Colts recruiting ex Rams fans

[The Old Crow]

7 minutes ago, southwest1 said:

Nice post TOC. Very well written too.You do make a good point. Displaced & disgruntled Rams fans might take some flack if they just alter NFL allegiances so quickly that it makes the league think St. Louis doesn't want another franchise. However, If a St. Louis fan loves football & their stadium is now empty, you can't expect legions of fans to abstain from all NFL viewing from this point forward either. 

 

I get what your driving at though & you're not wrong in an idealized sense TOC. 

 

Thanks for the complement about INDY's team & fanbase too. It just makes me respect you & your Ravens more my friend. 

 

Thanks again for the kind words. In the four years or so on this forum , I learned a lot. I respect the horseshoe and the fan base. Ive been to Lucas Oil Stadium and observed it in person . This forum is the best in the NFL. 

 

I'm sure some St. Louis fans may be done with the NFL in their city, and Indy makes perfect sense. But those who want the NFL to return to St. Louis should really look to the Baltimore- Washington examples. I can only speak for myself, but I'm a hometown team guy. I grew up pulling for Baltimore teams, and pulling for the Redskins, Eagles, or Steelers was not in my DNA. I couldn't follow the Colts because I didn't identify with Indianapolis, or Indiana. It a great place, but I'm not a Hoosier. I was a Colts, Orioles, and Terps fan. The NFL I did follow in the 12 year dark ages, I just followed Terp players on the various NFL teams. It was a depressing time. 

I just don't like this franchise moving roulette. I don't like this happening to any city, and the St. Louis deal just brought up some bad old memories. As I said, it's fine now for Baltimore and Indy, but I certainly feel St. Louis's pain. 

[southwest1]

TOC, 

 

I like what you said in a previous post about Browns fans feeling abandoned by Art Modell when he just took the team to Baltimore giving Cleveland fans permission to be ticked off & that you feel sorry for them. We all need that sometimes. A person just to say that in retrospect a relocation was handled wrong & that fans have a right to go from disbelief, heartbreak, rage, & disillusionment over the pathetic state of the current Browns. 

 

I'm with ya on the how much money is enough for owners too. Moving just to make additional millions or billions isn't always a wise move because you're taking team loyalty & consumer purchasing power for granted. 

[The Old Crow]

7 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

For the same reason you go to the theater to watch a movie. Entertainment.

 

Being a fan is a very emotional thing. I don't have a problem with fans having that kind of attachment to the local team. I do have a problem with fans and especially the government trying to take control over the team, even wrestling ownership of it away from the true owner.

 

You claim that Bob Irsay made those comments before the eminent domain thing, but I can't find any note of him saying that until he went to Indy. I think his point was 'I'm not going to let anyone take this team from me and my family.' And I'm fine with that.

 

You have to understand, the fans had nothing to do with eminent domain , it was started by a bone headed politician named Julius Lapides. I'm on record as being against Eminent Domain also. I'm not sure who would be for it. To the fans then , like you guys today, they were our Colts. It was just a disappointing statement, but it was true then, and more true now. All fans need to understand it. 

Going back in time, it was just such a poisonous atmosphere on both sides , I think Bob was pretty much gone anyway. After Irsay visited all of those city's , I think the Maryland politicians overreached because they thought it was a done deal , and the Colts were leaving. It certainly didn't make it right what they did, but I think the sentiment at the time was they are already gone, so this is the only thing they could do to stop it. When Brian and I debated this years ago, my point was if you are interested in NFL history, there is a lot more to it then just Baltimore had a bad stadium and eminent domain. Anyway, I thought I remembered him saying this before he hit Indy, but who knows. As they say, it's all for the history books now. 

[Superman]

1 minute ago, The Old Crow said:

 

You have to understand, the fans had nothing to do with eminent domain , it was started by a bone headed politician named Julius Lapides. I'm on record as being against Eminent Domain also. I'm not sure who would be for it. To the fans then , like you guys today, they were our Colts. It was just a disappointing statement, but it was true then, and more true now. All fans need to understand it. 

Going back in time, it was just such a poisonous atmosphere on both sides , I think Bob was pretty much gone anyway. After Irsay visited all of those city's , I think the Maryland politicians overreached because they thought it was a done deal , and the Colts were leaving. It certainly didn't make it right what they did, but I think the sentiment at the time was they are already gone, so this is the only thing they could do to stop it. When Brian and I debated this years ago, my point was if you are interested in NFL history, there is a lot more to it then just Baltimore had a bad stadium and eminent domain. Anyway, I thought I remembered him saying this before he hit Indy, but who knows. As they say, it's all for the history books now. 

 

Yeah the Baltimore stadium issue was over a decade in the making. It predated Irsay to begin with. Irsay shopped other cities, Baltimore got nervous, and then Irsay got serious about moving when the NFL said they weren't going to expand and Indy started really putting the moves on. Then the Mayflowers came.

