THE COLTS AND INDY

Fond though I may be of the place, I have in many ways divorced myself emotionally from Indianapolis. My friends, strangely enough, are not associated with Indy even though many live there. Maybe that's because several were friends before any of us moved there, or maybe it's been my nomadic existence for the bulk of my life that keeps me from identifying a friend with a point on the map. Regardless, one thing keeps me still caring about the city and its well-being: the Indianapolis Colts.

I can still watch the RCA Dome, Peyton, the crowd, Monument Circle at game time, and put myself there. I realize how much that team means to the city, and what it was like when it seemed that they might leave for L.A. (Oh, and I remember my thoughts about them coming there from Baltimore, which happened well before I was a resident, but that's a different discussion.)

If there is a city in this country that deserves a championship, it has to be Indianapolis. It's not like Indy is downtrodden or fighting for its economic survival, but it's not special. Don't get me wrong; Indianapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Birmingham, Phoenix, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Milwaukee...there are lots of cities that are very liveable and have good people, but despite the best efforts of their local politicians, media, and citizenry they cannot escape the fact that there is and probably never will be a real reason for large scales of people to seek out and fall in love with their town. Living in Austin has made me face this. But it also makes me understand why Indianapolis deserves and needs a champion, especially if it comes from a team like the Colts.

The midwest doesn't do well with thugs, loudmouths, or lazy bums. Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress...dare I say Mike Vanderjagt?...these are not the kind of people that are welcome. I understand this because I am a midwesterner. The work ethic and plethora of good people is as engrained in my soul as the distaste for slackers and chest-thumpers. And this is why the Colts need to win a championship for those good people of not only Indianapolis, but also all the other perceived also-ran cities of the midwest.

Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Tom Moore, Ron Meeks, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Rob Morris, Tarik Glenn: these are players who personnify class and hard work. They are people who mesh with the general ethics and personalities of the population of central Indiana, people who often want nothing more than to raise a good family, be around friends, and have some interesting diversions, and are willing to work hard to get it. The Colts may not be America's Team (and God please tell me that the Cowboys aren't either), but they are Everyman's Team.

This is a team built around doing it the right way: outwork your competition, study harder and be smarter. Don't be dirty, don't cheat. Don't say or do stupid things away from the field or on it. Be pleasant to the media: give them your time as well as being available for the fans. And win and lose as a team, not as individuals.

Yes, the Patriots are the other team that seems to have these qualities, and you can also make the argument that the Saints have picked that persona up this year. But the Saints are a newcomer to the good guys scene. New England? A big city team, as well as the 800 pound gorilla in the NFL. Would anyone be shocked if they unseat the #1 seed Chargers next week? Contrast that with this year's Colts, who are given the same labels generally reserved for the midwest: no one's darling, not from big city, and perceived as flawed and soft. How perfect.

The Colts are going to have their work cut out for them this week, going into their old home of Baltimore, playing against a team of players that not only wouldn't be saleable in Indianapolis but would previously have never been saleable in Baltimore, either. And should they survive that test, they will have to either face this year's most balanced team (the Chargers) or their old nemesis New England. It's not an easy road. But perhaps there should be no easy road for a midwest champion.

It won't surprise me if the Colts bow out before reaching the Super Bowl. Last year was when everything had reached its nexus that would vault the Colts not only to a championship but into a pantheon of great teams, until James Dungy's suicide cast a pall that trivialized and ultimately seemed to undo everything. Fast forward to the 2007 playoffs, and the Colts being almost off the radar. Their defense played the game of the season against Kansas City, but does anyone truly think they can keep it up? Still, there seems to be something special about this team, if only because they are now playing from the same point on the field that Indianapolis the City always seems to be playing: not quite good enough for prime time.

Would it not be fitting if this was the year that the Colts reached for that place deep within their souls, and won one for all the good guys?