NFL.com

View full size photo »

My grandfather fought at Iwo Jima in 1945. My uncle was in Vietnam in the late-1960s. My cousin was a Marine just after the first Gulf War. My father, while not a war veteran, served in the Peace Corps early in its inception. So, though he did not fight in a war (he was a pacificst), he did serve his country in a positive way.

Here's to all veterans and people who serve. One of the more inspirational veterans you will meet is Josh Bleil (pictured above), who lost both his legs in Iraq. Despite his injuries while serving, Josh still walks with the help of two prosthetic legs and a cane. Josh, who works for his hometown Indianapolis Colts as a community spokesperson, is a living example of what Veterans Day is all about.

Fine job by NFL Network to do a story on him.

Good morning everyone! While you are injecting various forms of caffeine into your system, allow me to comfort you with the news that no, you are not hallucinating. Stampede Blue does indeed look different this morning. But, unlike a couple of years ago, when this site was radically changed from version 1.0 to 2.0, the update to the site today is more of a version 2.5.

As you can see, the spacing between areas is a bit different, the top nav bar is a "tab view" instead of a standard link bar, and the site controls area has been moved to the right. In addition, the site's "sections" have been pushed closer to the top and the site's background wallpaper has been changed ever-so-slightly. All the SB Nation blogs have gone through this little refresh, and like you this morning I'm still getting working to get over the new look.

Feel free to chat this morning about the changes. Or, if you want to talk football, please chat about what Bill Polian said last night on his radio show (Tip to ANGELSFAITH).

Enjoy this open thread!

Palm Pre's NFL Mobile Live application

View full size photo »

In yet another effort to invade your blue and white saturated brain with even MORE Stampede Blue content, I'm happy to announce that we have partnered with Sprint so that Stampede Blue content, along with other SB Nation blogs, is now available on Sprint's Palm Pre.

As you probably have noticed, after watching about a billion Sprint commercials during NFL games, Sprint is partnered with the NFL, offering exclusive NFL content on the Sprint Palm Pre phone using the NFL Mobile Live application. Using this app, the expected NFL content (like videos from NFL Network, articles from NFL.com, etc.) is placed together with articles from SB Nation blogs like ours.

This means you can access the NFL Mobile Live application and use it to read SB Nation content. Yes, that is indeed very, very cool!

If you have Sprint, the NFL Mobile Live application has an SB Nation link under the "My Teams" section. One touch and you've got access to select content from Stampede Blue. This application is a bit different than accessing Stampede Blue Mobile or SB Nation Mobile, as those are sites designed specifically for device browser access. So, if you've got an IPhone or a Blackberry, those sites are still your best options for accessing mobile Stampede Blue content.

But, if you have the Palm Pre, all your NFL content (from NFL Network to NFL.com to SB Nation blogs) is all rolled up in one neat little application.

Now, before some of you scream "LOOK, IT'S A SPRINT POST LIKE THE ONES MIKE FLORIO USED TO DO! STAMPEDE BLUE IS A CORPORATE WHORE! RAWWWWWWWWWW!" Please, calm down, stop drinking Red Bull and Jack Daniels at 8AM every morning, and listen. We live in the 21st Century now, and blogging has expanded from simple websites into gigantic social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and mobile device applications, which connect literally millions of readers. This deal is a way to get even more Stampede Blue content out to current readers and to expand the blog to new audiences. I've already seen a spike in membership and daily traffic as a result.

In addition, I use the Palm Pre myself. I'm a bit of a tech geek and I love mobile devices! The IPhone is amazing. Blackberry is... well, it does the job. The Palm Pre is a nice meeting of both, and for me (the blogger) a mobile device like this is as necessary these days as a computer and Internet connection are. Blogging on the road, using Twitter, updating Facebook (which I've neglected of late) are all vital for the continued growth and success of this blog.

After the jump, if you are interested in seeing how NFL Mobile Live works on the Palm Pre, the good folks at Behind the Steel Curtain have put together a quick video showcasing the app. There's also some info about a contest Sprint is sponsoring where you can use the app to vote on some of the biggest plays of the NFL week.

Continue reading this post »

A longtime former Colts player is up for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.

