Boy, where do I start? I feel this morning like I want to throw up. I had posted on Twitter last night that it was the first time in my life that I was actually embarrassed to be a Colts fan. Judging by the forums and commentary on the Indy websites, I was not the only one.

I wrote a piece a couple of weeks ago expressing my thoughts on the whole matter of the Colts chasing an undefeated season. That being unbeaten actually gave the GM and coaching staff cover from the fans in case a star player got hurt in the process. That all would be forgiven because they were chasing history. Clearly, Bill Polian did not read my article.

The Colts have, at least in recent years, been looked upon as a class organization. Always doing things the right way, not running the score up on opponents (unlike some team we won’t mention), and handling themselves in a professional and classy manner. Last night’s debacle has certainly tarnished that some.

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Anyone who knows me knows that I am an avid Indianapolis Colts fan. From the Colts caps, tees, and sweatshirts that I wear to the license plate on my car it is obvious.

As I Colts fan, I heard music to my ears last night on SportsCenter. The Colts head coach, Jim Caldwell, stating that all the starters will continue to start barring any health issues. “With the playoffs on the horizon and nothing left to play for, why would that be good news?”, you might be thinking to yourself. Here is why.

One word: 2006. That was the year that Pittsburgh came into town against one of the best Colts teams in recent years and left with a playoff victory. This came after the Colts had not given their starters any meaningful minutes in a game for about a month or so. The rust that accumulated on the Colts offense was incredibly evident and indeed they took almost three quarters to get in sync. Of course, by then, it was too late.

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OK…so I am sitting there last night watching the wrap up of the Monday Night Massacre of the Saints beating up on the Patriots, when suddenly I found my stomach starting to turn. It struck me that this is an occurrence that is starting to become a bit of a trend. Allow me to explain…

It seems to me that ESPN is making a conscious effort to go overboard in their praise of the top QB’s in the game right now. I think I was just about to throw up with all the gushing that Steve Young was heaping on Drew Brees after the game. It was as though he just witnessed the second coming of Christ!

Granted, Brees played a great game and if you looked over the stats, it was one of the best statistical performances posted on a Monday Night Game. Yet for anyone who watched the game, did it really strike you as one of the all time great performances in NFL history?

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One of the rights of passage of die hard baseball fans is the offseason “hot stove league” as it is referred to. A time when hope springs eternal for most teams as they have the ability to start making moves to improve their teams as they look ahead to next season.

 This period of time starts in November, as free agency kicks in, and typically runs for several months. But a lot of moves in the past have been made in the period between mid-November and mid-December.

This year, however, you wouldn’t even know such a period exists.

I remember several years ago sitting in my truck at a stoplight and ESPN reported on the radio that the Red Sox had just come to terms with Curt Schilling.  This occurred days after Red Sox GM Theo Epstein decided to personally visit the pitcher at his home in Arizona on Thanksgiving Day to talk about coming to the Sox.

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By this time, my wife and kids know the drill on Sunday’s during football season. At 12 noon, I can be found in but one place for the next 12 hours…in my man-cave! Each weekend it is the same: move the laptop over to the coffee table next to the couch, crank up the surround sound and yell at the TV when my starting fantasy QB misses yet another open receiver.

Before this season began, I pulled the trigger on a purchase that I had been planning for awhile. I broke down and bought a new 47″ HDTV to replace the 25 year old Sony console that had been through the wars (although the darned thing still works pretty well!).

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So I am sitting there on my couch last night around 11:30 starting to come up with a layout for this morning’s article. I mean, let’s face it…no matter the outcome of last night’s game between the Patriots and Colts, there were major implications.

At that particular time in the game, the Colts were down by 13, Peyton was playing more like Eli having thrown a couple of horrid looking ducks to the opposition, and the defense hadn’t really stopped Brady for the last three quarters (save for the pick in the end zone).

Watching the Colts play defense is a serious test of patience. The primary philosophy for years has been to play a cover 2 scheme, which keeps most of the plays in front of them, makes the other team have to sustain a drive, and hope that somewhere during the course of a drive that a turnover or penalty occurs that prevents a touchdown. It is not often that they force the tempo, it is usually dictated upon them.

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