ereeper Blog

NFL Full Contact

ereeper — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:44:24 GMT

Has anyone seen this new show on the TRU channel? Episode 3 is airing tonight at 10:00 and it may have some Colt action. This show is kind of a documentary/reality show on a NFL game day.

The first episode was about the first home game in the new Dallas stadium. A camera crew followed around the cheerleading coach, a super fan, a camera man, security, a suite worker, and some other behind the scenes workers. I was hooked after watching this episode and thought the show was really well done.

Last weeks episode was about the London game between the Bucs and Cheaters. They followed the same camera guy as the Dallas episode and then some other various behind the scenes workers. Once again, I thought this show was really well done and it is holding my interest and making me interested to see the future episodes.

Well tonight is the Pro-Bowl episode. I'm wondering if we will get to see some of our Colts in this episode. This one should be really interesting to watch with such a huge fan friendly event in the mainland for the first time.

There are suppose to be two more episodes after tonight. I'm guessing that there will be a Super Bowl episode, but I have no clue what that other episode would be about. I hope the show gets picked up again next year. I would love to see them do a behind the scenes look at a game day in The Luke.

Game Ball Thank You

ereeper — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:59:14 GMT

Wow!!! I am very honored to have been selected as the winner of the Super Bowl game ball. I've pretty much been a daily user here since this place opened. Living in Lions territory it is sure nice to be able to relate with people like me. I would never get to do so on a daily basis without my mycolts.net addiction.

I will post some pictures of the ball on the day it arrives. I have a ton of baseballs from MLB games, but this is my first football. I guess I will be shopping for a football case now to put this nice piece of history right on the mantle of my fireplace.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have bleed blue since 1984 and will continue to do so for life. I've been on the roller coaster ride for the entire history of the Indianapolis Colts. I can't wait when we now once again climb to the top of that hill when " In 2010, The Colts Win It All Again! ".

You Play BP, Which Free Agents Do You Keep

ereeper — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:25:03 GMT

According to my brief research, the following Colts are free agents in some capacity:

Baskett

Bethea

Brackett

Bullitt

Federkeil

Francisco

Hagler

M. Jackson

Jennings

A. Johnson

C. Johnson

Keiaho

Madison

Muir

Rushing

Stover

Ok, here is the deal. If you could only pick your top five free agents to bring back for the 2010 season, who would they be?

If I got to play BP, I would bring back Bethea, Brackett, Bullitt, C. Johnson, & Muir. Now I think more then five of these guys come back, but I wanted to see who deemed who the most important. We are in good shape for another strong run next year. The draft is going to be huge again. I think our most glaring weakness from our current team is our kick return game. I appreciate the effort by Simpson, but he is the one guy not a free agent that I would like to see replaced.

Keys To Beating The Saints

ereeper — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:57:34 GMT

1. DEFENSE

We have heard it before and we will hear it again. Defense wins championships! This is the best defense the Colts have ever put on the field. There is a lot of talk about the whole Freeney situation. Regardless of what happens with that issue I have complete faith in Brock. He has played great in the playoffs.

I have had the luxury to watch the last two pregame warm-ups in person. This group is not cocky, but they are confident. They don't let a few points rattle them and they regroup and they dominate. I'm expecting big hits and big turnovers from this Colts Defense and I expect to see them smile and dance the whole time.

2. Hold That Ball For Dear Life

The Saints defense goes for the ball and trys to make the big turnover. They are going to put helmets on the ball and try to pry it lose anyway possible. It is crucial that our guys hold the ball closest to the sidelines when we are outside the numbers. All plays up the middle are going to require holding that ball with two hands. If we don't fumble, we don't lose. It's as simple as that.

3. Protect Peyton

Guess what? The opponent is running their mouth again. Did you hear the challenge O-Line? I don't think this latest hot air is sitting to well with Johnson, Lilja, Saturday, Diem and DeVan. I know those guys take pride in their pass protection and their run blocking and they are going to continue that on Sunday. We are also going to need Joe, Donald, or Mike to pick up some blitzes in the backfield. We will also need Dallas or our other tight ends to block on occassion.

4. Feels Like The First Time

What a perfect song for Foreigner to sing at the AFC Championship game. Being down at the half reminded me that we have been there before and we knew how to comeback. Now for the big dance our team has a lot of experience and knows how to handle itself. The vets will show the first timers the way to conduct themselves all week and when it's game time everyone will just do what they do and we will lift that trophy Sunday night.

Go Colts!!!

The Importance Of Hiring Coach Caldwell

ereeper — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:12:50 GMT

I was thinking last night how lucky we are to have Coach Caldwell as the man in charge. Myself like most Colts fans was hoping that Coach Dungy would be back this year. I think Coach Dungy is happy in his new career path. I also think he is very happy for the team since he showed up at both home playoff games.

