Peyton and Me, pt. 1

This year has brought much change to me, in many forms. Not all of these changes have been good; and not all of them have been bad, either. Of all these changes, one of the ones that is probably most obvious on a social level is my dramatic decrease of interest in sports. I used to be crazy about them, from basketball to baseball—although football was always my favorite. I would check ESPN and Yahoo sports more often than I would my facebook. I was always the first one to get the news about certain teams and players. I was known as the “sports guy” to the other students in my major, and I even tried to start a worldwide facebook group in memory of Redskins safety Sean Taylor after he passed (the group topped out at 21 members, unfortunately).

As the years have gone by, unfortunately, my interest in sports has decayed to a point where it is almost non-existent. I cannot pin point the exact reason why. I suppose the decline started with my boredom and frustration with fantasy sports; and it may have also had to do with the fact that many of the friends I was most passionate in discussing sports topics with have pretty much resigned themselves to my past. The deaths of Declan Sullivan and Lizzy Seeburg, along with some other controversial actions by coach Brian Kelly—along with the general entitled attitude Notre Dame fans and students have, catalyzed my falling out of love with Notre Dame athletics to the point that I began publically rooting against the teams. Most of my friends know that I am the eternal skeptic when it comes to Mississippi State athletics, as well, especially after the disappointment of the 2011 football season. I cannot tell you how college basketball in general is going, not even my teams. This is even sadder considering March Madness is approaching. The NBA lockout, LeBron James’ betrayal to his team in Cleveland, and the broader “have and have not” culture in the NBA has made me not pay any attention to the NBA this year on principle. Hockey is another sport to which I barely pay attention; although, I have tried to improve upon this in the past few weeks, to no avail. My interest in baseball faltered after Manny Ramirez was busted for steroids, and it has never recovered.

The only sport that I am currently putting effort into keeping up with is NASCAR. Unfortunately, prolonging my interest is taxing; and I haven’t looked at any news about it since the Phoenix race last Sunday. Even at its best, I suppose that will only be a passing interest when a race is on; although I would like to try to go to a race this year, if I can make it to one.

So, yeah. My only real sports interest is occasionally looking at the football subforum I belong to and talking to my brother about them once in a blue moon. Do I suffer from my lack of interest in sports? Not really. The only problem I notice due to this change is that my brother and I seem to have less things to talk about. Once every three days or so, he will message me about a basketball or hockey topic—to which I just shrug my shoulders and send him a noncommittal or half-interested reply. I once sent him a message dealing with NASCAR, but he did not reply; and, knowing his lack of interest, I decided not to send him another message about it.

The reason I bring up the subject of my loss of interest in sports is to contrast it with something that has been steadfast: my admiration of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. For more than half of my life, I have supported the Colts and rooted for Peyton. I have been there for the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Now that he’s left the team with whom he started his professional career, I feel it’s just another puzzle piece in the change in my life. Dramatic sounding? Sure. To anyone who doesn’t know me, that may even sound crazy. However, Peyton and the Colts have almost been a bedrock for me in some of my most turbulent years; and, after reading this, I hope you will understand why.

I first learned of Peyton Manning during his time at Tennessee. As starting quarterback, he would lead the Volunteers to both regional and national prominence; although he would never capture a national title on the college level. When I would brag to my mom about how a Southern team was doing so well nationally (a big deal at the time, while most of my friends and family rooted for the regional teams, I would always focus on the bigger picture. So when a regional team was making moves on the national level, I was surprised by this clash of two worlds), she would take note that it was Peyton Manning who was leading the way. She mentioned to me that she knew he would go on to great things because she remembered how much of a fan she was for Archie Manning (Peyton’s father) back in the day. This was the first time I really knew of Peyton Manning as an entity outside of a guy with a helmet on the field.

During his senior season, it became apparent to me—even as a 5th grader—as it did to my mom that he would go on to greater things. I predicted that he would not only be considered for the Heisman, but also would probably be the first pick of the 98 NFL draft. While he would only be runner up to Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson for the Heisman, my suspicions would prove to be correct about Manning’s being picked number one in the draft. The day after, I recall telling a couple of my classmates that, although the Colts finished the previous season a dismal 3-13, in a few years the Colts would be great; and Peyton would lead the way. This was a big thing for me to say, as at the time I was jumping from team to team—focusing on who was winning more. I wanted to be right, naturally, so I started rooting for the Colts that day forward—even if I knew that there would be some bumpy roads ahead.

