Colts Victory Could Be Baltimore's Win

[TL24x7]

I wonder what if feels like to be a fan from Indianapolis. I wonder what they think of when they hear that this is the Colts first World Championship since 1971. That must feel forced to them. It must feel uncomfortable. The Colts weren’t even a wild dream for them in 1971.

Do they even want that association?

Would you?

If the Ravens had kept the name of the Browns and the Browns had won in ’71, would that championship feel like yours?

Read more here (http://www.profootball24x7.com/column_view.php?cid=1&id=1129&view=archive)

[darb72]

You don't seem to understand the mind-set of the Indy Cornholers fans.

-They honestly believe that Johnny Unitas played in Indy.
-SuperBowl V is their win.
-They marry first cousins.

Ok, that last one has nothing to do with football, but it is pretty disgusting.

[bassgtrst]

Im thinking that since they now have their own SB win, they will start to lay off the Baltimore history.

[birdbrain]

If it were me in Indy, regardless of a super bowl win or not, I would not feel comfortable with someone else's history. If my ex-wife gets remarried, I still dont consider her my wife....haha....but seriously, how could any sane individual identify with the history and records of the team that was not their own prior to '84.

[Mista T]

If it were me in Indy, regardless of a super bowl win or not, I would not feel comfortable with someone else's history. If my ex-wife gets remarried, I still dont consider her my wife....haha

Or, an even more accurate analogy: my wife does not get to celebrate my "scores" from when I was single!:laugh:

[Tecumseh]

You are soooo right!
Taking back "our history" begins with Baltimore fans.

I have a Ravens jersey with #19 UNITAS.
I encourage other Baltimore Football fans to do the same.
Lets see Ravens jerseys in town and at games with names like Donovan, Moore, Marchetti, Parker, Ameche, Mackey, Braase, Mitchell, Mutshuler etc.

Steve Bischiotti needs to put Baltimore Football records in the Ravens press guide. He also needs to put up the afore mentioned names in the "Ring Of Honor" and lose Ernest Byners name. You younger Ravens fans who didn't know the Baltimore Colts must/should wrap your hearts around OUR football heros that you never saw play and have only heard about!!! (60 years from now a father and son attending their 1st pro football game together in Baltimore, the son asks his dad who Art Donovan was..they both can "Google" him on dads blackberry...these names cannot and must not be forgotten...slowly, due to time and some fans inability to see "the big picture", these names and the deeds they are known for are being removed from a Baltimore football fans consciousness, and as a fan...that is unacceptable and a disgrace!!!!)


Ask yourself what is more important...the "logo" or the "location"???

I'm a Baltimore Football fan 1st and foremost.
I rooted for the colts when they were here and grew to love the name, colors and logo BUT, Baltimore was the reason of my loyalty, not a freakin' logo!!!
I'm now a huge Ravens fan, love the colors BUT it's because they are Baltimore's team is why I'm a fan!!

We know from bad experience that one day (hopefully not) the name of Baltimore's current team could change again.
You look in a NY Times from 1973 and look up the NFL standings...you'll find Baltimore, not the colts.
You look in a NY Times from 2006 and look up the NFL standings...you'll find Baltimore, not the Ravens.
Hypothetically, if you could look in a NY Times from 2085 and look up the NFL standings...hopefully you'll find Baltimore and hopefully they'll still be called the Ravens.


It's one lineage not two different teams!
Don't let the NFL "powers that be" dictate to us and everyone else who and what our history is all about!

Take back our history!! (it begins on the "grass roots" level...with the fans!!!)

[RavensFanIAm]

This may be a dumb question, but has there ever been action from the MD legislaters to try and at least get the records back? And I'm not talking right after they left. Has it just become a lost cause and no one isnt doing anything about it? Is it just something that we think about when the Colts come to town?

Cause we all complain about it, but I never hear what excatly has been done in recent years.

[festivus]

You don't seem to understand the mind-set of the Indy Cornholers fans.

-They honestly believe that Johnny Unitas played in Indy.
-SuperBowl V is their win.
-They marry first cousins.

Ok, that last one has nothing to do with football, but it is pretty disgusting.

I wouldn't have put it this way but I think the point is correct. The Indy fans treat The Colts as theirs, everything including heritage, records, etc.

We are silly to them, because we can't understand our team moved. That's how they see it. They don't think they have any reason to give us anything.

[Mista T]

Cause we all complain about it, but I never hear what excatly has been done in recent years.


