My friend Phil confronted me the other night (and rightfully so) about my recent rooting for the Indianapolis Colts. First of all, let it be known that if the Steelers were alive and well in the playoffs, I would not be rooting for anyone else. Sides do not always have to be taken in "fan-neutral" games, but every-so-often a sports fan will be cheering for a team that is not their home team, and reasons must be given for this vested interest. That being said, I have officially adopted the Colts for this playoff season...and here are five reasons why:
1) Peyton Manning pretty much rules. From the ridiculous numbers he puts up in the regular season (and fantasy seasons), to the hilarious commercials (CUT THAT MEAT! CUT THAT MEAT!), this guy is a star. He's lanky, awkward looking, and wouldn't appear out of place wearing goggles in a 30-and-over weekend rec league. Despite these things, he is a future hall of famer and a big time student of the game. Props to Peyton Manning.
2) Tony Dungy. Not only was Coach Dungy a safety on the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl chamption team of 1978...This man was a defensive coach, defensive backs coach, and defensive coordinator for the Steelers in the "I'm Chuck Noll and I've given up" years of the 1980s. Of course I'm pulling for an ex-Steeler, but I'm more impressed that he came out of that era with his head held high. He could have gone down the Art Shell career track, but he overcame the odds. Speaking of Art Shell, Tony Dungy is black, and one has to like a black head coach (unless that black coach is Art Shell). Dungy has not had a very good 13 months with the suicide of his son, a shocking playoff loss, and his current (Super Bowl) team being labeled as having a soft defense (the cornerstone of any Dungy coached team). Needless to say, I'm rooting for the man.
3) I have a thing where I like to see great athletes and all-round good guys win championship rings. I know that professional athletes deserve nothing, what with their outrageous salaries and their elevated celebrity. But I just enjoy seeing people who excel at their respected sport win the big one. Like Ray Bourque with the Colorado Avalanche, Jerome Bettis with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and John Stockton with the Utah Jazz (Umm...scratch that last one), I like to see the great ones win it all. It is because of this reason that I hope Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Jeff Saturday, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, and Adam Vinatieri (again) win Super Bowl rings with the Indianapolis Colts.
4) I can't root for this Chicago Bears team. I just can't. If they win, it will be like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens all over again. Imagine the articles: "Joining the club of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks such as Joe Montana, Brett Favre, & Tom Brady before him.......its your 2007 Super Bowl winning QB...Rex Grossman!!!" I just can't get excited about that.
5) And now for the most selfish of the reasons...I predicted that the Colts would win. Back when the season started and fantasy teams weren't even in place yet, I told my friend Bob that I really thought this would be the Colts year. I borrowed a little bit of The Ewing Theory from ESPN's Bill Simmons (the idea of addition through subtraction, with Edgerrin James gone, the Colts would improve their focus), and honestly thought that both Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy were due, that it was their time. What it all boils down to is this...I want the Colts to win for many reasons...but mainly because I called it.
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2 comments:
Since I initiated this post, I should point out its weaknesses.
Many of your reasons for pulling for the Colts can be cross-applied to the Bears: the Bears have a black, defensive coach; there are many great athletes and all-around good guys on the Bears; Peyton Manning is quarterback for the Bears. Well, maybe not that last one, but as any good Steeler fan should know, a team is not defined by its quarterback. It's true that Rex Grossman is not usually an exciting quarterback (or if he is, he's exciting in the wrong way), but one of the best reasons to pull for the Bears is that their defense, rather than a pro-bowl, hall of fame quarterback, has brought this team to the super bowl.
Let's look at some other reasons why I want the Bears to win.
(2) The Bears are the underdogs. No one is giving them respect (blah blah blah, see comments in the paper this week). But this is still a good reason: usually if one has no particular loyalty to a certain team, it's a rule of thumb to pull for the underdog.
(3) The Bears have much better colors and uniforms.
(4) The Bears' black coach is named "Lovie" (!).
(5) The Bears do not play in a dome.
(6) The Bears did not leave one city for another to make more money; they are a traditional team with loyal fans who stick with them through thick and thin.
(7) Devin Hester.
Prediction: Bears 24, Colts 17.
(8) I predicted the Bears to win.
I enjoyed both Phil's post and Desmond's. And I still can't decide whom to root for. In some ways this is better than last year, when I felt that if the Steelers didn't win, I needed to delve into some theodicies to cope with the letdown. I'm glad I'm not so attached this year. Just a note for Phil, remember that the Colts' black coach is named "Tony" (!).
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