 

I don't mean to sound callous to Baltimore fans and especially St. Louis fans. I get why it sucks to bad to have 'your team' leave. It's really not that hard to understand and even be empathetic about it (sympathetic, in my case; I live in SoCal, so the Raiders and the Rams got taken away; no I was never a Rams fan). 

 

But it's like you said, fans should understand that Irsay's comment was true. Sometimes truth is impractical, but when it's your team and your city, you really understand that it's a business. We get it when it happens on the field with players -- Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, all finishing their careers in different cities -- but when the team leaves your city, it's a different feeling. I get it.

[southwest1]

The only time I give a franchise a total pass on leaving a city is when a state legislature refuses to pony up about one half of the funds from taxpayers to renovate a crumbling stadium or construct a state of the art new facility. Look, I get the argument that some citizens will never attend a game in a new structure because their income won't allow them to expense wise & that the NFL is a TV & satellite enterprise anyway now, which it is. 

 

But, state of the art stadiums generate new jobs, a higher per capita clientele, & sophisticated business & industry companies; & better accredited universities on average too.  

 

Plus, 5 star hotels & a better variety of restaurants usually crop up too since out of town fans & media personnel gotta eat, sleep, shower, & shave somewhere right? 

[The Old Crow]

1 minute ago, Superman said:

 

Yeah the Baltimore stadium issue was over a decade in the making. It predated Irsay to begin with. Irsay shopped other cities, Baltimore got nervous, and then Irsay got serious about moving when the NFL said they weren't going to expand and Indy started really putting the moves on. Then the Mayflowers came.

 

I don't mean to sound callous to Baltimore fans and especially St. Louis fans. I get why it sucks to bad to have 'your team' leave. It's really not that hard to understand and even be empathetic about it (sympathetic, in my case; I live in SoCal, so the Raiders and the Rams got taken away; no I was never a Rams fan). 

 

But it's like you said, fans should understand that Irsay's comment was true. Sometimes truth is impractical, but when it's your team and your city, you really understand that it's a business. We get it when it happens on the field with players -- Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, all finishing their careers in different cities -- but when the team leaves your city, it's a different feeling. I get it.

 

Thanks, that's all I was saying. Our stadium problems did go back to Rosenbloom. If our politicians had built him a stadium , none of it might have happened. One thing about Rosenbloom was , he put a dang good product on the field. He then went to LA, and put together a great run from 73-79, but he didn't get a new stadium out there either ! That was when Baltimore really missed the boat. We had a local owner like we do now, he put out a good product, and we didn't give him an updated stadium. In the end, it cost us, and lessons were learned , but they were hard lessons. 

The hard thing when a franchise moves, as you pointed out, is it puts the players who only played in one city in an odd predicament . I was watching Kurt Warner talk about the move from St . Louis to LA, and what it meant to his legacy as he only played in St. Louis. I kept thinking, my god , he is Johnny Unitas. Johnny never hated Indy, he just never played there. He was pretty much loyal to the city he played in ,and adopted him. It was as simple as that. Kurt will be going though the same thing, but Eric Dickerson will be happy ! 

[The Old Crow]

27 minutes ago, southwest1 said:

TOC, 

 

I like what you said in a previous post about Browns fans feeling abandoned by Art Modell when he just took the team to Baltimore giving Cleveland fans permission to be ticked off & that you feel sorry for them. We all need that sometimes. A person just to say that in retrospect a relocation was handled wrong & that fans have a right to go from disbelief, heartbreak, rage, & disillusionment over the pathetic state of the current Browns. 

 

I'm with ya on the how much money is enough for owners too. Moving just to make additional millions or billions isn't always a wise move because you're taking team loyalty & consumer purchasing power for granted. 

 

With the Browns, you could point to the state of Municipal Stadium, the fact that they built a stadium for the Indians first, or put up the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , but the fact of the matter was Modell was a horrible businessman. He bought the broken down stadium, and had to take out  a loan to sign Andre Rison ! I don't think he wanted to move , but he got himself into such financial straights, that he thought Baltimore was his only out. Again, the fans had nothing to do with this and got totally screwed. If I remember right, there was a timetable after we were rejected for expansion , when that stadium funding was coming off the table , and would be withdrawn. That was when Modell called. Like you guys, I was ecstatic to have NFL football , but would have preferred an expansion team. It just didn't feel clean, and totally sucked for the good fans of Cleveland. 

[southwest1]

26 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Yeah the Baltimore stadium issue was over a decade in the making. It predated Irsay to begin with. Irsay shopped other cities, Baltimore got nervous, and then Irsay got serious about moving when the NFL said they weren't going to expand and Indy started really putting the moves on. Then the Mayflowers came.

 

I don't mean to sound callous to Baltimore fans and especially St. Louis fans. I get why it sucks to bad to have 'your team' leave. It's really not that hard to understand and even be empathetic about it (sympathetic, in my case; I live in SoCal, so the Raiders and the Rams got taken away; no I was never a Rams fan). 

