Jacksonville Jaguars – B+:  Jacksonville did a good job getting good value out of their picks, and took a number of players I had pegged as underrated or sleepers.  Trading down from 17 to 21 and still getting they player they wanted, safety Reggie Nelson, was their first good move.  Nelson is a bit raw, but has a ton of potential.  They may have reached a little for LB Justin Durant in the second, but Durant’s stock had been rising prior to the draft, and he was considered a very strong small-school sleeper prospect.  Mike Walker in the third might have also been a bit of a reach, but he’s got great measurables.  They took Punter Adam Podlesh in the 4th, and released Chris Hanson just two days later.  They took another sleeper in the 4th with Brian Smith, a player with great athleticism who played DE in college, but should move to linebacker in the pros.  Guard Uche Nwaneri, who has a lot of talent but some character concerns, was a bit of a steal in my opinion, and safety Josh Gattis is a guy who could contribute.  Jacksonville got a large number of players who have a lot of upside, and this draft has the potential to look really, really good a couple of years down the road. B+

Tennessee Titans – C-: I was surprised to see Tennessee pass on potential impact WRs like Dwayne Bowe and Robert Meachem in the first, then pass on WR Steve Smith in the second.  Tennessee is hurting at WR, and the guys on their roster are both inexperienced and mediocre.  Their entire receiving corps had a combined 49 receptions last year, and aside from David Givens, whose career high in yards is 874, no WR on the Titans has broken even 400 yards receiving in a year.  And yet, they wait till the third round to grab a WR, Paul Williams.  They ended up taking two more, Chris Davis and Joel Filani, but they need a real #1 WR, not three more #3 WRs to shuffle around the depth chart.  Michael Griffin, their first round pick, is a good player and should do well in the pros, but safety wasn’t a huge need for the Titans.  RB Chris Henry, their second round pick, is a workout warrior, and isn’t as good a player as his numbers should dictate and will need a lot of coaching.  Tennessee needed a capable target for Vince Young to throw to.  They dropped the ball on this one.  C-

Houston Texans – C: The Texans had one task: fix the offensive line.  Apparently, they thought that taking linemen in the 5th and 6th round will solve their problems.  It won’t, though Brandon Frye could be a nice developmental prospect.  Still, Amobi Okoye was a pretty good pick in the first round, and having him on the D-line should help last year’s first overall pick Mario Williams be more effective.  Jacoby Jones could be a good WR, and CB Fred Bennett is athletic and has plenty of upside.  But unless they think Jordan Black is the solution on the offensive line (he won’t be), Houston will remain a quarterback’s worst nightmare.  C.

Pittsburgh Steelers – B+:  The Steelers did a good job of addressing the questions about their defensive scheme in the first two rounds by selecting two guys who could play in both the 3-4 and the 4-3.  Lawrence Timmons is a versitile linebacker who is good as a pass rusher and in coverage, and LaMarr Woodley is a guy who could play DE in the 4-3 or OLB in the 3-4.  When you consider the defensive scheme they’ll be using, this might even be an improvement over Joey Porter.  They got a nice, big (big as in 6 foot 7) target at Tight End in Matt Spaeth in the 3rd.  Punter Daniel Sepulveda might have been a bit of a reach in the fourth, but he’s got a very strong leg, and Gardocki is entering his 17th season, so it was a pretty smart pick.  They also got Ryan McBean in the fourth, who could play DT in the 4-3 or DE in the 3-4.  For doing a good job of drafting players that can play both the 3-4 and the 4-3, as they Steelers apparently plan to do this season, Pittsburgh gets a B+.