While I wish I could say that I followed the Colts extensively from that day on, I would be lying if I did. In fact, for the most part I lost interest in football for close to 7 or 8 years. Two things spurred the return of my interest in football, and they both happened coincidentally at close times. The first occurred late in the summer of 2005, shortly before I started college. I walked into the local Blockbuster and noticed a life-size cut-out of Peyton Manning sitting next to one of the aisles. As silly as it sounds, the cut-out reminded me of football and how much I was excited about his drafting status. I became curious about Peyton’s career, and I decided I should follow the Colts and the upcoming season with more attention than I had paid it in the past few years. The second event that really catalyzed my interest in football was moving into college with my freshman year roommate. Like me, he had also recently taken an interest in football (attending school at an SEC university helped motivate him). In addition to playing Madden 06 and attending MS State football games, he would keep the television on ESPN often and took particular interest in the NFL season. Through osmosis and the sentiment spurred from viewing that cut-out, I did the same and focused on the Colts.

What also helped my burgeoning interest in football was the luck that I started following the team seriously during one of their best seasons. If memory succeeds me, I first started keeping up with the NFL that season during its week. One thing that I do not need to struggle to remember is that the Colts were undefeated at the inception of my interest. Granted--as most football fans and sports fans in general know--a 3-0 start is good, but nothing to write home about. The Colts would go on to win game after game, 4-0, 5-0, and on. I started to look forward to Sundays and Mondays with anticipation. Considering that these games were at the start of the week, I would use a Colts win as a symbol that my week started off on a good note. I also started knocking off the other undefeated opponents when they lost, and priding the Colts even further.

Soon, the Colts were the only undefeated team left standing that season, and my fandomship of the team and Peyton became full blown. At the time, I was going to my hometown in Vicksburg (about a three hour trip) nearly every weekend—both to take care of my ailing grandmother and to see my girlfriend at the time. As the Colts continued to gain momentum, the local broadcasting company would televise Colts games every week. For early games (usually noon in the Central time zone), I had an established routine on how I would watch the games. I’d watch the first two hours of the game while I packed, then at two I would leave and catch the remaining highlights when I got back to my dorm that night. If the game was a later game, I would rush to my place as soon as possible so I could catch the latter part of the game. This was every weekend, and seeing the Colts win each week was almost something I counted on.

The first major victory I watched was the game versus the Patriots that season. Although my football interest was still in its rookie season, I had become well aware of the hype surrounding this matchup. At this point, the Patriots had the Colts number practically every time they met; however, this season both teams were headed in opposite directions—the Colts being the early favorites for the championship, and the Patriots struggling as a team with a few losses. I bought into the hype and counted down the days until the game—telling my girlfriend, family members, and close friends about my excitement. My hype was not disappointed, as the Colts kept control of the game the entire time. My eternal skepticism showed, though, as I waited until the very end before instigating any form of gloating.

As anyone who wants to check the Colts season online will tell you, the 2005 season also lead to my first few disappointments. The winning streak would only go for 13 games. I remember the first loss, at home against the Chargers. I had decided to watch the game with my girlfriend at the time; and, while I was disappointed in the loss, I took solace in the fact that the Chargers were not going to be a playoff team. My seriousness in following the Colts continued, as I even skipped the once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a Redskins/Giants game that Christmas holiday so I could watch the Colts play the Seahawks on television (another loss, but Peyton only played the first couple of drives, and a questionable decision by myself as I later think about it). My first real crushing disappointment would come a couple of weeks later, during the first playoffs of my fandomship.

The playoffs started well, as my home team Redskins upset the Buccaneers and the Steelers defeated the Bengals—setting up the first matchup for the first Colts game. The Patriots would go on to lose to the Broncos the day before the Steelers/Colts matchup, further enhancing my excitement. I planned to watch the Steelers beatdown the next day with my girlfriend. I put on my newly acquired Manning jersey and hat and got excited…to watch the Steelers take complete control of the first half. I won’t lie, I went ballistic. I could not believe this was happening, the Steelers were terrible; how could they be beating my Colts? The fact the Colts could lose in their first game was mind numbing to me. The team regrouped and came back to make the game competitive in the second half, and I bought into their effort; but it was not enough. Then, a near miracle happened. The Colts were down by a field goal in the closing seconds of the game, the Steelers had possession and were close to the end zone to put the final touches on the game. Jerome Bettis, a running back known for his superb ball handling skills, was set to run it through the middle and hopefully score the touchdown. At this point, I was crushed with the realization of defeat—lying on the couch with my face toward the cushions; so I could not face the defeat. I hear the crowd start cheering wildly and quickly look towards the screen. Sure enough, a defensive lineman (I fail to recall who it was, it might have been Robert Mathis or Dwight Freeney) had struck the ball with his helmet and knocked it out of Bettis’ grip. Nick Harper recovered the fumble and returned the ball about twenty yards before Ben Roethlisberger shoe-stringed tackled him. I was ecstatic, the Colts had the ball with plenty of time to take the lead or at least force it to overtime. Alas, it was not meant to be. Peyton and the offense put the ball in field goal range, and Mike Vanderjagt shanked it wide right. I collapsed in sheer disappointment on my girlfriend’s floor. Abruptly, my first season with the Colts was over.