 

But it's like you said, fans should understand that Irsay's comment was true. Sometimes truth is impractical, but when it's your team and your city, you really understand that it's a business. We get it when it happens on the field with players -- Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, all finishing their careers in different cities -- but when the team leaves your city, it's a different feeling. I get it.

Yeah, nobody wants to hear as a fan from the owner: "I love ya so much that I wanna leave this state as soon as humanly possible." That's essentially what a relocation is...A geographic divorce. 

 

I just feel horrible for St. Louis &  the businesses that will either lay employees off & close up shop now since all that yearly revenue just evaporated like a puff of smoke. 

[southwest1]

2 hours ago, The Old Crow said:

 

With the Browns, you could point to the state of Municipal Stadium, the fact that they built a stadium for the Indians first, or put up the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , but the fact of the matter was Modell was a horrible businessman. He bought the broken down stadium, and had to take out  a loan to sign Andre Rison ! I don't think he wanted to move , but he got himself into such financial straights, that he thought Baltimore was his only out. Again, the fans had nothing to do with this and got totally screwed. If I remember right, there was a timetable after we were rejected for expansion , when that stadium funding was coming off the table , and would be withdrawn. That was when Modell called. Like you guys, I was ecstatic to have NFL football , but would have preferred an expansion team. It just didn't feel clean, and totally sucked for the good fans of Cleveland. 

Exactly TOC. Cleveland citizens have been disappointed for so long that they have come to expect lowered expectations. The Indians are nothing to brag about, Lebron James left them, won 2 rings in Miami, got to the Finals again & lost to the Golden State Warriors, & everybody's waiting to see Hue Jackson get fired 16 months from now. 

 

Uh huh. Art Modell was way off base in how he ran the Browns, fired Bill Belichick way too early, & just was not fiscally sound at all. I forgot all about Andre Rison. Jesus. SMH. 

 

I've said it before & I'll say it again. I honestly believe the Browns are cursed. Their fan base deserves a tiny glimmer of hope man. They're not gonna get it though. So sad. That franchise is like a greek tragedy man. It truly is. 

 

Plus, this franchise is notorious for drafting picks that never work out: Trent Richardson, Colt McCoy, & Johnny Manziel. Other than Joe Thomas, this team has no ProBowl shinning stars in recent memory either. Alright, Dwayne Bowe is a ProBowler that's true, but if was still good he'd still be playing for Andy Reid as a Kanas City Chief let's be honest here. 

[crazycolt1]

4 hours ago, The Old Crow said:

 

I agree with you and Superman that it is big business, but just lamenting how the fans and cities can be shortchanged. It just came out today that Kroenke doubled the value of his franchise today by moving to LA ! He went from the 28th most valuable franchise, to the third. My point is this could happen to Baltimore, Indy, or another city in the future, if they could double their franchise value by moving to London, for example. Look, I want these owners to be successful and make tons of money, but when is enough, enough ?

 

When your team moves to another city, it is natural to get some hostility. I have many friends in Cleveland who point out we took their team, and we did, but I always tell them it shouldn't have happened, and I feel bad about it. We all wanted an expansion team, but after we got turned down for the last time in expansion, and Taglibue told us to forget football and build a museum, the stadium funding was still in place when Modell called. What do you do, wait another 12 years ? It was an ugly situation and I fully know why Cleveland fans get upset with Baltimore . I never tell those guys to get over it, because I know it hurt. 

 

Contrast that with Indy and St. Louis building stadiums and soliciting teams. We never did that , but I understand it's a business. Look, I fully understand you guys are happy Bob Irsay brought you the Colts and NFL football. I don't blame the fans, you guys have supported the Colts for 32 years. We have supported the Ravens for 20 years now, as we supported the Colts for 30. But as I pointed out in my example to you about LA, if you were a fan of the team leaving , trust me, you would have a slightly different perspective. 

If you saw your Championship banners hanging in another city, Manning, Polian , Harrison in a LA Rams section of the Pro Football HOF, and an ESPN retrospective of the 2006 Super Bowl as presented by new LA Rams, and don't get upset, you are way better than all of us. This is the bummer part when your team moves, and everything goes with it. 

Look, I love the Colts and have since long before they come to Indy. I go to every games I can. I buy their merchandise as much as I can. Everything a normal fan will do to show I am a fan. If Irsay packed um up and moved them out I wouldn't like it one bit. But sitting around brooding, whining and getting all blue about it for years in the future ain't happening. To be revengeful and hateful toward the next city and their fans ain't happening either. I would be more mad at Indy for not doing what it took to keep them. If the price was too high that's the way it goes. Way too many Baltimore fans took the Colts moving personal. They wanted to point fingers at Indy when it was Baltimore them selves who wouldn't do what it took. Then after the Colts left Baltimore it was like what we gonna do? Lets build a state of the art stadium for another team. Then the Baltimore fans whine and cry over the Colt name and it's history? It should have stayed they say. No, the city of Baltimore should have realized what they had and had not dropped the ball on keeping them. Having a NFL team in your city is a luxury but not a matter of life or death enough to conger up hatred over.