Not much. However: Greg had a web-site posted a few years ago that was dedicated to returning our records. Several of us also unsuccesssfully attempted to have a public demonstration in Baltimore during an NFL owners meeting.

There is only one of two men that could really do something here: Bisciotti or Jimmy Irsay. If the State Legislature were to get involved, I doubt that a resolution would have any impact on the NFL, which acts as if public opinion is meaningless. I'd rather see the State Legislature pass legislation on something that would produce results, such as installing escalators to the upper deck or adding more restrooms.

[Losac]

The Drunk always claimed that the MD legislature's eminent domain threat was the last straw that drove him out of town.

[Greg]

They had 40,000 people downtown for their "celebration." That says all you need to know about their attachment to that team. They have little, thus they just don't understand our issues with OUR history.

[billpisano]

Let's petition the NFL, the Hall of Fame, everyone! Heck Baltimore still owns the Lombardi Trophy from Superbowl V, it's sitting in the MD Sports Legends Musuem. C'mon 24X7 you guys should step up to the plate and lead all of us fans to restoring our NFL heritage. I'll be the first to sign up!

[birdbrain]

I second that motion......

[btownraven]

As a Raven fan currently living 45 miles south of Indy, the last 3 weeks have been tough. However, there are a couple of bright spots.

First, I've learned how much the vast majority of the true Indy Colts fans don't want to have anything to do with our history. In their mind, their "Colts" started in 1984. In fact, most of them wanted the team to change the name. They feel no attachment to Johnny U and OUR Colts. I've met some casual fans (i.e. frontrunners) over the past few weeks who initially told me to "get over it." When I talk about Johnny U being an Indy Colt in the HOF, their unanimous response has been "that's not right."

Second, I think there finally has been SOME (not near enough though) attention brought to our plight over the past few weeks. If there was a petition I think I could get a bunch of people from Indiana to sign. That would give us even more credence.

I don't think Irsay will ever "give up" the Baltimore history. For some unknown reason he feels it's his family's (even though the greatest moments happened before '72). But I would think that Bisciotti could work with him on a compromise (have separate Baltimore/Indy records, separate them in the HOF, have a "Baltimore NFL record book", etc). Unlike his father, I think J. Irsay has a couple of reasonable brain cells.

[Mista T]

Let's petition the NFL, the Hall of Fame, everyone! Heck Baltimore still owns the Lombardi Trophy from Superbowl V, it's sitting in the MD Sports Legends Musuem. C'mon 24X7 you guys should step up to the plate and lead all of us fans to restoring our NFL heritage. I'll be the first to sign up!

:iagree: But the only signature on a petition that would matter would be Bisciotti's.

[TL24x7]

But the only signature on a petition that would matter would be Bisciotti's.

But T, to get that we'll have to earn it and to earn it, it will take a little something from all of us. Not just those here on 24x7, but all Ravens fans and for that matter all of Baltimore.

And we won't stop there. We are planning to expand our reach outside of Baltimore and in doing so, it will give our cause more credence and more objectivity and will therefore be heard by ears to open minds.

We'll keep you posted on our efforts and we will have some more news ready for you soon. We will need you T and we will need everyone here on this board and on other boards as well.

Restoring Baltimore's football heritage is worth at least that and much, much more.

On that I'm sure we can all agree. :thumbup:

[Mista T]

Tony: check with Greg to see if he still has that original web-site material. I had scanned a bunch of old Colts photos and made a digital recording of the Colts fight song, which Greg had playing in a loop whenever you clicked on the web-site. If I had to, I could reconstruct a lot of that stuff, but rather not if Greg still has.

[TL24x7]

T,

We have similar plans and would happily welcome anything you've already created. Please send anything you feel is worthy in terms of pictures, etc to tl@profootball24x7.com.

For some reason, these lyrics are playing in my head:

Everybody else is just green, have you seen the chart?
Its a helluva start
It could be made into a monster if we all pull together as a team.

[Drkraven]

The Indy fanbase is a delusional bunch I have found in the last month, even worse the the 'Burgh fans. If they have a say forget about it.

[Maverick2201]

Its pretty sickening if you ever go to Canton... you get to the Indy exhibit and all you see is Baltimore Colts names, faces, images... It becomes clear that they have no history after '84 and that all the history shown as theirs... is OURS...

If you go to www.profootballhof.com and go to Hall of Famers -> Franchises... look at the players/coaches listed... all but ONE played for/coached the Baltimore Colts