It's not that I intentionally hate the man.  In fact, I don't.  Hate is too strong of a word for a player on a rival fan base's team.  Dislike?  That's a better word in my humble opinion.  But it's not dislike because I think the man is a douche.  Far from it.  It's dislike because of an obvious level of talent.

I'm not blind to the fact that Fivehead is on pace to have a record breaking season when yardage is the yardstick - 2,545 yards to be exact.  And we're only halfway through the season.  Now, some will claim that he should garner another NFL MVP.  I would agree IFF ("if and only if" for those not familiar with logic) Manning blasts the numbers in the regular season to a point where it's impossible to ignore.  Let's say, for instance, that Tom Brady manages to lead the Patriots to the the playoffs.  Wouldn't that make a serious case for MVP nods?  I mean, isn't that essentially what Peyton did last year?

 

There are many reasons why I dislike the man, but it has little to do with emotion.  It's purely his level of play and the fact that he manages to give the Patriots fits on a regular basis.  As an outsider looking in, the frenetic pace set by an Indy offense is interesting to watch, from a purely scholarly perspective.  The hurry up offense, commanded by Manning, is a potent weapon in Indy's arsenal.  It tires defenses out.  It gives little time for adjustment and when a defense adjusts, Manning and his offense can change quickly.  Slowing that train down is the best option.  Forcing Manning and the offense to move a little slower is, IMO, the key to beating this team.

Now, onto why I like Manning.  This will sound twisted, but I think he's made my team and Tom Brady better players.  The obvious comparison would be the Lakers and Celtics, Magic and Larry.  Each made the other better because they kept raising the bar, upping the level of play.  The other had to keep pace or fall by the wayside.  Such is the case with our 2 teams and quarterbacks.  There can be no sloughing off, no downtime, no taking a day off.  Bill Belichick said as much after a nice 27-17 win against Miami.

During the locker room speech at the end of the game, Belichick told the players that they were back to practice on Monday to prepare for Indy.  Wednesday wouldn't cut it.  That's how serious NE takes a matchup with the Colts.  And I can tell you it's the same for the fanbase, too.  The chatter on local Boston radio stations has been non-stop.  It's much busier than any other matchup.  Well, maybe an upcoming Jets game will get the blood boiling (I sooooo want to hang an L on Rex "pompous windbag" Ryan's face).

This is Sunday Night Football.  This is cool stuff.  This is Colts vs. Patriots.  Does it get any better?

If y'all haven't noticed, it's your arch nemesis, MaPatsFan.  Your fearless leader BigBlueShoe is stirring up the pot over at my blog, Pats Pulpit.  This was less painful than I thought, but still not right - no offense.  I mean, too much blue, horshoes, and something called the Horse Trailer?  What tha...  And not that I don't mind me a good steak sandwich now and again, but give me a bowl of chowder any day and not that fake Manhattan version.  What's with all the tomatoes?  I think Foxboro, MA is the center of the universe, Tom Brady is one of the greatest QB's to ever play the game, and Wes Welker (the jersey I wear) is the most dangerous underneath receiver in the biz.  But you guys wouldn't want anything else from your hated rival, right?

Seriously, as always it's fun to hang with you guys.  When I first started blogging here as a lowly commenter, I wanted to learn about the Colts - know your enemy kind of stuff - and I've always been impressed with the passion of this crew.  And the knowledge; that's what it's all about for me.  Even though I've lived outside of Bawstun all of my life, I'm no Tommy from Quinzee.  I believe both teams need each other, they each make the other better.  Same is true for Peyton and Tom.  To steal a bit from BBS, they're Magic and Larry - determined enemies on the gridiron, but friends who appreciate each other's talent and competitive spirit.  This league is better because of the competitiveness between our clubs.

Thanks for putting up with me and I leave you with one thought...

Continue reading this post »

Photo: trashtalkuniversity.com

Everyone, in case you didn't know, the Tennessee Titans won the AFC South for the first time in six years. Yay and yippee for them. They did, indeed, deserve the division.

Sadly, there are a lot of chippy, dumb, and arrogant people who root for the Titans. There are also a lot of smart, intelligent, and pleasant Titans fans as well, but for some reason the dumb ones seem to keep chatting it up here. I guess all the years of our team kicking the crap out of t heir's have made these folks develop a bit of an inferiority complex. They get one sniff of success (like, say, winning the division) and they think it is a license to act like their team has actually accomplished something that is worth trash talking over.

Just to put things in perspective, since 2002 (when the AFC South was formed):

Division Titles: Colts 5, Titans 2

Number of 10 or more win seasons: Colts 6 (hopefully 7 soon), Titans 4

Number of losing seasons: Colts 0, Titans 2 (hey, the beat us at something)

Number of trips to the playoffs: Colts 6 (hopefully 7 soon), Titans 4

Playoff Record: Colts 7-5, Titans 2-3

Head-to-head record: Colts 9-Titans 4

Super Bowl Victories: Colts 1, Titans 0

So, when the dumb contingent of Titans fans come here looking for trouble, kindly post this common knowledge for them, and then (figuratively) walk away. If said Titans fans continue to mock and troll, they will get warned. If they persist after that, banhammer. We are happy to welcome Titans fans and to talk about how our team will play theirs Week 17. But, we will not tolerate morons and general idiots who claim the Titans have been better or on par with the Colts the last few years. Such deluded schmucks can kindly roam somewhere else, because we can only suspend our belief so much.

The rest of us who live on planet earth will move on, kindly content with the knowledge that the Colts have owned the Titans since the beginning of the AFC South, and them winning the division this year does not change that.

PWNED!

Photo: personales.ya.com

 

Now, onto the Lions.