[The Old Crow]

9 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

Look, I love the Colts and have since long before they come to Indy. I go to every games I can. I buy their merchandise as much as I can. Everything a normal fan will do to show I am a fan. If Irsay packed um up and moved them out I wouldn't like it one bit. But sitting around brooding, whining and getting all blue about it for years in the future ain't happening. To be revengeful and hateful toward the next city and their fans ain't happening either. I would be more mad at Indy for not doing what it took to keep them. If the price was too high that's the way it goes. Way too many Baltimore fans took the Colts moving personal. They wanted to point fingers at Indy when it was Baltimore them selves who wouldn't do what it took. Then after the Colts left Baltimore it was like what we gonna do? Lets build a state of the art stadium for another team. Then the Baltimore fans whine and cry over the Colt name and it's history? It should have stayed they say. No, the city of Baltimore should have realized what they had and had not dropped the ball on keeping them. Having a NFL team in your city is a luxury but not a matter of life or death enough to conger up hatred over.

 

I'm not sure where you get all the hatred from Baltimore fans ? Did people from Baltimore hassle you ? All teams that move have that stigma attached. We get the same thing from Cleveland. I don't call them whiners , etc, because I get what they went through. 

Honestly, 1983 was a lot different than today. Back then the thinking was, we are the Baltimore Colts with a great history, they will never move. The NFL will protect us. Initially, the NFL didn't want to let the Colts move, but then they got killed in the Al Davis ruling. That opened up the floodgates to what we are dealing with today. Now we all know what can happen if you don't have an up to date stadium. 

 

The history and heritage is a whole different thing. As we know , all the records lie with the Indy Colts. The sad thing is no one hangs the Championship banners of the old Baltimore Colts. I wish Irsay and Bisciotti would put them up in both stadiums, so the fans could enjoy them. I mean, Lenny Moore, Ray Berry, and Gino Marchetti just received updated HOF rings in Baltimore in October 2015. Why not do it in both cities ? I know Ray did the coin flip in Indy. That history, because of past litigation , gets lost in the shuffle. Also, let's get both cities to sue the Frontiere's and get back the Super Bowl 5 trophy Rosenbloom stole. Baltimore has a copy , and get the other one for Indy. I think this would be awesome, bring both cities closer together, as we have a lot in common with the horse shoes. I didn't feel this way four years ago, but 32 years have past, and let's celebrate this great history, and get back to our real common enemy, the Patriots ! 

[Dilger85]

This is my first post on this board.  I am a displaced former Ram fan that was looking for a team that was close that I could adopt.  I think that I have found one and it just happens to be the same team that I started to root for in my pre teen years.

 

Growing up in Southern Illinois in he early 90s, the Colts were on one of our local channels.  I gravitated towards the Colts due to the great uniforms and the fact that I love the draft and the Colts at the time were always picking at the top.  I watched them draft Emtman and Coryatt and Faulk and Alberts.  I saw Tobin blow up on Kiper live.  I saw Jeff George's natural ability and his maddening inconsistency.  I saw Harbaugh go on his great run with Indy.

 

The Rams moved to StL in '95 at which time I started to follow them while still keeping track and rooting for the Colts but then eventually I fully converted to only one team.

 

I am excited about rebooting as a Colts fan for several reasons:

1. Proximity to me currently and I will be able to follow as games are shown in my area

2. Organization that seems to honor fans and give the fans a great experience

3.  Competitive team

4.  Great history (in Baltimore and now in Indy)

5.  Still one of the best if not the best uniform in the NFL

 

I hope that most of you will be receptive and look forward to discussing football with you all in the future.

[crazycolt1]

17 minutes ago, Dilger85 said:

This is my first post on this board.  I am a displaced former Ram fan that was looking for a team that was close that I could adopt.  I think that I have found one and it just happens to be the same team that I started to root for in my pre teen years.

 

Growing up in Southern Illinois in he early 90s, the Colts were on one of our local channels.  I gravitated towards the Colts due to the great uniforms and the fact that I love the draft and the Colts at the time were always picking at the top.  I watched them draft Emtman and Coryatt and Faulk and Alberts.  I saw Tobin blow up on Kiper live.  I saw Jeff George's natural ability and his maddening inconsistency.  I saw Harbaugh go on his great run with Indy.

 

The Rams moved to StL in '95 at which time I started to follow them while still keeping track and rooting for the Colts but then eventually I fully converted to only one team.

 

I am excited about rebooting as a Colts fan for several reasons:

1. Proximity to me currently and I will be able to follow as games are shown in my area

2. Organization that seems to honor fans and give the fans a great experience

3.  Competitive team

4.  Great history (in Baltimore and now in Indy)

5.  Still one of the best if not the best uniform in the NFL

 

I hope that most of you will be receptive and look forward to discussing football with you all in the future.

Welcome to the Colts forum. Never a dull moment.

