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INDIANAPOLIS (April 25, 1998) -- It's not every day that a professional football franchise adds an extra five million people to its fan base. That's just what the Colts did this past weekend, however, when they drafted Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning to lead the franchise into the next century. In the span of 24 hours, the Colts supplanted the attendance-starved Oilers as the most popular pro football team for Tennessee fans, and raised the possibility that 1998 could produce a string of sellouts at the RCA Dome. The outpouring from fans in the volunteer state voicing their support of Manning and the Colts has been nothing short of amazing. As someone who doesn't mind having his e-mail address posted to the public, I receivean average of about 45 messages a week from Colts fans. Last Saturday and Sunday alone, I received 74 messages from Tennessee students, alumni and fans, all asking questions about Indianapolis and praising Manning for what he's done for their university. I decided to share some ofthese messages with you as an example of the following Peyton Manning has and the type of influence he's already made on the Colts' franchise. New fans by the handful One of the first letters I received was from Charles Dyal of Nashville. Like most of those who have written me, Dyal is a Tennessee resident and a big fan of the Volunteers. Once the Colts drafted Manning, however, Dyal suddenly had another team to root for. As he states in his letter: "Just finished reading your column ... I am a UT alum and Vol fan, and I live in Nashville. Despite the imminent presence of the bungling Tennessee "Oilers" or whatever Bud Adams decides to call them, you can bet you'll be more likely to see me in the RCA Dome this fall cheering for my new team: the Colts!" Jeff Boruff of Knoxville echoed some of the sentiments of Mr. Dyal with his own e-mail. In a message sent as a response to my Peyton Manning article last week, Jeff wrote: "I am a huge Tennessee fan and, needless to say, Peyton is my hero. I wanted to confirm what you wrote about the Colts having more fan appeal. Peyton is thought of as dearly as anyone in the history of UT football, and the Colts just became the favorite team of many thousands of Volunteer fans. Go Colts. "Some friends and I are already planning to come to several of the Colts' games. The Colts should be happy to have a man with so much class and potential." Greg Underwood of Birmingham, Alabama chimed in with this e-mail about the dedication of Tennessee fans, adding that he will be attending the Colts' first game of the season against Miami this September: "It is a wonderful day to be a Tennessee alumni/fan and have in-laws who live in Carmel, Ind. You can count on me following the Indianapolis Colts with Peyton at the helm. Tennessee football fans are fanatics when it comes to one of our most beloved players (just ask ESPN and the Downtown Athletic Club). Count on me to be there at the opener and other games if possible. Go Colts!" Manning's influence in Indy and abroad Those three messages alone should be a signal to the Colts that their attendance is about to go up -- way up -- next season. But it turns out that Manning's drawing power isn't limited to just Indianapolis. Witness this e-mail from Al Landers, another huge Volunteer fan, who hinted at the effect Manning will have on road games as well: "Trust me ... the Colts just picked up a LOT of new fans. The Cowboys will always be my team, but I've already bought a Colts hat and will pull for Peyton and the gang to win! Tennessee Volunteer fans love Peyton, and they will follow his career in Indy with more than a passing interest! In fact, the Colts play the Falcons in Atlanta the day after the SEC championship game, and many UT fans (the optimistic ones anyway) are planning on a college/NFL doubleheader. "We hope we are in the SECCG and will definitely stick around to see our hero Peyton on Sunday! Consider your fan base at least 100,000 stronger today!" The reach of Peyton Manning isn't limited to just certain sections of the country, either. Fellow southern California resident Phillip Caudill, who will be watching and cheering for the Colts from 2,000 miles away in San Diego, praised the team's new quarterback while issuing a playful warning to the offensive line: "Indy is very fortunate to get a young man like Peyton. I watched him for four years while I lived in Knoxville and was thoroughly amazed at his maturity. He will be a huge asset to the entire community ...seriously, you have NO idea how wonderful a young man Archie and Olivia Manning have raised. "I was raised in New Orleans in the seventies, where I was a great admirer of his father. Peyton is every bit a gentleman and role modelas he is/was. As a