Anyway, back to Coach Caldwell. He has had the luxury of knowing he was "The Next Man Up" for a few years. This gave him time to prepare and soak everything in around him like a sponge. I think this team has a lot of Dungy still in it, but Coach Caldwell has given things his personal touch as well. I think his best move as head coach was letting Coach Meeks go and hiring Coach Coyer. I always supported Coach Meeks and I was happy he could get another job. After watching how strong the Colts defense is right now I think the timing was right for a change. The guys on defense love the new schemes and it shows on and off the field.

The other thing that is a huge asset is Coach Caldwell's demeanor on the field. He is never rattled. He is the calm in this team. When the Colts get down in a game he doesn't lose his cool. He has the same expression on his face and I'm sure the guys on the team can feel his body language. We have had many, many come from behind wins this year. If Coach Caldwell showed any panic instead of being as cool as the other side of the pillow we may have lost some of those games we won.

Finally, he had to make a huge decision that no other rookie coach has ever had to encounter. He stuck to his guns and did what he thought was best for the team in the long run when the starters were pulled in Week 16. The fans were divided and some players even looked at least slightly displeased. He stood behind his decision and faced the music. He never back tracked or passed the buck about the situation. It was clear to all that this was what he thought was the best decision for the team to win the Super Bowl.

Now Coach Caldwell enters the big stage for the next week. The biggest game of his life is on the horizon. I am proud that he is behind the wheel for this journey. He is going to say the right things all week. This team will not get in a war of words with the Saints. Coach Caldwell won't let that happen. When game time comes next week he is going to be prepared and focused and so will this Colts team. I strongly believe that this team is better then the 2006 Colts. The man in charge will have this team ready and I'm fully prepared to shed a tear or two when I see him lift that trophy up over his head. Thank you Coach Caldwell for being a leader and for being yourself.

Do You Want The Pro Bowl After The Super Bowl?

ereeper — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:43:33 GMT

I've never been a huge fan of the Pro Bowl. However, I do like to tune in and watch it just to see the Colts play. Tomorrow I doubt if I watch any of it. Then the idea struck me. What if we as Colts fans banned together and all refused to watch. Even fans of the Saints may want to do something similar.

I stand behind BP when he thinks the timing of this game is just stupid. I agreed with that long before the playoffs when I knew the game would be played before the Super Bowl. It just makes no sense to have players from the leagues two best teams forced to be there and smile and wave. So if we want the Pro Bowl to be played after the Super Bowl then we as fans have to not watch it on tv.

If we don't watch the ratings suffer and the advertisers won't want to buy an ad for that time slot. It's all about money here. Now it was a noble gesture to get it in the continental U.S. and to try and tie it with the same city as the Super Bowl. It just would have been better sense to play the Pro Bowl on 2-14.

Stepping of the soap box now...

Keys To Beating The J-E-T-S

ereeper — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:42:55 GMT

1. Swagger

It was great getting to go to the game last week. I always go in right when the gates open so I can watch the warm-ups. The thing that stuck with me right from the start was that the players were loose. You didn't see any pressure or tension. There were guys like Peyton who were out there and were all business getting in the work that needed to be done. Then there were the guys like Clint Session who was dancing and staying relaxed. That rubbed off on the other players as they stayed loose too. You could tell the Colts meant business and they expected to win. You see, that's what good teams do all the time. They expect to win and refuse to lose. This week is no different. The Jets are very similar opponent to the Ravens. That's our advantage and we need that same attitude as last week before and during the game. Plus, I want to see the defense do a little dance between plays again. That got the crowd pumped up!

2. Offensive Plays

The Jets defense is a bit better then the Ravens. The play calling last week was brilliant. Several times we went to an empty backfield and used four receivers. The Ravens burned two timeouts during those formations. Reading the defense and getting the correct formation to counter is going to be huge in getting us some points on the board. Also, the williness or understanding when is the need to go for it on fourth down and when to punt will be needed again. Our plays on third down were big last week and need to continue.

3. Step On The Gas

That opening drive can give us huge momentum. If we can score first we are off and running. Even if it's just a three that gets the ball rolling. The Jets are not going to be able to comeback from a huge point difference. If we can get up to a ten point early and keep expanding that lead we are going to force the Jets out of their offensive game plan and make some high risk plays. They like to baby Sanchez in the play calling and they will be forced out of their comfort zone if they continue to be in a position to make big plays down the field.

4. The Frohriep Factor

You better believe I have a ticket! The Colts are 7-0 in my last seven trips to Indy. The Colts are 3-0 in my last three playoff games. The Colts are 3-0 in my games at The Luke. The Colts are 1-0 when I attend the AFC Championship Game. Things are looking good, but the tour stops for me this week while it should continue to Miami for the Colts. Anyone want to give me a Super Bowl ticket to guarantee a championship???

