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It didn't take long for East Tennesseans to come up with a name for their new professional football team. By popular demand, they have been named the (drum roll, please) ... Colts. This wasn't exactly what Bud Adams had in mind when he acquiesced to popular opinion and agreed to retire the Oilers name after the 1998 football season. He expected to choose between Tuxedos, Cherokees, Cougars, Copperheads, Travelers, Pioneers, Twisters, Tornadoes, Shiners, Old Hickories, or whatever else the creative minds of our state have to offer. That's not to minimize the importance of the Oilers' name change. Adams' belated commitment to honesty is to be applauded. He said he would rename the team when he moved it from Houston to Nashville (via Memphis), and he's saying it again. This time, I believe him. After all, there's money to be made from all the new jerseys, caps and jackets that will be manufactured with Whatever They Decide To Name This Team logos. Never mind what you call them. You won't be able to buy a Tennessee jersey with Manning on the back. That's where the Colts come in. When the Colts drafted Manning in April, they knew he had a following in Tennessee. They didn't know how large. They got an idea at their first mini-camp. "We were shocked to see all the orange jerseys in the stands," said Ray Compton, the Colts' executive director of business development. "We set up a web site the day before the draft, and I think we had a million hits in four days. Most of those involved the Manning issue. "We have been stunned at how popular he is in Tennessee." Stunned, but not paralyzed. The Colts want your business. They want you to buy their jerseys, their tickets and their stadium suites. That's why they hired Ackermann, a Knoxville public relations firm. That's why Colts owner Jim Irsay will be in Knoxville next Wednesday to meet with area businessmen. "Wednesday will give us a chance to not only introduce ourselves to the market, but maybe learn about Tennessee fans and followers," Compton said. "We're inviting several hundred Tennessee executives to hear first-hand about Peyton's status and the unique entertainment venues that the Colts can provide during the coming season. "We're going into this not knowing what to expect, but we don't want to be sitting here in December kicking ourselves in the butt, wondering why we didn't make a more visible presentation. "The two things we have to be cautious about. We do want to respect the Nashville team. And we're certainly not trying to intercept Volunteer fans." His sensitivity is to be commended. But the more Compton and the Colts are exposed to UT fans, the better they will understand the relationship with UT and Manning. They don't clash. They enhance one another. Nothing will distract UT fans from UT football. Yet they're just as loyal to the player who postponed his NFL career to play for the Vols. They'll support their Vols and their Colt. The schedules are accommodating. The Colts will have six home games during the regular season on weekends when UT is off, or on the road: Sept. 6, Miami; Oct. 4, San Diego; Oct. 11, Buffalo; Nov. 1, New England; Dec. 13, Cincinnati; Dec. 27, Carolina. "Right now, we've tossed the line into water, but we might not have the right bait on it," Compton said. "We're going to try to understand what makes sense for Tennessee fans." He speculated on one possibility. "We could have a Tennessee weekend," he said. "We'd fill up the RCA Dome with orange, work with the hotels to make it a special weekend. "It has the potential for a great marriage." |