Yes, that's right. The big place with all the metal busts (which apparently talk to each other at night, according to John Madden) is considering several major candidates this year. Players like Jerry Rice and Emmit Smith are sure to be first ballot selections.

But what about players like former-Colts center Ray Donaldson?

Donaldson played for the Colts from 1980-1992. He was drafted for the Baltimore Colts, and moved with the team to Indianapolis in 1984. For many years, he was regarded as a high caliber offensive lineman on a low caliber team. Before the emergence of Jeff Saturday, Ray Donaldson was arguably the best center in recent Colts history. He was second team all conference five times in his career, Pro Football Weekly's 1st Team All-Conference center in 1988, and Associated Press second-team All-NFL in 1987, the first year the Indianapolis Colts made the playoffs. After he left the Colts, he played two seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and two for the Dallas Cowboys. In 1995, he was the starting center for their Super Bowl championship team, blocking up-front for Emmit Smith and Troy Aikman. In 2006, he was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He also one of 18to88's Classic Colts players.

Donaldson retired following the 1996 season after seventeen years as a starting NFL center (wow!). He's been eligible for the Hall for a number of years, and I think it is time we fans let the Hall know that if you are going to let someone like Michael Irvin in there, then a true tough guy like Ray Donaldson deserves a bust in Canton as well.

In order to do this, I wanted to let you know about the Van Heusen Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan's Choice campaign. For the first time, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is asking fans who they think should be inducted into the Class of 2010. Currently, ole Ray is ranked #118 out of 130 candidates, with a mere 51 votes cast at FansChoice.

Ray deserves better than that.

So, in my not-so-humble opinion, I think it is time we give good ole Ray some love, and let the Hall of Fame voters know that players like him deserve credit for the impressive careers they forged in the NFL.

Continue reading this post »

Today at 4:05pm Eastern, I'll be a guest on XL950's The Zone, with their fine host Derek Schultz. We'll be discussing the upcoming game between the Colts and Seahawks, along with some other related NFL goodness. Their call-in number is 317-736-0950, and the email is thezone@XL950.com. I encourage you to call-in or email Derek with questions from 3pm onward. Despite his looks, he's a reasonably smart guy.

And since we are on the subject of media, I'll take this quick opportunity to respond to yet another odd, seemingly schizophrenic article from the Indy Star's Bob Kravitz. There is no need to dissect and pick apart the piece. 18to88 has already done it for us in typical fine fashion, pointing out the laziness and inconsistency that is characteristic of Kravitz's writing and reporting.

Continue reading this post »

Hi all. Apologies for interrupting your regular chain of Colts content, but wanted to make a special announcement about me, the site, and the upcoming start to the 2009 regular season. I haven't blogged about this all that much, but in just a few days I am getting married. I'm getting hitched to a woman who is intelligent, lovely, and who absolutely detests football. Oh, and her father is a Packers fan.

Hey, can't help who you fall in love with.

This means that for the better part of this week and all of next week, I will be busy making wedding arrangements, kissing the bride, and all the fun honeymoon stuff afterward. With all this going on, it is unlikely that I will have time to blog regularly about our beloved Colts. In fact, because our honeymoon involves camping and enjoying the outdoors, I will likely not have a chance to watch one or both of the games (Week One against the Jaguars, Week Two against the Dolphins).

So, while I am fretting over table clothes, dinner plates, flowers, and what color tie I'm going to wear, guys like shake n bake, mgrex03, KingRichard, and Colt Homer will maintain the site, providing you with the very best content possible. MasterRWayne is also attending the wedding. I've already got open threads in the queue for both the Thursday and Sunday games, and our cadre of stellar writers will provide you with game previews, fantasy updates, post-game recaps, and much more.

During these two weeks, I will pop in when I can, comment on a few things, and perhaps post a picture or two. So don't fret. I'll be around. I just won't be posting articles that frequently. After two weeks, I'll be chomping at the bit to post about our beloved team, and you'll see me back chugging out my usual three or four posts a day (I have no life).

You may see some posts from me tonight, tomorrow night, and (possibly) Thursday, but in general over the next two weeks I will post less. If you need to send an email to Stampede Blue about anything in particular, send it to SB Nation's contact page. Or, you can email shake n bake.

When (appropriate) wedding pictures are available, I'll post them for you. In the meantime, we return you to your regularly scheduled Colts blog.