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

18 hours ago, The Old Crow said:

 

I think any NFL team can put whatever on their scoreboard. What difference if it's Baltimore- Indy, Ravens- Indy, etc. Indy is the opposing team, they don't have to put Colts . I think Bisciotti put Colts on there as a gesture of goodwill. I believe he likes Jim Irsay. Like I've said, most of the stuff has simmered down. Aren't the Colts Indy ? How about the piped in noise allegations ? How do you feel about that ?

 

I think I fully credited the Cleveland politicians and fans for keeping the Browns logos and history , so I'm not sure where you got that one. 

 

Try to put it in this perspective. Let's say hypothetically the Colts leave Indy for LA. They take everything with them, your logos , records , and championships . Their fans claim your 2006 Super Bowl, and claim your Indy Hall of Famers as part of LA. They tell you how Peyton Manning was an LA Colt great. They put together a show on the 2006 Super Bowl with players from the Bears and current LA Colts. 

You are upset about it, but they tell you that you are bitter, butt hurt , get over it, and soon they will be in LA longer than Indy . We moved on in Baltimore, but that is the sadness that is always there. If that scenario, or London , happened to Indy, I would be outraged for Indy fans, like I am St. Louis. 

 

My my thinking is if a team or owner has to move because of stadium, eminent domain, or whatever, fine, but leave the heritage in the city. The Rams logo and history should have been waiting for them in LA, as the Cardinals in St Louis. I know this isn't a popular opinion, but that's how I feel. I know you guys love the Colts, and have earned the horseshoe by being great fans . It's the past now, we have the Ravens, you have the Colts, but I'm trying to give you an insight into some of the older Baltimore fans. 

 

 

 

 

The Ravens history does not belong to the city or state as of today  they like any other team could leave the reason they will most likely won't is because the Politicians & fans learned a lesson from the way they treated the Colts a cautionary tale for any Pro Team in any sport , The eminent domain as well as a crappy stadium with fans unwilling to use tax dollars to fix would lead any team to leave .

 

The Chargers Rams & Raiders all left L.A at one time. teams move Baltimore is no more special than any one else only luckier to have a second chance I'm confident Baltimore & its fans have learned that lesson although they hate to admit fault ..

 

[The Old Crow]

1 hour ago, ÅÐØNϧ 1 said:

 

 

The Ravens history does not belong to the city or state as of today  they like any other team could leave the reason they will most likely won't is because the Politicians & fans learned a lesson from the way they treated the Colts a cautionary tale for any Pro Team in any sport , The eminent domain as well as a crappy stadium with fans unwilling to use tax dollars to fix would lead any team to leave .

 

The Chargers Rams & Raiders all left L.A at one time. teams move Baltimore is no more special than any one else only luckier to have a second chance I'm confident Baltimore & its fans have learned that lesson although they hate to admit fault ..

 

 

I think the fair Baltimore fan would admit fault, but is was mainly the politicians, not the fans. It's just hard to pack them in when you are 0-8-1, 2-12, 4-10, etc for an extended period. Technically franchise history belongs to the owner, i.e. Records , but no one really owns history. The history was what it was, and happened when it did, in the place it happened, and can't be altered. 

 

I don't think Baltimore is special , it was just a more historic franchise that moved than say the Chicago Cardinals or Dallas Texans, as an example. I think one of the other forum members said that after 32 years the Baltimore Colts have faded away. Well, it's impossible because of all the historic Baltimore Colt Hall of Famers , the historic games they were involved in like 1958, and Super Bowl 3. You have Johnny Unitas, the seminal QB, and all of this stuff is constantly on NFL films. It can't be erased or altered, anymore than the legacy of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Some teams are forever, and the Baltimore Colts are one of those, no matter where the records lie. Every time when the Super Bowl comes up and you look at the records , you see Baltimore-Indianapolis Colts 2-2. You see the Bud Light Super Bowl 5 can that says Baltimore Colts. This is not a knock on the current Indianapolis Colts, but they just weren't around, or the Irsay's , when the predominant history and Championships occurred. I'm glad Jim honors Baltimore Colts history, especially the 70's teams he was part of. So, I am not saying Baltimore is special, but it's certainly more of a special case than other franchise moves because of the numbers of hall of Famers, NFL Championships, and historic games. It's the same reason you see a lot of the Brooklyn Dodgers in MLB retrospectives. 

[bayone]

4 hours ago, Dilger85 said:

This is my first post on this board.  I am a displaced former Ram fan that was looking for a team that was close that I could adopt.  I think that I have found one and it just happens to be the same team that I started to root for in my pre teen years.

 

Growing up in Southern Illinois in he early 90s, the Colts were on one of our local channels.  I gravitated towards the Colts due to the great uniforms and the fact that I love the draft and the Colts at the time were always picking at the top.  I watched them draft Emtman and Coryatt and Faulk and Alberts.  I saw Tobin blow up on Kiper live.  I saw Jeff George's natural ability and his maddening inconsistency.  I saw Harbaugh go on his great run with Indy.