Cincinnati Bengals – C+: There wasn’t a whole lot that impressed me about Cincinnati’s draft.  Leon Hall definitely fits a position of need for the Bengals, but the top of the CB class this year was a bit overrated, and while Hall has good athleticism and intangibles, he had trouble against some of the better WRs he faced in college.  He should be pretty good, but he won’t be a shut-down type of corner.  They took Kenny Irons in the second, who has a lot of potential and good measurables, but didn’t perform as well as a senior as he did as a junior and is a little on the light side.  He’ll have to beat out Chris Perry for the second spot on the depth chart behind Rudi Johnson, however.  Marvin White was a pretty solid pick, though he’s pretty raw.  Kudos for Cincy picking a player with good character in the first round, but beyond that, their draft was shaky.  C+

Baltimore Ravens – B: Baltimore got two of the better guards in this year’s draft in Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda, who will help their O-line quite a bit.  They got a guy in Antwan Barnes in the fourth, who can play both DE in a 4-3 or OLB in a 3-4, who will fit nicely into their scheme.  Troy Smith was a steal in the 6th, and they’ll be able to judge whether he can be their QB of the future while he sits behind McNair – if not, a 6th rounder isn’t too much to spend for the shot.  Smith’s draft value plummetted far more than it probably should have.  Yamon Figures in the third might have been a reach, as I don’t see him becoming anything more than a decent return man, but with as well as Hester did last year (and Figures may be faster than Hester), it’s not that surprising of a pick.  But, he’s skinny, and drops a lot of balls, and, as I said, probably won’t contribute much as a receiver.

Cleveland Browns – A: Cleveland walked out of the draft with two guys who were widely considered top 5 prospects in OT Joe Thomas and QB Brady Quinn, and didn’t give up too much to get them both.  I think that Thomas is pretty close to a sure thing at tackle, and Quinn, despite the questions about his accuracy, was a steal at pick 22.  In the second round they drafted a guy in Eric Wright who, if it weren’t for concerns about his character, could have gone a good bit higher, and has great athleticism and talent.  Their second-day picks weren’t anything special, but their first and second rounds alone net them an A.

But the real buzz of their draft (and the buzz of the entire combine in fact) was their trade of a 4th rounder to Oakland for Randy Moss, who has reportedly dramatically restructured his contract, and will have a base salary of 3 million plus about 2 million in incentives, in a one year deal.  Regardless of Moss’ on the field issues (allegedly quitting on his team on several occasions) and off the field issues (hitting a traffic control officer with his car, which happened to contain a small amount of marijuana), a talent like his is a steal for a 4th round pick.  He has a huge amount of upside if he works out, and, if by chance his problems continue, the damage to the Patriots should be minimal.

I wasn’t quite as impressed with their draft picks however.  Meriweather has some serious character concerns.  He was caught on camera stomping on a player during the Miami-FIU brawl, and subsequently suspended.  There was also an incident where his teammate was shot in the buttocks, and Meriweather returned fire.  He was not charged with anything, as he owned the gun legally and acted in defense, however, any time a player is involved in a shooting, attention should be paid to any possible lifestyle-related risks – there’s a reason some people tend to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Based on this, and the fact that much of their draft was spent on offensive linemen, not a particular position of need, I would give their actual picks a C-.  However, the trade of their other first rounder for a first round pick which almost assuredly will be higher next year, plus a fourth round pick this year, bumps it up to a C+.  And the trade of a fourth-rounder for Moss shoots it up to a B+.  The Patriots, while I didn’t particually like the rookies they drafted, still used their picks very, very well.

New York – B-:  The Jets were the first team to trade up, from 25 to 14, to take CB Darrelle Revis.  Revis has solid potential, but, he may be a bit overrated, as one of the best of a relatively subpar (but fairly deep on the whole) group of cornerback prospects.  This is a trade that probably will work out in their favor, but didn’t really make anyone say ‘wow’.  Judging solely from the players that were taken with the picks involved, the Panthers might have made out a bit better.

I was more impressed with their second trade, moving up in the second round to grab LB David Harris, a player who many (such as myself) thought could go in the first round, potentially to the Patriots.  They also got a 7th, which they used on Chansi Stuckey, an interesting developmental prospect at WR who didn’t have a great combine, but was exciting on the field.

As a result of the trades, they only had 4 picks, which drops their grade down a touch.  Regardless, the Jets had a solid draft, and get a B-.

