Having returned over a week ago from my wild drive through Northwestern Canada and Alaska, I am still clinging to the last mental images of the grizzly pups wrestling with each other, Orca whales chasing some unseen prey, and the midnight sun.  These all-American images (ok, mixed in with some Canadian ones), combined with the festivals that celebrate Independence Day will fade soon enough, but one of the enduring sentiments from my experience are embodied in the phrase, "of the people, by the people, for the people."

Perhaps the feeling is too overblown, but it is in this spirit that I signed on to write with Stampede Blue.  I am "of" the people (y'all), what I write is therefore "by" the people, and I write it "for" you.  Hopefully you continue to enjoy...

FROM THE SADDLE
Official Team News

• John Oehser (Colts.com)
  • Sam Giguere is getting more comfortable in the system, and ready to contribute
  • Jacob Tamme just wants to contribute
  • Kelvin Hayden wants to be on the field as much as possible (Editor's note: me, too, as long as he's defending a lead)
  • Jacob Lacey won't rest on his laurels
  • Jamey Richard plans to be ready whenever he's called
• Jeffrey Gorman (Colts.com) hosts The Heavyweights, with players Ryan Diem and Curtis Painter
  

GREEN APPLES AND ROAD APPLES
Positive and Negative Analysis

• Paul Kuharsky (ESPN)
  • has John Chick on his radar
  • asks Kelvin Hayden about the people who influenced him
  • reacts to Mike Chappell's article on Tom Condon
• Mike Chappell (Indy Star) reports that Manning's new contract is coming slowly, and takes a deeper look at Manning's agent, Tom Condon
• Phillip B. Wilson (Indy Star) John Chick has overcome the logistical difficulty of playing the game with diabetes, and is ready to make his mark on the Colts
• Brett Mock (Coltzilla)
  • evaluates whether the Colts have the best Wide Receivers in the game, then asks the same question about the Safeties
  • interviews WR Dudley Guice
  • interviews S David Caldwell
  • Also, check out Brett's "Colts Academy," in which he gives ordinary folk like me reason to think I can finally understand the intricacies of this game, the way the Colts play it
• Brooks Busch (Colts Chatter)
  • considers whether he'd rather pick up an NBA team with LeBron, or an NFL team with Peyton
  • describes what to expect from Jerry Hughes this year
• Brandon Scott (IndySportsNation) gives his analysis of key positions headed into camp

OUTSIDE THE STABLE
Around the League

• Paul Kuharsky The Texans are hoping to see Amobi Okoye flourish this year
  
• Vito Stellino (Florida Times-Union) Reggie Hayward takes his release professionally
  
• Jim Wyatt (The Tennessean) looks at the 4-way battle in the Titans' secondary
• Paul Kuharsky (ESPN) looks at the age of the AFC South
• Jason Cole (ESPN) ranks teams based on key positions: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, offensive line, defensive line, weakside linebackers