 

The Rams moved to StL in '95 at which time I started to follow them while still keeping track and rooting for the Colts but then eventually I fully converted to only one team.

 

I am excited about rebooting as a Colts fan for several reasons:

1. Proximity to me currently and I will be able to follow as games are shown in my area

2. Organization that seems to honor fans and give the fans a great experience

3.  Competitive team

4.  Great history (in Baltimore and now in Indy)

5.  Still one of the best if not the best uniform in the NFL

 

I hope that most of you will be receptive and look forward to discussing football with you all in the future.

 

A little reboot every now and then is a good thing , no , ( take on Sean Connery to Alec Baldwin ? near end of  in Hunt For Red October , substitute revolution for reboot )

 

4 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

 

 

 

4 hours ago, crazycolt1 said:

Welcome to the Colts forum. Never a dull moment.

 

the more the merrier, enjoy the good, there is plenty , ignore the trolls, any team will have them, keep the faith- 

 

we have all the " luck " and a great future and past

 

 

[southwest1]

4 hours ago, Dilger85 said:

This is my first post on this board.  I am a displaced former Ram fan that was looking for a team that was close that I could adopt.  I think that I have found one and it just happens to be the same team that I started to root for in my pre teen years.

 

Growing up in Southern Illinois in he early 90s, the Colts were on one of our local channels.  I gravitated towards the Colts due to the great uniforms and the fact that I love the draft and the Colts at the time were always picking at the top.  I watched them draft Emtman and Coryatt and Faulk and Alberts.  I saw Tobin blow up on Kiper live.  I saw Jeff George's natural ability and his maddening inconsistency.  I saw Harbaugh go on his great run with Indy.

 

The Rams moved to StL in '95 at which time I started to follow them while still keeping track and rooting for the Colts but then eventually I fully converted to only one team.

 

I am excited about rebooting as a Colts fan for several reasons:

1. Proximity to me currently and I will be able to follow as games are shown in my area

2. Organization that seems to honor fans and give the fans a great experience

3.  Competitive team

4.  Great history (in Baltimore and now in Indy)

5.  Still one of the best if not the best uniform in the NFL

 

I hope that most of you will be receptive and look forward to discussing football with you all in the future.

Always glad to welcome a former Colts fan back D85. I look forward to future interactions & discussions with you. Nice bullet points there as well.  

 

Feel free to post your feedback more frequently too. I always enjoy hearing a fresh perspective anyway. 

[grmasterb]

3 hours ago, The Old Crow said:

 

I think the fair Baltimore fan would admit fault, but is was mainly the politicians, not the fans. It's just hard to pack them in when you are 0-8-1, 2-12, 4-10, etc for an extended period. Technically franchise history belongs to the owner, i.e. Records , but no one really owns history. The history was what it was, and happened when it did, in the place it happened, and can't be altered. 

 

I don't think Baltimore is special , it was just a more historic franchise that moved than say the Chicago Cardinals or Dallas Texans, as an example. I think one of the other forum members said that after 32 years the Baltimore Colts have faded away. Well, it's impossible because of all the historic Baltimore Colt Hall of Famers , the historic games they were involved in like 1958, and Super Bowl 3. You have Johnny Unitas, the seminal QB, and all of this stuff is constantly on NFL films. It can't be erased or altered, anymore than the legacy of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Some teams are forever, and the Baltimore Colts are one of those, no matter where the records lie. Every time when the Super Bowl comes up and you look at the records , you see Baltimore-Indianapolis Colts 2-2. You see the Bud Light Super Bowl 5 can that says Baltimore Colts. This is not a knock on the current Indianapolis Colts, but they just weren't around, or the Irsay's , when the predominant history and Championships occurred. I'm glad Jim honors Baltimore Colts history, especially the 70's teams he was part of. So, I am not saying Baltimore is special, but it's certainly more of a special case than other franchise moves because of the numbers of hall of Famers, NFL Championships, and historic games. It's the same reason you see a lot of the Brooklyn Dodgers in MLB retrospectives. 

Do folks in Brooklyn argue the Dodgers should've left the pre-LA records and history in Brooklyn?

[The Old Crow]

37 minutes ago, grmasterb said:

Do folks in Brooklyn argue the Dodgers should've left the pre-LA records and history in Brooklyn?

 

I'm sure they would like it, unfortunately they never got a team back. However, if you look at the Ken Burn's baseball specials, the Brooklyn Dodgers figure prominently in it, as the Baltimore Colts do with NFL films. I just think it makes for a clean break, and the city that gets the team , starts fresh with their own history. This may not be a popular opinion here, but I know I have no interest in St Louis Browns or Dallas Texans history. 

[The Old Crow]

48 minutes ago, grmasterb said:

Do folks in Brooklyn argue the Dodgers should've left the pre-LA records and history in Brooklyn?

 

Let me ask you a question, if the Colts moved to LA, would you want your Indianapolis history, or would you have no problem with your records, championships , and Hall of Famers under the LA Colts moniker ? 