Buffalo – B+: Buffalo had a nice deep draft.  The biggest knock on them is that their first round pick, Marshawn Lynch, may have been a slight reach.  However, it filled a big need, and there’s a good chance Green Bay might have taken him four picks later.  Their second round pick was likely their best, as they traded up for LB Paul Posluszny, a player who most were predicting would go in the first.  \

The Trent Edwards pick was a touch unusual, as they have a young QB in J.P. Losman who showed significant improvment last year, but Edwards does provide good insurance.  I also loved their pick of John Wendling in the 6th round, who had both a great workout and an outstanding college career, but is a bit raw by NFL standards.  The Bills had a real solid draft, and got several guys who could be contributors very soon.  B+

Miami – A-: Yeah, I know, they passed on Brady Quinn and reached for Ted Ginn Jr.  I was ready to give them an F right then and there.  But you know what?  Miami did something that not many teams can do – they took what looked like it was going to be a bad draft, and make it look really, really good.

Ginn was a reach, but, remember, before he was hurt he was viewed as a top 10 pick.  A lot of early mocks had him going to Miami in the 9 spot too.  Of  course, a lot of the criticism of the pick was driven by the fact that they needed a QB – Harrington was gone (and ineffective) and Culpepper is a question mark.  However, once Miami took BYU QB John Beck, one of my favorite players in the draft, in round 2, I started to come around.  The biggest hit against Beck is that he’s 25 going on 26, old for a rookie, which put off people who remembered the Chris Weinke situation.  However,  Weinke was 29, and didn’t have nearly as good an arm as Beck.  Beck has a very strong arm, and good accuracy, and has great intangibles – he’s smart, a great leader, and mature.  This was an especially smart pick, as the other two QBs on Beck’s tier that were available, Stanton and Edwards, are developmental prospects.  Beck is a guy with the tools and the brain to start right away, if need be.

Miami then took Samson Satele in the second, who played both Guard and Center in college, to replace Seth McKinney, who they released.  They took RB Lorenzo Booker, who has a lot of potential, but split time at Florida State, in the 3rd.  And then in the 4th, they took Paul Soliai, a 6’4″, 334 lb DT/NT, likely to be the successor to 16-year veteran Keith Traylor.  All of those were great value picks at areas of need for the Dolphins.

The Dolphins did an excellent job addressing areas of need, and, despite the fact that their first round pick was probably the most criticized of any team’s, will quite possibly have the last laugh.  And, as highly as I regard John Beck, I think they will.  A-

RBs:
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Antonio Pittman
3. Marshawn Lynch
4. Kenny Irons
5. Michael Bush
6. Tony Hunt
7. Chris Henry

WRs:
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Robert Meachem
3. Dwayne Bowe
4. Ted Ginn Jr.
5. Dwayne Jarrett
6. Sidney Rice
7. Anthony Gonzalez
8. Steve Smith
9. Aundrae Allison
10. Craig Davis

TEs:
1. Greg Olsen
2. Zach Miller
3. Scott Chandler
4. Matt Spaeth
5. Ben Patrick

OTs:
1. Joe Thomas
2. Levi Brown
3. Joe Staley
4. Tony Ugoh
5. Ryan Harris

OGs:
1. Justin Blalock
2. Arron Sears
3. Marshal Yanda
4. Ben Grubbs
5. Manuel Ramirez
6. Josh Beekman

Cs:
1. Ryan Kalil
2. Doug Datish
3. Samson Satele
4. Leroy Harris
5. Dan Mozes
6. Dustin Fry
7. Scott Stephenson

DTs:
1. Amobi Okoye
2. Alan Branch
3. Justin Harrell
4. DeMarcus Tyler
5. Quinn Pitcock
6. Turk McBride
7. Ray McDonald
8. Paul Soliai
9. Marcus Thomas

DEs:
1. Gaines Adams
2. Jamaal Anderson
3. Adam Carriker
4. Victor Abiamiri
5. Jarvis Moss
6. Anthony Spencer

