EXORCISING DEMONS, PART 3

As I told the Conservative Wife, savor this for you may never see it again.

The Colts have slain another dragon. It's unfair that one game carries so much weight, but that's the reality. Among the things that will or might come out of this:

-Marvin & Peyton were already going to the Hall of Fame. (So is Vinatieri, but he'll go in as a Patriot.) Now, Tony Dungy and Bill Polian will likely join them. Dungy validates his years of success not only with the Colts but with rebuilding the culture at Tampa Bay. Polian is no longer a man who can build teams to put up regular season numbers only to falter. Now, he's someone who builds teams to go the the Super Bowl. All because of this one win, the 90s Bills are no longer failures but are now part of a winning pattern orchestrated by Polian. All because of a championship.

-If they continue to perform at a high level, this win provides a road map for Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday and Dwight Freeney to the Hall; it also opens the door a crack for Tarik Glenn, Dallas Clark and Bob Sanders. Kind of like the difference between the Cowboys and Bills of the 90s. Without this win, it's only Harrison & Manning who get in. All because of one game.

-On the flip side, the performances by Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes will put Edgerrin James's career in doubt. James seemed a lock for the Hall, but his performance with the Cardinals and his replacements' success make him look much less worthy. He could have come back to Indy for slightly less money. Now, his apparent greed for the extra $1MM might not be worth it to him in 20 years. All because of one game where his former team didn't miss him.

-The clock is ticking on Rex Grossman. Yes, it's his first full season, but does anyone really think the Bears don't have a chance to win the game if they add a quarterback they could rely on? Pick any QB from any of the other playoff teams and ask yourself if you feel more comfortable with them behind the center at 22-17. Trent Green? Chad Pennington? Even Tony Romo or Eli Manning? Those are the four that got bounced in the first round. How about Jeff Garcia, Matt Hasselbeck, Steve McNair or Philip Rivers? Not to mention Tom Brady or Drew Brees. Lovie Smith may be saying all the right things to support Grossman, but at best Rex is on borrowed time. All because of one horrible performance on the biggest stage.

-A new legion of Colts fans has just been born. People who wouldn't have watched will now pay attention. Those previously sitting on the fence will make the Colts their favorite team. And kids who grew up with mild interest will turn into rabid, hard-core fans as they get older. Because their ranks will grow outside the city the Colts will turn into a regional and semi-national team. All because of one win.

-Even as a northern city, Indy has a shot at hosting a Super Bowl. The joyous and notably peaceful celebrations in Monument Circle after the game and the parade later today will show Indianapolis as a city that knows how to celebrate. The city had virtually no shot to host the 2011 game before. Indy still can't be favored, but now it's a legitimate contender. All because they just won a Super Bowl.

No matter what does happen, it was wonderful to see a team win with the type of character and grace that the Colts exhibited, not only this season but throughout the past 5 years. In an era of screaming coaches who compete with their players for face time, demonstrative wide receivers who seem to want attention more than victory, and fans who have more hate for opponents than love for anything, this team did it the right way. They outworked, outplayed, outcoached and outclassed everyone else. Even in victory there was very little gloating, save Robert Mathis's comment asking "the haters to please shut up." Much like the Patriots of 2001, they won as a team, not as individuals.

Now, for the Colts to be spoken in the same breath as the legendary great teams, they're going to have to do it again. And that might be harder than getting there in the first place. So Colts fans, you may be witnessing the birth of a dynasty, but it's also likely that this is it. So savor it, because you may never see it again.