GO COLTS!!!

Link To The Marvin Harrison Story

ereeper — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:56:17 GMT

Now let's remember that everyone is innocent until prooven guilty. I'm not here to judge, but this article is now a buzz and I took the time to find it this morning and read it. I'm not going to write an editorial or opinion about it, but it was interesting to read.

I do suggest that if you don't want to see Marvin painted in a shade other then his Colts glory days then I suggest that your skip reading this article. Also a warning, the language in this article is R-rated and if you are offended by that you may also want to skip reading this.

Here it is from gq.com:

http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201002/marvin-harrison

www.garconauthentic.com

ereeper — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:49:56 GMT

I see there are a lot of threads about the Haiti situation. Pierre Garcon has set up a web site to donate money to help. If you donate $20 you can get his autograph on a picture of him and donations of $100 or more will be personalized autographs. Check out the website and no donation is too small. Also, do not forget that charitable donations are all tax write offs.

Go Colts!!!

Keys To Beating The Ravens Again

ereeper — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:33:57 GMT

1. Fight To Get It Back Again

It's the best time of the year! It's playoff time. Who cares what people who are saying that are outside sources? It's put up or shut up time and this team needs to come out with an attitutude. They don't need to do anything above and beyond, but they do need that chip on the shoulder that it's Us vs. The World. People have slammed the end of the season and people are picking us to not make the Super Bowl. Well it's one play at a time now and the focus needs to be on beating the Ravens. It's going to take everyone on the coaching staff and active roster to get this done. I believe this may be the most complete Colts team of all time and it's time for the men in Speed Blue to proove it to the world.

2. Load Up The Box

We need to force the Ravens to pass. When it's first and ten to go we need to load that box with 8, 9, or even 10 guys. If the Ravens can't run they won't succeed. Flacco is fragile right now and pretty gimpy. There is no way he misses this game, but if we can force him into obvious pass situation and then release our pass rushers on him he is in huge trouble. We don't need to shut down Rice and McGahee, but we do need to limit their opportunities.

3. Give Peyton Time

Our O-line has been awesome this year. This isn't the best Ravens defense of all time, but they are still tough. We need to give Peyton time in the pocket so our receivers can run their routes and he can feed them the ball. Ray Lewis may have played one of his best games ever in the playoffs last weekend. I don't think he will have that much success against us, but he and the rest of the Ravens are hungry. Ray is going to try and knock Peyton on his butt and we need to make sure an O-lineman or a RB picks up his blitzes and puts a big block on him and anyone else trying to penetrate the backfield.

4. The Frohriep Factor

The stats show that luck is on our side. The Colts are 6-0 in my last six games in Indy. The Colts are 2-0 in the last two playoff games I've attended. The Colts are 2-0 when I've been to a night game. The Colts have never lost a game I've attended at The Luke. The Colts have never lost a game where I have brought the wife. This is our week and I'm ready to have a blast this weekend in Indy!

Go Colts!!!

If You Going To The Game Saturday...

ereeper — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:07:27 GMT

Those of you that have tickets to the game I wanted to bring to your attention that there is a canned food drive as you enter The Luke. I know for a fact my wife and I will each bring one can to put in the collection. I'm sure all of us have something in our cubbards that we can donate. Just think if every person who enters the stadium just put one can in the collection we can help a lot of people who are just worried about their next meal.

Were You There For The First Home Playoff Game?

ereeper — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:57:50 GMT

The date was January 16, 2000. The Colts were going to host the Titans in the first playoff game ever in the RCA Dome. I was lucky enough to get tickets for this game. The place I lived in at the time was close enough to Indiana where I could get the postgame show on my radio. After every game that season I would tune in and listen.

After the Week 17 game I heard them talk about a special offer. The Adam Marks hotel had a special playoff package. For a certain amount of money you got two lower bowl tickets to the game, one night at the hotel, and a special pregame party the night before the game. I jumped on it and ordered the package on the spot. There was no way I was missing the first playoff game in Indianapolis.

It's kind of a strange coincidence that our first home playoff game at The Luke is exactly 10 years later. The results are going to be different this time. First, I am very particular about my football rituals. The Titan playoff game was the only time I have ever sat in the lower bowl for a home game. I have never purchased another lower bowl ticket since. I will have endzone seats in the upperdeck for both games this year. The same endzone as where I sat for the Super Bowl run.

I know the NFL Network will show this game from time to time. I have yet to catch it myself, but I remember having the lead at the half and feeling pretty good. Then that huge Eddie George touchdown run was a killer in the second half. Peyton did run a touchdown in later in the game, but it wasn't enough to win.

That weekend Indy was taken over by Titans fans. They were everywhere in the street. They had just witnessed the Music City Miracle the week before and they were hyped and prime to take over our building. When I got in the game I sat next to Titans fans. There were Titans fans in front of me, Titans fans behind, and I swear there may have even been one under my seat as loud as they were.