current resident of San Diego, California, I only wish that the Chargers organization had had the luck of drafting him. Good luck in the future, take good care of Peyton, or you truly will have hell to pay from half a million loyal Vols fans ... after all, he was a Volunteer first! He will always be our Peyton." Manning mania knows no bounds For some Colts fans, one of the knocks about Peyton Manning was his demeanor on the field. To some, what could be perceived as level-headedness on one side could also be perceived as a lack of emotion, possibly even as if he didn't care about the outcome of the game. For big-time Volunteer fan Jim Irving, however, you can rest assured that that's not the case with this quarterback: "I enjoyed reading your column about Peyton Manning. I am a huge Peyton fan, as I am a UT grad and season ticket holder. I think the two biggest assets he will bring to the table will be his unbelievable work ethic and his drive to be the utmost as a competitor. He hates to lose and he will chew on teammates when he needs to." Brian F. Dunn, a Tennessee native, gave his insight as to what it's like to grow up a Vols fan. He also expanded on the significance Peyton Manning has had on Tennessee's football program: "I am a huge football fan here in Knoxville. Being born here means your blood runs orange and nothing competes or compares to UT football. That is why a stadium that holds over 105,000 can be full every game. But what has happened to our program in the last five years is unexplainable. "Manning has added so much to a program that seemed to have peaked as far as attendance and fan support. Hundreds of children are being born and given his name. Streets, scholarships, buildings are all taking his name. Recently, Tennessee retired his jersey. To most people this does not seem odd. But UT has never done that before and they said it will never be done again. "In short, I just wanted to let you know what kind of person you and your Colts were getting. Oh, by the way, he is a hell of a quarterback also. " Finally, this past Tuesday, I received an e-mail from J. Paul Sanderson. With a few simple sentences, he delivered a message that covered all the bases, praising Manning and the Colts for their selection, and looking at last Saturday as the beginning of a new era of professional football in Indianapolis: "We here in Tennessee will follow Peyton up the interstate to Indy and watch our beloved quarterback play football. If the people in Indy don't want the tickets, then we know how to drive and fly to Indy to catch a game on Sunday. They are not that far up the concrete, just a little further than Atlanta -- and when you get to see Peyton, that is no distance at all ... We know what he (Manning) can do for a football program, if given a chance. And like Brett Favre, if given a chance, (he) will win the hearts of the Indy fans. So treat him nice and with respect, and when the championship days come, you will know that April 18th was the day of a new beginning for Indianapolis and the Colts." My feelings precisely, Mr. Snderson. The next-to-last word To those of you who have sent messages wishing Peyton Manning well and congratulating the team for their selection, I'd like to officially welcome you all into the Colts' family. You will find that while the amount of media coverage afforded the team may not be what you'd expect from a professional franchise, Colt fans are among the most knowledgeable in the game. Hardly a week goes by without me asking for help or information from a fan, some of them who have been rooting for the team since its early days in Baltimore. So if you're new to the Colts and if you've got a question or concern about the team, don't be afraid to ask. I'll do my best to try to give you a prompt answer, and I'm sure most (if not all) of the team's older fans will be more than willing to help you out as well. Who wouldn't? After all, that's what families do. And finally ... Although much of the news this past week has centered around the Colts' drafting of Peyton Manning, life didn't stand still for the rest of the NFL. In an AFC East-related note, the Miami Dolphins voided a trade which would have brought them running back Rashan Salaam from the Chicago Bears because he failed a physical exam. At first glance, one would think Salaam was sent back to the Bears because of some physical ailment and leave it at that. Further examination, however, reveals that that's simply not true. Remember, this is the Miami Dolphins we're talking about. With such upstanding citizens as Lawrence Phillips and Roosevelt Potts already on the roster, the reason for the trade being voided should be clear to almost anyone. Of course Salaam didn't pass his physical -- after all, he didn't have any alcohol in his system. Until next week, everyone. |