunday night, and the wee hours of Monday, Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said the players and coaches were anticipating a climactic moment.
It came early Monday evening.
It was well worth the wait.
Around 7 p.m., the 2006 World Champion Colts entered the RCA Dome after a parade through fan-lined streets in downtown Indianapolis. More than 45,000 fans packed into the RCA Dome. They cheered, roared and cried, celebrating the Indianapolis Colts' first Super Bowl Championship.
“Starting on February 5, when you refer to Indianapolis, Indiana you refer to them as World Champions,” Colts Owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay said.
As he said the final words, he hoisted the silver Vince Lombardi Trophy - the trophy awarded annually to the Super Bowl champion - high in one hand.
(Excerpt) Read more at mirror.colts.com ...
Last night was a time I will never forget. That place was on fire last night. Many of the Colts looked a little choked up.
THIS IS A GREAT CITY!
Thank you, Colts! They had to turn people away from the Dome. It was 0 degrees out and they were over an hour late. There were still people lining the streets.
They made an announcement inside saying that the fire marshal has asked people not stand in the stadium isles.
All this with about 8 hours notice to the city.
No alcohol served but you could not tell the difference with all the wildness. Truly a class organization and a class fan base in a classy city.
I am so Proud!
Congratulations! Those are great pictures of the fans giving their Colts a warm welcome in 5-degree weather.
Awesome!
When Irsay and Dungee rolled into the stadium, my WIFE looked at me and said, "You'd think we were on defense, 3rd and short!"
It occurred to me, I am going to miss the RCA Dome when they destroy it. It is the smallest and loudest stadium in the NFL right now. Kinda intimate, really. What I night!!!
Nice to see those smiling faces....very nice!
NFL.com wire reports
NEW YORK (Feb. 5, 2007) -- Peyton Manning had a lot of witnesses to his soggy super victory, with the estimated 93.2 million viewers representing the second most-watched Super Bowl broadcast ever.
Only the 1996 Super Bowl between Dallas and Pittsburgh, which had 94.1 million viewers, had a bigger audience, according to Nielsen Media Research on Monday. Behind that 1996 game and the M*A*S*H series finale, Super Bowl XLI was the third most-watched program in television history.
The presence of one of the game's most popular players in Manning, the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback and a major-market team from Chicago undoubtedly juiced the ratings.
It was the highest-rated Super Bowl game since St. Louis-Tennessee in 2000. The viewership is higher this year even though the ratings are lower than in 2000 because there are more homes now with television sets.
The Colts beat the Bears 29-17 in a game played during a driving rainstorm in Miami. It was shown on CBS, a division of CBS Corp.
The Super Bowl last year between Pittsburgh and Seattle drew 90.7 million viewers.
A class act and a great team. Glad they are part of Indiana.
er...Indianapolis.
Congratulations. Your team well deserved it.
The team actually was started in Miami. Besides, didn't they steal of team of their own?
Well, the team was started in Miami, but moved to Baltimore after it went bankrupt there. Baltimore later got the then old Browns franchise after the Colts had jilted them (or they jilted the Colts first, depending on one's perspective).
I truly could care less about pro teams or pro athletes for the most part these days. Just recalling the 15 Mayflower trucks pulling out of Baltimore under the cover of darkness in 1984...which seemed particularly shifty at the time.
Indianapolis was certainly the best team this year and deserved the title. Congratulations if you're a fan of theirs.
Not nearly as shifty as the Maryland state legislature planning to seize the Colts from their owners under eminent domain.
Perhaps. (I was going to include the phrase "to the Colts' fans" at the time...and apparently should have.)
The Colts endured a lot of 1-fer and 3-fer seasons and playing to empty seats in the Dome. The Jeff George years were quite embarrassing.
On a high note - When Mayor Bart Peterson spoke at the rally - he was booed!
"On a high note - When Mayor Bart Peterson spoke at the rally - he was booed!"
That is priceless, wish I could have seen that.
"On a high note - When Mayor Bart Peterson spoke at the rally - he was booed!"
I dislike Peterson's politics, but this was not very classy. I have a good friend who is a flaming liberal who worked for Peterson and he tells me he's actually a good guy. I miss Steve Goldsmith though.
he's got the money to stuff Irsay's pockets but can't afford to plow the friggin streets. 4 inches of snow and a 25 minute commute takes 2hr 15 minutes - unfortunately most of the people like myself who this whizzes off can't vote against him
[he's got the money to stuff Irsay's pockets but can't afford to plow the friggin streets. 4 inches of snow and a 25 minute commute takes 2hr 15 minutes - unfortunately most of the people like myself who this whizzes off can't vote against him]
This is just wrong. We spend way to much on snow removal in this city. For the one big snow we get a year, give me my tax dollars back and we'll just be more patient drivers. I have been watching deicers running the highways all winter without any snow and wondering just what it was costing. Today, we have one rush hour with 2"/hr of snow and complain? Stop it. He may suck, but lets not encourage spending because we taxed it.
It was a great day at the Dome. I think I'll miss it when it's gone. I played several games there myself.
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