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My Opinions Are 0% Fact

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  1. My Opinions Are 0% Fact
    I've never really understood the proverb, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." I feel like whoever came up with that never had someone break up with them or ever worked in the service industry. I'm a words guy. Words are extremely important to me. They are the most powerful symbols on the planet. I would never claim that I am a master wordsmith, but I know that words are super powerful! Words can Sustain a relationship or wreck it beyond help. Words can end a war. Words can take a group of very different individuals and unite them under a single purpose and goal. That convergence something that the Colts organization has been very intentional about fostering and what we are going to talk about in this edition of What Does It Mean To Build A Monster.
    Getting a large group of people to unite behind a single vision is no easy task. If you disagree watch the evening news or visit this wonderful site's forums. There are so many variables that come into play. There are varying personalities, emotional states, and even levels of intelligence. One must take into account people's backgrounds; where people come from affect them tremendously. Each individual has their own selfish ambitions; where people want to go in life also has a tremendous effect on them. Now a football team may have a little bit of control over these factors because they have direct control over the players and employees that they bring into their organization. General Manager Ryan Grigson has on occasion spoken about "Horseshoe" type players. That sort of gatekeeping control can help but it only goes so far. You have to have something to unite around that helps explain the vision.
    Symbolic Convergence Theory is a communication theory developed by Ernest Bormann. Without getting super technical it tries to explain how groups of people use symbols and dramatizations as a sort of rallying point based upon shared experiences. Translation: The Colts organization is put through a massive overhaul at the end of the Peyton Era and the beginning of the new era. The Monster being created is the symbolic translation of this process. The Monster itself embodies the attitude, demeanor, and philosophy that the Colts want to possess from the front office to the gridiron. In a process of building a dynasty, something Ryan Grigson has spoken about before (and the topic of another future edition), there are so many decisions that have to be made. There are so many complexities and moving parts that it makes it hard for people who play a specific role in the process (scout, player, position coach, photographer, fan, etc.) to always see the full picture. The symbol of the monster and its ongoing construction helps dramatize it in a way that is easier to digest and support.
    The Colts organization have used this tendency for humans to gather around the symbolic brilliantly. Not only do they talk about building the monster, players having horseshoe characteristics, and COLTSTRONG but they took the symbolism level to new heights with the Robert Mathis armor! They have taken something that humans do everyday, sometimes automatically and used it to rally anyone and everyone connected to the team around these symbols that everyone can relate to. The theory behind all this stuff is pretty complex, but if one wishes to understand what "Build The Monster," means then it is important to understand the purpose that it serves. Not only is it important as a Colts fan, but it is important to everyday life. One should be aware of the symbols that people are trying to use to appeal to one's emotions. It can be easy to associate yourself with a group or individual because they present themselves as a symbol that you can relate to even though it may be disingenuous. So that's my soap box moment. I'll try to make those few and far between. Honestly I just hope that I didn't bring too much shame upon my former communication professors. Citing wikipedia probably didn't help much...
    Let me know what you think in the comments section!
  2. My Opinions Are 0% Fact
    Hey people out there who may or may not enjoy reading what I write! Just wanted you to know that I still plan on writing more but I am getting married this week. And while it might not seem like it I take a lot of time to research to try to know at least a little bit what I am talking about and I try to spend time while writing making sure I put out the best blog I can. Aaannnddd if I were to devote that amount of time to a blog about football...my future wife would murder me...then no one wins. So, I will be back to the delight of some, possible dismay of others, probable apathy of the rest. Thanks!
    Jonathan
  3. My Opinions Are 0% Fact
    It's something that we have seen on T-shirts, in player, coach, and front office interviews, and all over forums. Build the Monster has become a sort of rallying cry for the Colts organization and fan base. It's catchy and it conjures up images of an unstoppable football juggernaut. When I first heard the slogan a wide smile spread across my face, but after the initial effect wore off I began to wonder what the slogan really meant and what it would take to actually build a monster. In this blog I want to explore that question from a logical, financial, personnel, fan base, and even rhetorical analysis stand point. So, let me know what you think. If you think it is a good idea I'll go for it. If not I'll still do it, but just feel bad about myself...so...