Now we as Colts fans have witnessed a lot in the last decade. We have seen many, many records broken by the team and individuals. We have lifted the trophy. We have shut down and old friend and opened another one to host our games. January 16, 2010 is a new decade in Colts home history. This time it is different. We are going to keep our Luke blue and win two more home games. We are on our quest for Mission Miami!!!

Go Colts!!!

I Believe In Miracles

ereeper — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:39:13 GMT

The Ramones said it best in their song "I Believe In Miracles". A new winning streak starts today!!! We are not playing a power house or a world beater today. The game today can be won by the Colts even with limited play by the starters. Now come on, your a Colts fan, you have to watch this game. This is Week 17 and the Colts are playing. What better do you have to do?

You see, I'm the type of fan who enjoys the preseason. I like to scout our depth chart and see what we have in our organization. I want to know who that "Next Man Up" really is. Somebody who might not have played on a normal Sunday could be getting fine tuned to make a big play on Special Teams in the playoffs or a big tackle in a dime package. So turn that frown upside down and let's enjoy the last four games of the season as we start 2010 4-0.

Let's Go Colts!!!

Keys To Beating The Bills

ereeper — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:07:01 GMT

1. DEFENSE

Regardless of who dresses for this game the defensive side of the ball is going to be very crucial in this game. The Bills have an inexperienced QB who did not score any touchdowns last week. The Bills were held to one field goal last week by Atlanta. We need to continue to harass the opposing quarterback as well as snuff the run. We are also going to need some turnovers this week. If there was ever a week that the defense needs to give us a touchdown, this is the week.

2. No Big Plays On Special Teams

One thing that really hurt last week was that run back for a touchdown right after we had scored. That can't happen this week. We need to hustle to the ball and make sure the first man stops the returner in his tracks. If he can't take him down by himself he needs to hold on for dear life until the next guy levels him. Another thing that Pat needs to work on is his punts near the goal line. It seems like he tends to line drive the punt rather then kick that high booming punt when he needs to chip one. It's a good week for no touchbacks on punts and to down it close to the goal.

3. Conservative Offensive Plays

If Mr. Painter is going to see a lot of time this week then we need to ease him in to the mix. That means we needs lots of run plays. We need to get him some short passes that are completed to build up that confidence. Now once he gets a comfort zone then we can take a few longer shots down the field. I'm sure it will help that the Bills fans won't be booing unless he is lighting them up. This week I hope to hear the boos for the last time this season.

4. A Baskett Case

This week Hank may get a lot of playing time. Here is his chance to shine. He is the one big play threat out of the reserves and he can play full out. Sometimes when you play not to get hurt, you get hurt. Hank doesn't to worry about getting hurt and can show of his skills. If Painter can get him the ball, there is a good chance he may be the guy to get in the endzone.

BELIEVE IN BLUE!!!

Let's Rally Around The Coaching Staff

ereeper — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:10:08 GMT

Oh, I wanted that perfect season. Sounds kind of selfish doesn't it? I almost feel dirty that I wanted it so bad now. I ask myself, what lost would hurt more? Getting beat today or getting beat in the postseason? I'll take todays defeat everytime!

This had to be one tough move for Coach Caldwell to make. I applaud him for sticking with his plan. Let's not foget that no rookie coach has ever been 14-0 before. I can imagine that pride and greed could blind one in going for 15-0 and beyond. Instead, Coach Caldwell did what he thought was best for the TEAM.

Here is the bright side... Every starter on offense that played today is healthy. As a matter of face I think all the subs are healthy too. The same can be said for the defensive starters and subs. The guys that did not dress today should all be healthy and reading to go the weekend of January 16.

We are still a team of destiny. We can and will make a succesful run to Miami. Aren't we the fans the one that have the rally cry to Believe In Blue? Today was a win for many reasons. It doesn't go down as a "W" in the books, but in the grand scheme of things there was a master plan that wasn't shared with the general public. That plan was put into effect today and will be adjusted as needed for the Buffalo game.

If the weather is good in Buffalo I would like to see our starters play a half and then rest the second half now that there is no opportunity to be perfect. If the weather is poor, I don't want to see our big guns on the field at all. It's just not worth it. We have trusted BP, we have trusted Caldwell, we have trusted Manning and that trend needs to continue. We are spoiled and that is a good thing. A lot of us have seen this team lose 14 times in a season and in those days probably never dreamed of winning 14 in the same regular season.

What remains is one simple goal. Let's see Coach Caldwell get that Gatorade dumped on him in Miami and lift that Lombardi trophy over his head. We will still take it one game at a time to get there, but the plan is in place and we just need a little patience and faith to redeem the ultimate reward.

GO COLTS!!!