Patriots WR Wes Welker was speaking at a youth football camp on Friday about his experiences in the NFL, the "dagger" that was Super Bowl XLII, among other things.  It's a great thing that NFL players get out in there communities (this was in his hometown of Oklahoma City).  He also talked about his former teammate Asante Samuel, who signed a $57 million deal with the Eagles in the offseason.  Says Welker:

Welker expressed disappointment that the Patriots weren't able to re-sign Asante Samuel, an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection last season who won two Super Bowls with New England. Samuel instead signed a six-year, $57 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Asante's a great player, so it hurts not to have a guy like that. But then again, it's part of the business of the game," Welker said. "He chose money over championships, and that's the way it goes sometimes."

Here's a stat that even Terry can agree with:

Asante Samuel: 2 Championships

Wes Welker: 0 Championships

Welker has played for New England for 1 season, after spending the beginning of his career with the lowly Dolphins.  He was helped immensely by having a great QB throwing to him, and a great WR on the other side of the ball constantly drawing the defense's best defender(s).  And he didn't win a championship last season, and while they are the favorite in '08, there is no guarantee the Patriots will ever win a championship with Welker on the team.  Samuel has won 2 of them already.  And Philadelphia isn't some bottom dwelling team either.  They are a very good team stuck in a tough division.  They could easily make a run like the Giants did last season.

Samuel is reached the pinnacle of the sport twice.  It may make some players not worry so much about winning a title than others.  New England runs their franchise a certain way, and you can't really fault them for doing it the way they do.  They've had moderate success over the past decade.  Samuel wanted to make more than what New England would pay him, so he left. 

When Welker actually wins a championship, maybe then he can criticize people for "choosing money over championships."

I know more than you

Stampede Blue Mock Draft Challenge

No purchase nessecary.

It's amazing how the coverage of the NFL draft has expanded almost exponentially over the past several years.  We used to be stuck with one "uniquely haired" draft analyst.  Now you can go to any number of dedicated draft websites and read full bios of potential draftees along with mock drafts.  I've done some straw polling, and the number of people creating their own Mock Drafts in the last year alone has risen over 72%.

Since several of you already have been working on mock drafts, I thought it would be fun to have a challenge to see who's mock draft faired the best.  We'll actually have two contests.  The first will consist of the Colts draft only.  The second challenge will be to create a 2 round full NFL Mock Draft.

Get your pencils out, and start working on your selections.  You have until Friday, April 25th at midnight to EMAIL your Mock Drafts to me.  Feel free to enter one or both.  Only one entry per person.  All disputes will be resolved by the Stampede Blue admin.  Feel free to offer any ideas or suggestions for improvements such as expanding the number of rounds, expanding the points system, etc.

Feel free to post your mock drafts, but I must receive them in my email to be official.

Please let me know if something wasn't clear, or if you have any questions.

Good Luck!

Just wanted to let everyone know where the Stampede Blue Bracket challenge stands heading into the Final Four this weekend.  I, as always, have done terrible but I'll hold out hope that Kansas can pull it off.

I'll just list the bracket names.  Some of them are obvious as to who they belong to, and some I don't even know.

Now that we're almost done with the NCAA brackets, it's time to get those Mock Drafts polished up.  More details to come...

We all don't like these Patriots

As our good friend the21eraser pointed out below, the NCAA Basketball Tournament is upon us.  I have found myself in a unique position on the eve of 2 of the best days in sports (Divisional Playoff Weekend is the other 2 days).  My alma mater, Notre Dame, is set to take on my soon-to-be graduate school alma mater, George Mason.  Yes, THE George Mason. That team everyone fell in love with 2 years ago when found their way to the Final Four in Indianapolis.  I enjoy the school, and the program I am in is top notch.  However, they have one problem, and we all should take notice:

They are nicknamed:  The Patriots.

It is our duty as Colts fans to root against them.  Can you really see yourself saying: "I'm rooting for the Patriots.  The Patriots are the feel-good story in Sports."  I need a shower after saying that.  

College teams shouldn't be the only "Patriots" we root against (Baptist Bible College, we are coming after you too).  I did a search of Indiana High School Nicknames, and there are 9 schools in our great state of Indiana that share a nickname with that team in the Northeast.  What a travesty.  These schools really should consider changing their nicknames to something that is synomynous with good moral character, doing things the right way, and, of course, winning without the aid of video cameras and HGH.  

We shouldn't like these Patriots either.

All of these schools should change their nickname to...The Colts! Not one high school in Indiana has the nickname "Colts."  I have found 9 candidates for this honor.  Please step forward, and get yourself a new, better, nickname.

Anyway, back to Thursday night.  You should all practice your "Let's Go Irish!" chants before the game.  The big guy from Schererville, it's pronounced HAIR-ann-GO-dee.  CW over at Rakes of Mallow has some good preview material, so you can start your hating of the Patriots sooner than 9:50 EDT Thursday night.  

By the way, I'll be looking at everyone's bracket, and seeing who the "Patriot" fans are here. There is still time to change your bracket. Trevor Laws will be very disappointed in you if you don't.

Don't be a "Patriot" fan (but do consider going to school there.  It's quite good.)  Go Irish!

That's right.  It's the 2008 Stampede Blue NCAA Bracket Challenge.  We may be a NFL Football/Colts blog, but there is no denying that almost every sports fan in America will fill out a bracket.  We might as well see who has the wits when it comes to NCAA Men's Basketball, and who couldn't match up with Peggy in Accounts Payable.

All you need is a free Yahoo.com account to participate.  All normal Yahoo.com Fantasy Sports rules and scoring applies.  It's pretty simple; you pick the most games and score the most points, you'll win.

All you need to do is CLICK HERE to join in the challenge.  Please identify your Stampede Blue user name somewhere so we can congratulate, or make fun of you.

Winners get bragging rights.  Hey, we're cheap!