  4. My Opinions Are 0% Fact
    I have never been to a Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium (I attended last year's Titan's game in Tennessee). This is mainly due to the fact that I live in Chicago, home of the Bears, (Yes, Peyton, I suffer from Displaced Fan Syndrome). The second reason is I'm getting married, and justifying a ticket would put a...strain...on our budding (hopefully long lasting) relationship. This is only important because in part 1 of my search to find out what "Build The Monster," truly means I am going to be taking a look at people like me, the fans.
    When most people think of building the monster I feel like their thoughts drift directly to the roster. That's a pretty understandable. The roster is something that is something that is actually "built," with players being added, subtracted, and moved around on the depth chart. I believe, however, that building the monster starts with the fans. When I was down in Tennessee, for a Thursday Night Game, I was surprised by how many Colts fans there were. Not only that I was astounded by the noise the fans brought to the away venue. It was a welcome sight (and sound) in a "hostile" stadium. Now LP Field isn't THAT far away and I can't speak to our road attendance, but in a '08 study done by Emory University ranked the Colts as the 6th most supportive fans in the NFL . Now a lot has changed since 2008, but one thing that hasn't changed is the loyalty of the fan base. One thing that I have noticed about my fellow Colts fans is the level of ownership they take in "their," team. This is why they can rank 6th in the NFL after having only been in the city for 23 years. It's also why we can be extremely critical of our team when an action is taken that is disagreeable. This criticism, which some have misinterpreted as being "fair weather," is in my opinion a good thing. I'd take that over apathy any day! Lucas Oil Stadium has won, once again, the Best Sports Venue Award given annually by Stadium Journey. This is because, in part, the fans. Paul Sweeny, Co-Founder of Stadium Journey, stated,
    "The contrast in the level of noise between when the team is on offense or defense is astounding. This is partially a carryover of the Peyton Manning era when he would make calls from the line of scrimmage, so the crowd has been trained over the years to be quiet when watching the offense. The only time you will hear the crowd is after a big play, when the announcer calls, 'That's an Indianapolis Colts...' and the crowd responds exuberantly, 'FIRST DOWN!' On defense the crowd can be menacing, but they are far from hostile. On the contrary, Colts fans are very hospitable to visiting fans and you won't see anything more than good natured ribbing toward opposing fans. You can feel comfortable wearing your team's jersey if you are following them on the road."
    Sorry for the block quote, but that is some good stuff! That quote above shows the signs of an intelligent fan base! It is one thing to be crazy loud when the opposing team is on defense, but it is an entirely different thing for a stadium full of fans to be quite. Also, having a fan base that knows where "the line," is when it comes to other teams' fans is a great thing. Not every fan base gets it.
    The Colts as an organization have done a great job of fostering this fan base of "menacing" yet "hospitable" followers. On the website in t he days leading up to games there is always an article and/or video of a player, coach, or exec proclaiming the importance of the fans bringing the noise. That can't be by accident. The Colts organization seems to be, at least from the outside, a very intentional group of people. They also do an amazing job of catering to the fans almost rabid craving for team information. I think they understand that the Colts, being a smaller market team, will never get their fair share of the national sports talk time. I think they understand that to keep people plugged in and interested in anything you have to keep them engaged in whatever it is you are selling. Things like the Mailbag and are amazing ways to interact with the fans and "educate the monster," as it were. I feel like we are a fortunate group to have a team like that.
    When one thinks about building the monster. I think the most important things to remember is 1.) It is the monster. Singular. BUT 2.) It is built meaning made of many separate parts. What a perfect analogy for a fan base. A singular entity striving for a singular goal, that is made of many different parts. If you have any questions or comments or wanna talk or debate about anything I said leave a comment! Go Colts!
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