ILBs:
1. Patrick Willis
2. David Harris
3. Anthony Waters
4. Zak DeOssie
5. Brandon Siler
6. Buster Davis
7. H.B. Blades

OLBs:
1. Paul Posluszny
2. Lawrence Timmons
3. Jon Beason
4. Justin Durant
5. Quincy Black
6. Stewart Bradley

CBs:
1. Leon Hall
2. Darelle Revis
3. Chris Houston
4. Marcus McCauley
5. Aaron Ross
6. Tanard Jackson
7. Eric Wright

S:
1. LaRon Landry
2. Michael Griffin
3. Eric Weddle
4. Reggie Nelson
5. Brandon Meriweather
6. John Wendling
7. Aaron Rouse

1. Oakland – QB JaMarcus Russell
2. Atlanta (from Detroit) – WR Calvin Johnson
3. Cleveland – QB Brady Quinn
4. Tampa Bay – OT Joe Thomas
5. Arizona – OT Levi Brown
6. Washington – DT Amobi Okoye
7. Minnesota – S LaRon Landry
8. Detroit (from Atlanta) – DE Gaines Adams
9. Miami – DE Adam Carriker
10. Denver (from Houston) – LB Patrick Willis
11. San Francisco – DE Jamaal Anderson
12. Buffalo – RB Adrian Peterson
13. St. Louis – DT Alan Branch
14. Carolina – TE Greg Olsen
15. Pittsburgh – LB Lawrence Timmons
16. Green Bay – RB Marshawn Lynch
17. Jacksonville – S Reggie Nelson
18. Cincinnati – CB Leon Hall
19. Tennesee – WR Ted Ginn Jr.
20. Giants – LB Paul Posluszny
21. Houston (from Denver) – OT Joe Staley
22. Dallas – WR Dwayne Jarrett
23. Kansas City – WR Robert Meachem
24. New England – S Michael Griffin
25. Jets – CB Darrelle Revis
26. Philadelphia – S Brandon Meriweather
27. New Orleans – DT Justin Harrell
28. New England – LB David Harris
29. Baltimore – C Ryan Kalil
30. San Diego – WR Dwyane Bowe
31. Chicago – G Ben Grubbs
32. Indianapolis – LB Jon Beason

Quarterback
1. Brady Quinn
2. JaMarcus Russell
3. Drew Stanton
4. Jordan Palmer
5. John Beck

The Quinn-Russell debate is shaping up a lot like the Manning-Leaf debate. Quinn, like Manning, is viewed as one of the most prepared QBs coming out of college to play in the NFL in years. He’s been projected as a top pick for a while. He is polished and has a solid arm. Like Manning was, however, some view Quinn as a product of a good system, and believe he has a low ceiling, and may already have reached his potential. On the other hand, Russell, like Leaf, is a player who really came on in his final year, and vaulted himself into a top draft spot based on his performance at the end of the year, especially in the Sugar Bowl. Like Leaf, he’s touted as a player with a powerful arm and ‘unlimited potential’. On the other hand, he can be streaky and you wonder about his work ethic. Now, I have no real connection to Notre Dame (though my grandmother is a devoted fan, and I’m sure she’d be ecstatic to see Quinn do well in the NFL), and I even picked LSU to beat them easily in the Sugar Bowl (which they did). But that’s more a reflection of Notre Dame being overrated as a team. Quinn put up huge numbers this year with a mediocre offensive line and overrated WRs. He’s simply the better pro prospect.

As for the other 3, I picked Stanton and Palmer because of their upside. Both guys have all the physical tools to be successful, but have been less consistant than Russell and Quinn. They’re not going to be starters as rookies, but they probably show the most potential out of the draft class. Beck I like because of his work ethic and intangibles. He’s a very polished passer, even though his arm strength is somewhat lacking. He’s not a guy who has the potential to be a great NFL QB, but given the right system, he’s pretty low-risk and could definitely be a top-tier backup.