[grmasterb]

2 hours ago, The Old Crow said:

 

Let me ask you a question, if the Colts moved to LA, would you want your Indianapolis history, or would you have no problem with your records, championships , and Hall of Famers under the LA Colts moniker ? 

I doubt I would care, because I doubt I would be a fan anymore. Those things belong to the team. I also don't give a rat's behind about the Baltimore Colts, and I believe 18 >19.

[The Old Crow]

11 minutes ago, grmasterb said:

I doubt I would care, because I doubt I would be a fan anymore. Those things belong to the team. I also don't give a rat's behind about the Baltimore Colts, and I believe 18 >19.

 

Well, we are fans of the Baltimore Colts and Ravens, but to each his own. I believe both 18 and 19 are great guys,  and quarterbacks. I like Luck also. They exemplify what I believe to be a great QB. 

[CroatianColtsFan21]

On 1/14/2016 at 3:37 PM, Jared Cisneros said:

Los Angeles has 2 Basketball teams, 2 Baseball teams, a hockey team, and now a football team. LA has more sports teams than most states, and people there care more about hollywood for the most part. They don't deserve half of what they get.

 

NYC has 2 hockey, 2 baseball, 2 basketball and 2 football teams..

L.A. has 1 hockey, 2 baseball, 2 basketball and now has a football team..

Chicago has 1 hockey, 2 baseball, 1 basketball and 1 football team..

See the pattern here?

 

L.A. also has more people than most states..

Even if most of them care more about hollywood, for the rest of them that care about football, i'm glad they got their team back..

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

On 1/22/2016 at 5:42 PM, grmasterb said:

Do folks in Brooklyn argue the Dodgers should've left the pre-LA records and history in Brooklyn?

 

I grew up going to Dodger games in the 70's we loved our team the history came up just like with the Colts but for me we have our memories & they have there own we the fans share the teams history & thats as good as it gets  the wounds are the same for any city , I won't deny to lose your team sucks The Colts are my team but The Raiders & Rams were my home teams first , I don't begrudge any other city for my teams leaving that is because at the end of the day its not about any particular city its about the success of a franchise the Colts in Baltimore were there because a team failed elsewhere a new name a new city a new beginning .

 

The franchise irregardless of the name is whats important  Browns - Ravens regardless of city are the franchise & if & when Baltimore drops the ball there always will be another city ready to land a team .

 

A lesson every city & fan should recognize .

 

 

[The Old Crow]

6 hours ago, ÅÐØNϧ 1 said:

 

I grew up going to Dodger games in the 70's we loved our team the history came up just like with the Colts but for me we have our memories & they have there own we the fans share the teams history & thats as good as it gets  the wounds are the same for any city , I won't deny to lose your team sucks The Colts are my team but The Raiders & Rams were my home teams first , I don't begrudge any other city for my teams leaving that is because at the end of the day its not about any particular city its about the success of a franchise the Colts in Baltimore were there because a team failed elsewhere a new name a new city a new beginning .

 

The franchise irregardless of the name is whats important  Browns - Ravens regardless of city are the franchise & if & when Baltimore drops the ball there always will be another city ready to land a team .

 

A lesson every city & fan should recognize .

 

 

 

The Browns- Ravens are not the same franchise as all the history stayed in Cleveland, although we got the owner, front office , and players. We basically started off like an expansion franchise with bad Cleveland players. The saving grace was getting Ozzie. Also, the Ravens don't win Super Bowl 35 without Bisciotti's infusion of cash. Modell was still having financial issues that eventually led him to sell the team. 

 

I dont blame the fans of Indy, they wanted a team and NFL football. After 32 years , the Colts are engrained in Indy, but it may have been better if they weren't encumbered by someone else's history and started fresh. That just my opinion, and I'm glad we never became the Baltimore Browns , with uncomfortable Cleveland history like Jim Brown and Otto Graham being celebrated in Baltimore, just because it would have been the same franchise. I appreciate those guys, but I was a Baltimore Colts fan pulling against Cleveland in the 64 and 68 Championships. So if the franchise came to Baltimore , I'm supposed to cherish Browns history , even though it occurred in Cleveland, and I rooted against them ? It just gets so convoluted. 

 

 

[Rams to Colts]

I am a new Colts fan.  My choices were follow the Rams to LA, ignore the NFL, become a fair weather fan to all teams, or choose a new team.  I decided to choose a new team and focused on 6 teams.  I sent emails to each team asking why I should be a fan of their team, and only the Colts called. Yes, they called me.  I am not a fair weather or a bandwagon fan.  I rooted the Rams all the way to the end, all the while Kroenke trashed our city, and Jeff Fisher lied about 

not knowing anything.  After the ordeal with Kroenke, it was amazing to have a team call me and ask me to be a fan.  As Colts fan, you don't know how lucky you are to have a team that supports the area, puts a great team on the field, and really tries to engage their fans.  The Rams did none of this.  You never saw the team reaching out to fans, putting on events, anything.  Their idea of game day experience is to put up a tent in front of the stadium and that's it.  While the Cardinals, who don't ever have to do anything to win their fans love... Have event after event. I still don't understand why we get a bad wrap for being a "baseball town" when Chicago, Boston, and New York have bigger followings for their baseball teams than football as well. Boston actually has a larger following for the Celtics too. 

