Supporting Your Team: Priceless

In the midst of typing up my football rehash, I had the thought that I've never really said why I like the Colts so much.  This is actually kind of a neat story that I ought to chronicle:

I went years without an NFL team that I routinely cheered for (I wasn't terribly interested in football, to be honest.  Didn't see a need to have a team).  My dad has the Lions, the 49ers and the Redskins (yeah, his life stinks), Mom is a Rams fangirl, my brother pulls for the Lions and a couple other teams (he's more involved with certain players), and... well... baby sister liked the Steelers, but then she switched to the Saints when she found out there was a French Quarter in New Orleans (she's got a thing for France - it's quite cute).  Not-quite-baby sister used to like the Packers, but then she got girly and didn't like football anymore (maybe she's come back from the abyss?  Truly, I haven't got a clue).

Back to my point - I decided I wanted to have a team, but I didn't know who I wanted to be a fan of.  Not Dallas or New England - those are dirty words in our household.  Nor did I want to cheer for a team that someone in my family already supports (I didn't want to share).  I tried the Eagles for a while in high school, but I wasn't feeling it with them.  Don't know what "it" is, but the Eagles didn't have it.

Anyway, my mom liked Peyton Manning.  Even though she is a hardcore Rams fan, she thought Peyton was a funny guy with all the goofy commercials he did.  Myself personally, I think it's great when a football player is really good, yet he can still lighten up and not be all OMG - DIVA! all the time *insert Edward sparkle here*  (I still quote "Cut that meat!" at random times).  Anyway, Peyton Manning plays for the Colts, so I picked the Colts - and I still wasn't aware just how good they really were (at the time, the defense needed lots and lots of help - they weren't going to no Super Bowl any time soon.  Then they went to the Super Bowl and won and life was cherries).

Like I said in my previous post, I do like that the Colts are pretty classy.  There's very rarely any extra-curricular drama unless the media or what-have-you creates some.  Even then, the players don't get into it - there's not any press-conference rants or threats to get traded - no Playboy bunnies in the VIP box.  Sure, you've got Peyton in those DirecTV, MasterCard and Sony ads, but that just adds to his appeal.

(And when I say "drama," I mean the Lady Gaga crap that TO and Ochodorko pull.  I can't stand any team doing that - that's part of why I can't watch NBA games outside of the Jazz.  They freaking think they're auditioning for "The Young and the Restless."  But that's another topic for another day.)

Anyway, the Colts are great and wonderful.  They're my team and I like them. And now you know why.  Thank MasterCard.