I have been off the site for a week or so, and thought I'd post some thoughts in one spot here.

1. The Colts need Bob Sanders down the stretch. I think our regression in run defense this week proved that. It is reminiscent of '06, in that the Zombie is proving to be the man in his abscence as well as in his presence. Bullitt, whom I like a lot, is showing a knack for the big play that everyone will see on sportscenter wih his picks. However, watching the game a second time left me believing he misses the routine assignments enough to counter the enthusiasm. He is a very good player, and one that I hope we will keep around for quality depth. But he isn't Bob.

2. I heard the debate last week on tv about who is better, Sanders or Polamalu. I would go with Polamalu for this season. He came on strong a couple of years back, but injuries have hampered his playing time and effectiveness the past couple seasons. Meanwhile the Brains Eater had one of his healthiest seasons last year and rightfully earned DPOY. This year, durability has been more on Polamalu's side than Bob's, and Troy is playing like a beast. In every facet. I think health will always be a key factor in their year by year comparisons.

3. Fun thought. Having Sanders and Polamalu both playing safety for the Colts.

4. I see we have some new posters around here while I have been out. That is normal, as this blog is a growing success story with excellent leadership. I must say, though, that we keep getting that occasional newbie that seems suspiciously like a troll in sheep's clothing....

5. Peytonsthebest, I forgot not to wear my #18 jersey the past couple of games (I did take it off late in the Steelers game though, but I wore it the entire Texans game). And we won still, so I guess our experiment (and my failure to properly execute) proves that I am not the x-factor. My wardrobe does not have the power of luck after all, I guess. This means that it is entirely on you to keep the vibes going right. The team is counting on you, now that we know where the secret lies. Please don't let us down. If we win the super bowl, everyone at Stampede Blue will have to pitch together to get you a certificate to the restaurant of your choice. I'm certain that I speak for everyone here when I say that. The question is, where is the place to go there in California?

6. Thanksgiving Day. Potentially a game between a team without a loss versus a team without a win. Very boring.

7. The  primetime games have been very good contests the past few weeks, with the exception of the presidential bowl on November 3rd. Even SF and ARI was a thriller. I wonder if this Thursday we will see the trend continue...

He was released by the Packers this weekend. I was wondering if anyone thought that he might be a good veteran player for Indy. Or are we so deep that there is no one worth dropping for him? He was solid for the Pack for a long time, but lost his job to Cullen Jenkins. My understanding is that he is a pass rusher type DE. Just curious if he intrigued anyone here or not.

I guess we won't be spewing any more of the crap that the Titans are overrated. We can still say they have beat another losing team, though. Us. But they have won every game they have played, and they should be able to walk away with this division.

I am not ripping the Colts here. I dislike the bandwagon crowd in general. But it's time for everyone to give the Titans the credit they deserve. Some words will be eaten tonight. They are a good team. Will they win the super bowl? Who knows. It's a long season. But a four game lead in the South is impressive at this point. Honestly.

And I guess Lendale White wasn't so horrible in his statement either. We are mediocre right now, though I believe that we can turn it around still. I do believe that a combination of injuries, Peyton's recovery, and little timing adjustments are alot of the problem. But we are, as of right now, average. Average with great potential upside.

I am just trying to say that it's time Tennessee received the credit they have been due for being a solid team with one of the greatest coaches in the league. I think very highly of Coach Fisher. This is a first class organization.

Now, let's get back on track, Colts! I believe we can.

First time to a college football game other than several Ferris State University games when I lived near Big Rapids, MI. I hope Purdue will beat Central Michigan today. My son and I are going, and we are excited. This is the closest team to where we live (Northwest Indiana), but we would like to see a Hoosiers game one day. We cheer for both IU and Purdue. Anyhow, we're very excited. Catch y'all this evening!

Does anyone here know when and how often the roster is updated for download online? Like for example, Brady's injury? Ed Johnson and Eric Foster? I don't play online, but would love to have an updated roster to work with for my franchise.

(Aargh! Not enough words yet! Okay, question. If you were up to your neck in a barrell of puke, and someone was going to throw a bucket of snot at your head, WOULD YOU DUCK?)

We attended the morning session already, and we will be heading back for the afternoon practice soon. If anyone from Stampede Blue is there later and reads this first, look me up. My wife and three children are with me, along with two close friends. Some observations include:

We saw Clint Session lay out Joseph Addai in a rotating drill of pass rushing/blocking. Everyone made noise about it. Addai stepped aside and took off his helmet. Then when Session was due up again, he cut in front of the other back to get another crack at #55. Pretty cool to see. And Session looks good.