 

However, I am done with all of that and am looking forward to coming to Indy to watch games.  I hope you all accept us, and I'm sure there will be more. We really want to have a great NFL experience and root for a team who appreciates us.  

 

 

[Cynjin]

11 hours ago, Rams to Colts said:

I am a new Colts fan.  My choices were follow the Rams to LA, ignore the NFL, become a fair weather fan to all teams, or choose a new team.  I decided to choose a new team and focused on 6 teams.  I sent emails to each team asking why I should be a fan of their team, and only the Colts called. Yes, they called me.  I am not a fair weather or a bandwagon fan.  I rooted the Rams all the way to the end, all the while Kroenke trashed our city, and Jeff Fisher lied about 

not knowing anything.  After the ordeal with Kroenke, it was amazing to have a team call me and ask me to be a fan.  As Colts fan, you don't know how lucky you are to have a team that supports the area, puts a great team on the field, and really tries to engage their fans.  The Rams did none of this.  You never saw the team reaching out to fans, putting on events, anything.  Their idea of game day experience is to put up a tent in front of the stadium and that's it.  While the Cardinals, who don't ever have to do anything to win their fans love... Have event after event. I still don't understand why we get a bad wrap for being a "baseball town" when Chicago, Boston, and New York have bigger followings for their baseball teams than football as well. Boston actually has a larger following for the Celtics too. 

 

However, I am done with all of that and am looking forward to coming to Indy to watch games.  I hope you all accept us, and I'm sure there will be more. We really want to have a great NFL experience and root for a team who appreciates us.  

 

 

 

Welcome to Colts fandom.  The Colts do try to engage their fans and have for some time, pretty cool that the Colts called you after you sent them a letter.  Also, I do not believe that St. Louis being a baseball town is a bad thing.  Indiana is known as being a basketball state, but the other sports are still good and getting better.

[Blue Swagger]

13 hours ago, Rams to Colts said:

I am a new Colts fan.  My choices were follow the Rams to LA, ignore the NFL, become a fair weather fan to all teams, or choose a new team.  I decided to choose a new team and focused on 6 teams.  I sent emails to each team asking why I should be a fan of their team, and only the Colts called. Yes, they called me.  I am not a fair weather or a bandwagon fan.  I rooted the Rams all the way to the end, all the while Kroenke trashed our city, and Jeff Fisher lied about 

not knowing anything.  After the ordeal with Kroenke, it was amazing to have a team call me and ask me to be a fan.  As Colts fan, you don't know how lucky you are to have a team that supports the area, puts a great team on the field, and really tries to engage their fans.  The Rams did none of this.  You never saw the team reaching out to fans, putting on events, anything.  Their idea of game day experience is to put up a tent in front of the stadium and that's it.  While the Cardinals, who don't ever have to do anything to win their fans love... Have event after event. I still don't understand why we get a bad wrap for being a "baseball town" when Chicago, Boston, and New York have bigger followings for their baseball teams than football as well. Boston actually has a larger following for the Celtics too. 

 

However, I am done with all of that and am looking forward to coming to Indy to watch games.  I hope you all accept us, and I'm sure there will be more. We really want to have a great NFL experience and root for a team who appreciates us.  

 

 

Welcome!  Do you think there are many like you from the St Louis Area?  What do you think will happen to the Rams fans in your area?

[Rams to Colts]

6 hours ago, Blue Swagger said:

Welcome!  Do you think there are many like you from the St Louis Area?  What do you think will happen to the Rams fans in your area?

Thank you all for welcoming me. 

 

I have a couple of friends who are becoming Colts fans after they heard my story. We are going to see if the bar by our house will be a STL Colts fan bar. We know the owner really well. I posted the story on my Facebook feed and a few others want to become fans now. It's like I said, the Rams fans are so starved for real NFL experience it is a no brainer.  

 

A lot of the former Rams fans are still hurting and not sure what to do, but I made the choice early to move on. I am a huge football fan, and was as season ticket holder for years. So not a bandwagon fan at all. 

 

I want to to come to the opener next year. How difficult is it to get single game tickets? I know it will have to be from a broker. 

[New_Colt]

I am one of disgruntled former Ram fan.  I just cannot see myself rooting for the Los Angeles Rams (it hurt me to type that) after what Stan did to the city of St. Louis there is no way I would follow the Rams out there.  I decided I would find me a new team.  I was thinking about the Bears, Titans or the Colts.  I decided on the Colts because of the amount of respect I have for the history of the team, respect for Coach Pagano, and respect for Andrew Luck.