Between 2003 and 2009, Indianapolis Colts fans watched their team produce an NFL-record seven straight seasons with at least 12 regular season victories, a Super Bowl victory, two Super Bowl appearances, three conference title game appearances, and four league MVPs for future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
The second of those two Super Bowl visits came just two years ago, and although the 12-win streak ended last season, the Colts still made the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.
So, it was a pretty safe bet that when the National Football League named Indianapolis as the host city for this year’s Super Bowl, the Colts would have more than a decent chance of becoming the first NFL team to play a Super Bowl in their own stadium, especially when Manning was the NFL’s reigning iron man with 227 straight starts.
But a debilitating neck injury caused Manning to miss the entire season this year, and the Colts suddenly plunged to a record of 2-14 (tied for the worst mark in the league), their poorest season in two decades, when Manning was still honing his skills at the high school level in his native New Orleans.
Yet, with their season up in smoke, and with their hated rival and Manning’s little brother arriving in their city for Super Bowl XLVI, resourceful Colts fans had a backup plan — support another Manning.
As far as Indianapolis is concerned, Lucas Oil Stadium might as well feel as much of a home to the New York Giants as it does to the Colts.
All throughout the city this week, there’s a huge sentiment against quarterback Tom Brady and his New England Patriots in favor of Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, who will seek to make his older brother proud by winning his second Super Bowl and his first in the House That Peyton Built.
There’s even an “Indy for Eli” website selling T-shirts in full support of Peyton’s brother.
Right under the slogan, “NOT IN OUR TOWN, TOM,” is a message pointed directly at Brady and the Patriots, saying:
As we said on the home page, Indianapolis is soon to be filled with some unwelcome “guests”… and simply put, we’re all about supporting the guy that can make sure they go home empty handed…again.
We may not be participating this year… but it doesn’t mean we still can’t make a statement.
Let’s make sure our visitors know exactly where we stand… Indianapolis is for Eli… without a doubt.
And, if you need to e-mail the fledgling company, you can send inquiries to the amusing e-mail address of [email protected] .
It makes you wonder what former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, the father of both of the current NFL Manning quarterbacks, thinks while seeing the football city of his older son adopt his younger son as a favorite football stepson for a couple of weeks.
No doubt, it should make the proud Manning papa very happy, as long as it causes Eli and the Giants to feel at home enough to reward the “Indy For Eli” movement with what they want — sending Brady and the Patriots back to New England without another Super Bowl title.