Marlin Jackson must be part zombie, like Bob. He hits hard. Alot. After a receiver got the best of him in a blocking drill, I thought he was going to start a fistfight. Later in practice, he laid out Garcon (hard) after a short completion. And there were others as well.

I don't think Sam Giguere is faring well. He was getting alot of correction from coaches on some blocking drills and made to do them over and over. No one else received that kind of scrutiny. Also, he had a couple of hiccups in cone drills that were commented on by the coaches. With so much depth there, I think he is working uphill big time. He has missed time, and there isn't long left for him to overwhelm anyone with his performance. We'll see.

The lack of K2 involvement leads me to believe our suspicions. He is on his way out. Mike Hart is going to be a good addition.

The QB play is underwhelming. Gray threw a bad one that was tipped where it shouldn't have been in the first place, then intercepted. Sorgi can throw beyond ten yards. Like, twelve or so... The most important realization is that we need Manning.

Coach Dungy is the best. When everyone was dismissed, the players hurried away except for a few who stayed for drills. Roy Hall and Dungy came over to sign autographs and meet fans. Everyone swamped Dungy, and he took all the time they wanted; signed everything, posed for pictures with every asker, and answered every question. This was the way he was also when I met him last month in Indy. A total class act. Hall was nice, too. I told him we believed he would be great this year, and he was grateful. The fan booth included Condren, Giordano and Bullitt (who jokingly convinced my six year old daughter that Giordano didn't want to sign her purse like the others did - funny moment). My son got Jeff Saturday's sig as well as a couple of others that I don't remember right now.

Watch out for Howard  Mudd. He drives like a maniac. I'm just sayin'.

I'll report back later about this afternoon.

I have been away for over a week on business, and I've been catching up on football talk. A couple of observations about this site.

1. It is becoming more of an interesting place than ever before to browse. It's nice to see good posts and info about your team.

2. It seems to be more populated. Not long ago, it felt like no man's land.

3. You are big homers like we are. That's how it is suppose to be. Of course you have plenty of reason to be optimistic. Your team is already great, and you have had a solid offseason. I would like to think the Colts also have good reason to be optimistic. I eagerly anticipate our  matchup.

4. I think you are a good representation of Pats fans. You are the kind of site that can make others be more fond of your team and its success. I enjoy reading and blogging here.

Enjoy the offseason. These next few months always get me primed and impatient for the start of the regular season. It gets so bad that I even look forward to the preseason games. There ought to be a ten step progam for addicts like me, but I doubt I'd allow it to reform me.

We both have a bye week earlier than I prefer. Hopefully we won't need it later. Here's to a great season.....

Congratulations on your picks, especially this one at this point. I hear the term "shutdown corner" associated with this guy. A solid day one of your draft.

I think you knew you'd get a good player in round one, and a young linebacker was certainly in order. I just feel like that second pick was the one to be impressed by.

I'm looking forward to our matchup this November. Enjoy the rest of the draft.

I'm sorry. That's all I have. I just enjoy looking at it. I wanted to see it posted somewhere on the front page. I'll move on soon. Really.

One-line diaries are prohibited on Stampede Blue. Give your diary a bit more thought, then give it another shot. If you have nothing to add to your proposed diary, then it probably belongs as a comment under another appropriate thread.
The minimum is 300 characters.

After taking the league by surprise several years ago with unbelievable defense and an amazing knack for video surveillance, what has happened to the Patriots as of late? I mean when it counts, in the postseason. Brady has looked rather pedestrian in his postseason success as of late, if you want to hold him to the standard of the best according to his own fan base. Look at the past three years.

1. Brady falls to Denver in a game that featured him throwing an interception at the goal line, gift wrapped to Champ Bailey. Season over.
2. Brady bows to the Colts. One last drive, ended by a perfect pass to a wide open Marlin Jackson. Thanks, Tom. Season over.
3. Brady concedes to Peyton's little brother. Needing only a field goal with thirty seconds and all three timeouts, Brady typifies his performance by underthrowing Randy Moss, who ran a perfect deep route. That one should have been the ball game. As it stands, Eli is the one who shows greatness under pressure, sending Tommy boy home. Game over.