***OFFICIAL AFC TITLE GAME pats @ COLTS ***

[CharlieDontSurf]

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Simmons is a whiney little homer bitch when it comes to the Pats. Still my fav. writer though.

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I think he's smart enough to get past that and see this game for what it was. We'll see.

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Serious?

Simmons comes off as very dumb at times.

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Depends on the context - he'll nail each of these:

great win for manning but it won't matter unless they win sb

historic chapter in the pats-colts rivalry/the choke team beating the team they couldn't beat analogies to other rivalries

where do the pats go from here/is this the end.

What he won't do is whine the whole column or focus too much on the pats because he's smart enough/has enough fan common sense to realize this is now the manning story.

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this is very true. this is a great win but if it is followed by a terrible performance or blowing the game somehow in the SB(which I highly doubt will occur especially vs the Bears) it'll be Manning bashing all over again.

[Homer]

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Dungy eating up the black coaches thing. Die.

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Why all the hate for this? It's another sign that we are stepping towards racial equality in high profile positions in the US.

James

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pretty sure you just answered your own question.

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I'm obviously not speaking for the person that is quoted first here, but most people didn't even realize there hadn't been a black coach in the SB until it was mentioned ad-nauseam. The reason for this is that no one is paying attention to what race the coaches are, because they don't care. Most people want the best coach, doesn't matter if he is black or white. Everyone already thinks Dungy is a good coach and I'm pretty sure most feel the same way about Smith. Race is not an issue. I think focusing on this is silly. Things will be better when the media doesn't feel the need to focus on stuff like this. I'm sure I'm rambling, so I'll stop, but I just don't get it.

[capone0]

Peyton talks how classy the Pats are after their loss while LT says the opposite. I like both guys, guess it just different prespectives from different sidelines and different situations.

[ridonkulous]

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Dungy eating up the black coaches thing. Die.

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Why all the hate for this? It's another sign that we are stepping towards racial equality in high profile positions in the US.

James

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pretty sure you just answered your own question.

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I'm obviously not speaking for the person that is quoted first here, but most people didn't even realize there hadn't been a black coach in the SB until it was mentioned ad-nauseam. The reason for this is that no one is paying attention to what race the coaches are, because they don't care. Most people want the best coach, doesn't matter if he is black or white. Everyone already thinks Dungy is a good coach and I'm pretty sure most feel the same way about Smith. Race is not an issue. I think focusing on this is silly. Things will be better when the media doesn't feel the need to focus on stuff like this. I'm sure I'm rambling, so I'll stop, but I just don't get it.

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I feel pretty much the same.

I dont care if the coach is purple, green or even a robot.
Just gameplan.

[CharlieDontSurf]

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Peyton talks how classy the Pats are after their loss while LT says the opposite. I like both guys, guess it just different prespectives from different sidelines and different situations.

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I think its just because Peyton after several tough losses is better at handling his emotions than LT is who is new to the "losing the huge playoff game to NE" category.

[Daliman]

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living in new england, nothing makes me happier than when all the bandwagon fans cry. patriots suck, go colts!

also expect some competition for the AFC east next year. you're not invincible, brady isn't god and belichick certainly isn't a genius, terrible clock managementaments on the last drive.

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not genius but he's the best coach in the league over the past 5-6 years.

NE will be fine and they will defenitly will be a top 6 seed next year barring a huge setback...they have been super cheap over the last couple of years in terms of the players they keep/sign...and they are great at drafting talent.

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I think Belichick is the first coach to effectively utilize game theory in pro fottball. Many of the 4th down plays he goes for seem odd, but are the type that GT guys like Sklansky have been sayng are the preferred play over punting. It seems he rarely makes a mistake in thise areas, ( although I thought he should have taken a TO after 1st Addai run inside the 10.)

[LearnedfromTV]

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Okay, I don't like the Pats but this isn't the end. Is Brady retiring? Is Coach B leaving? They have a lot of top picks this next year. Most teams can't run 4 titles in 6 years especially in the NFL. 3 in 6 is still rediculous in the FA era. As kneel has pointed out they have a relatively young team.

Anyone notice how more effective Rhodes / Addai was then Edge has been in the playoffs. The two primary RBs represented all 4 teams left this weekend. Guess there is a shift.

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Yeah, saying the end was overdramatic and not really what I meant. And I think Simmons will point to those things you mention and to the "Pats keep doing it somehow" legend; only point is, if it's Pats/Colts again next year, the mystique is gone, maybe the Colts are the ones on the way to a dynasty, the character of the rivalry is different now. And if the Pats don't win next year or the year after, they become just another contender instead of the extra-clutch myth/legend. And this game could be the tipping point for that shift, especially if Manning and the colts run out to 8-0 or whatever next year as sb champs and the pats struggle, or if the pats are the 4 seed again.

It doesn't happen immediately of course, but think about what's happened to the Yankees over the past five years - they're not done, they still have great seasons, but it doesn't matter unless they win the world series, and their postseason runs feel different now, they have a hump to get over, etc. The Pats could enter this territory; that's all I meant.

[CharlieDontSurf]

I got to say eventhough I would have prefered to see NE win cuz the Colts used to destory my Broncos...how can anyone hate on these Colts vs. NE matchups...

I'd love it if next year the AFC Champ game is again NE vs. Indy.

[kidcolin]

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Peyton talks how classy the Pats are after their loss while LT says the opposite. I like both guys, guess it just different prespectives from different sidelines and different situations.

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I thought about that too. I think it has more to do with how the Pats regard the Colts as a team vs how they feel about the Chargers. After all these battles between the Pats and Colts, each team thinks very highly of the other, from the top right on down. After LT complained about it and reporters started asking questions, all the Pats said, "you should have heard them talking during the game." Plus the fact that Merriman's celebration is classless (and more importantly, really lame).

[Needle77]

You know, I should have known the Colts were going to win when they got their own column on Jaguars.com on Thursday. Damnit Vec Ketchman, it's all your fault.

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