New Colts, Old Colts

New Colts
I suppose this is technically only one new Colt, but the team signed Ricky Proehl today. I am, and always have been, a big fan of Ricky Proehl. He's a very solid 3rd option receiver. With Stokely's condition still questionable after his knee injury (though he is slated to return this week), I think this signing should help the offense that much more. Proehl is the type of receiver who will run his routes very precisely and make plays, the kind of receivers that work in the Colts' offense. Don't think Proehl will be limited to checkdowns. With the attention paid to Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, Proehl will be given a lot of single coverage, probably with the nickleback. It was this situation where the Tampa Bay defense were worried about Holt and Bruce and allowed Proehl to score the game winning touchdown to get the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2000.

Old Colts
Mike Vanderjagt had a good setup going for him. He played 1/2 of his games in a climate controlled dome with no wind and perfect turf. He never had to worry about a 20 MPH cross-wind or loose sod under his plant foot. Sure, he was a good kicker outside and in bad weather, but why put up with that if you don't have to. The Hoosier Dome allowed Vanderjagt to become the "most accurate kicker in football history". Well, he got himself run out of town. If you're the kicker, keep your mouth shut. If your the kicker who's making $1+ Million a year, you should go ahead and have your larynx removed. But Vanderjagt got into it with Peyton, and management is always going to side with the QB over the kicker, especially if that QB is setting all kinds of records left and right. Anyway, my point in all of that was that I liked Vanderjagt when he was a Colt. After he wore out his welcome in Indianapolis, my opinion changed. I wanted him to lose. When he put a field goal off the upright against the Colts two weeks ago, it was probably the highlight of the game for me. At least until he shanked a second one. And just to add insult to injury, he's being replaced by a Gramatica, the same Gramatica in fact that the Colts just got rid of. Ouch.

Marvin Harrison is Packing

The Boston Globe released an article this week discussing the prevalence of concealed weapons in professional sports. The Globe went through the states that both allow concealed weapons and allow those records to be public to see what professional athletes have permits for concealed weapons. Keep in mind that this list does not include guns that are registered in states with private records or guns that aren't even registered to begin with. Some of the names aren't that surprising, like Stephen Jackson, but one name really jumped out at me - Marvin Harrison. During the Colts-Pats game last week, Marvin made one the best catches of the year. The most amazing part was that he actually spiked the ball afterwards. Now I come to find out he's rollin' with a 9? Marvin Harrison is obviously not the person we all thought it was.

FUCK YEAH

I don't want to get into a big Manning-Brady debate, or breakdown how the Colts constantly break my heart every post-season to the point I can't even enjoy the game because I'm worrying about how they're going to screw everything up. Today, it's all about the celebrating. The Colts won, and that's all that matters.

IU Football

Quick, who's 5th in the Big10 right now? That's right, the IU Hoosiers. The Hoosiers are 5-4 right now, a mere game away from from being bowl-eligible. With Minnesota and Purdue - 10th and 7th, respectively - still on the schedule, there's a really good chance of IU going to a bowl game for the first time since losing in the 1993 Independence Bowl. Right now, IU has a chance of the Insight Bowl (Big10 #6), Alamo Bowl (Big10 #4/5), or the Champs Sports Bowl (Big10 #4/5). If IU makes anyone of these games, I'm going. Screw Italy. It'll be there next year. IU may not make another bowl game in my lifetime.

Of course, being IU football, they could just as easily go 0-3 to finish the year 5-7 and not make any. They've already lost to UConn (3-5, 0-3 Big East) and I-AA Southern Illinois.