That summer would lead to the departure of several of the players I enjoyed watching, namely Edgerin James. I knew that I would unshakingly support my Colts, but I was not as confident in a championship as I had been the former season. I told my brother that I was just hoping for a playoff berth. Even more interestingly, I soon learned that the Colts would be playing the Giants in the opening game of the 2006 season. This was just great, my brother—coincidentally—was a Giants fan; since Eli (Peyton’s brother, for those not in the know) was on the team. As the game approached, my brother started talking smack to me over the internet. I took the high road for once in my life and told him we would see how it unfolds on the field, mostly because I was not as confident in my team’s chances. My anxiety on how the game would approach made me not even watch it; although, that may have also been due to that year being the hardest I have ever worked on my studies in college, and I may have wanted to finish up my homework instead of wasting my time watching a game.

Sure enough, the Colts won the game; and my brother had to concede defeat. While I was content in victory, my bad feelings about the season would lead me to become a very critical fan. If Peyton’s numbers weren’t impressive—even in a victory—I would shake my head in shame. This drove my friends and family up a wall; it was as if I could never be happy. The Colts would go on to win only the first nine games that season, initially losing to the upstart Cowboys. I went into the playoffs that season with not even a quarter of the confidence I had the previous season, although the Colts would finish the season at a respectable 12-4. Along with that record, however, was the worst rush defense in the league. That defense would be primarily responsible for the 44-17 evisceration the Colts received at the hand of the Jaguars and Maurice Jones Drew. That game in particular left me fuming and ready to throw that season into the trash.

An interesting story about that season came with the Jets game early on. My girlfriend was in college at this point, but I was still making bi-weekly trips to visit my grandmother. My routine for watching early day Colts games was still intact. The night before the game, I had a dream of Peyton scoring a rushing touchdown. Peyton Manning is considered one of the most immobile quarterbacks in the league, so this idea was silly. Sure enough, however, one of the touchdowns that put the Colts ahead of the Jets was a quarterback sneak into the endzone, or a Peyton Manning rushing touchdown. I smirked at the coincidence of my dream and this occurrence.

Another point to note about this season is that Peyton received a hit during the game against the Washington Redskins that would initiate the lingering neck pain injury he would suffer through the rest of his career with the Colts. My mom even called me about it, as I was—again—not watching the game due to homework. I don’t recall the exact details of the conversation, but she knew I would appreciate the news that Peyton might be hurt. I did, even though he would come back in the game after sitting out a drive and win the game.

The 2006 postseason was a memory I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. Sadly, not all of my association is positive. I had broken up with my girlfriend (the same one from earlier) shortly before the start of the season, and—although we dated for well over a year—she was already seeing another guy. The end of my first serious relationship was crushing to me, and I was unfortunately viewing the Colts playoff chances in as much of a negative fashion.

The first game came against the Chiefs. It was an early day game the day I was scheduled to come back to Mississippi from the D.C. area, where my immediate family resided at the time. The Chiefs had one of the best rushing attacks in the league, so many analysts were calling the Chiefs to win the game—even if they were the underdogs. Regardless of my ill feelings toward the matchup, I wore my Manning jersey to the airport. I was able to catch the first play of the game on an airport television before boarding my flight. Larry Johnson, the Chiefs running back, was stuffed at the line by the Colts defensive line. While it wasn’t much, the play gave me a good feeling as I boarded the plane. I did another play from the game, but I heard from my family after the flight that the Colts won the game decidedly.

The next week’s game was against the Baltimore Ravens, one of the strongest defenses in the league. The game was scheduled to be played before the Saints/Eagles game, one that carried more interest to my peers. I went to a friend’s house to watch both games, although I had nearly zero interest in the Saints game afterwards. The Colts won a slugfest that resulted in only field goals, but it was good enough for me. I watched the Saints game with several of my friends and made a total fool of myself, saying one of the most iconic and offensive things I’ve ever said in public which I will not repeat here (but you can ask me or any of my friends about it if you are curious, they know what I’m talking about, it involves “roughing the passer”).

The next game would be against the Patriots in the AFC championship. No parties for this one, although I made sure to finish all of my homework and other duties so I could sit down and watch the game. The Patriots would take a commanding lead early on and hold on to it for most of the game. I remember at halftime I was really upset, calling my mom for one of my typical rants. She told me not to give up hope, and my brother added that the Colts had been a “comeback team” all season (a thought that had never crossed my mind, surprisingly). I watched the game in a defeated mood; but, in one of the more spectacular moments in NFL history, the Colts would come back to win the game. I still have the memories of Joseph Addai’s lead-taking touchdown and the Marlon Jackson interception that sealed the game visualized in my mind. I finished watching the game ecstatic, my Colts were going to the Super Bowl!