Running Back
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Antonio Pittman
3. Marshawn Lynch
4. Kenny Irons
5. Chris Henry

Peterson has far and away the most potential of this years running back class. However, this years class and last years couldn’t be more different. Last year’s running back class has the potential to be on par with the 1983 quarterback class insofar as the amount of talent at one position in one year’s draft. On the other hand, the top running back in my rankings is coming off a tough injury. But Peterson has all the tools and physical attributes he needs to be successful in the NFL, and should be a good pickup if he can avoid further injuries. Pittman is somewhat unpolished, but has a lot of potential and is a very natural runner. Lynch I believe is somewhat overrated as a prospect, but has the talent to be a good NFL RB. Irons replaces Michael Bush in my rankings as of March 21, as Bush will miss his pro day with surgery. Henry is the least polished of the 5 backs listed, but he has a ton of upside.

Wide Receiver
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Robert Meachem
3. Dwayne Bowe
4. Ted Ginn Jr.
5. Dwayne Jarrett
6. Sydney Rice
7. Aundrae Allison
8. Craig Davis
9. Mike Walker
10. David Ball

Johnson is probably (make that, almost definitly) the best prospect of the draft. Even so, Wide Receivers traditionally have a high bust factor, so you never know. Still, there’s really no reason to believe that Johnson won’t shine at the next level. The next few are a bit tougher to sort out. I placed Meachem second because of his outstanding speed, as there’s not much else separating him from Bowe. Meachem also is more polished than Bowe. Ginn should have tremendous value as a returner, but I don’t believe he has the size or strength (or outstanding ability as a receiver to make up for a lack of size and strength) to be a #1 receiver in the NFL. Jarrett’s stock has been falling as rumors of his slow 40 times spread, but his draft position won’t really start to solidify until his pro day workout on the 28th. Rice isn’t very polished and won’t make an immediate impact (though he has potential to be a good WR). Allison has very good speed and natural ability. Davis has good hands and solid speed. Walker is pretty raw, but has good speed and ability. Ball is something of a wild card, as his production has been outstanding (breaking Jerry Rice’s TD record), but his talent is questionable. His timed speed isn’t very good, but then again, neither was Rice’s. Despite his athletic lackings, he’s very polished as a WR and has a great work ethic.

Tight End
1. Greg Olsen
2. Zach Miller
3. Scott Chandler
4. Matt Spaeth
5. Ben Patrick

Olsen really separated himself by virtue of his workout numbers. His speed is good for a TE, and he’ll be a good pass catcher at the next level. On the other hand, Miller’s 40 time was dissapointing for a primarily pass-catching TE. Olsen and Miller are the most polished TEs in the draft class however, and will go first and second. Chandler and Spaeth are fairly similar, tall big guys with heavy frames and good hands. Their size gives them good potential to be blockers as well. Patrick is a good receiver, but he’s small for a tight end, and will have to prove he can be effective as a blocker in the NFL.

Offensive Tackle
1. Joe Thomas
2. Levi Brown
3. Joe Staley
4. Tony Ugoh
5. Arron Sears

The offensive tackle position in the 2007 draft begins and ends with Joe Thomas. He’s strong, and is the most technically sound blocker in the draft. Of the others, each have some question marks. Brown seems to have a high bust factor – has the tools, but his play can be inconsistant. Staley and Ugoh are raw and need to play stronger. As far as Sears is concerned, I’m not sure he wouldn’t be better suited to play guard.

Offensive Guard
1. Justin Blalock
2. Ben Grubbs
3. Manuel Ramirez
4. Josh Beekman
5. Marshal Yanda

Not a great year for guards. Blalock is the best available, but he tends to get by on natural ability. Grubbs needs polishing. Ramirez has great physical tools, but needs work on technique. Beekman and Yanda need to get stronger.

Center
1. Ryan Kalil
2. Kyle Young
3. Samson Satele
4. Doug Datish
5. Dan Mozes

Kalil is most definitly the best center available in the draft. He could bulk up a bit, but he’s experienced and has a good work ethic.

1. A Bengals player was involved, but didn’t get arrested. Jones blew a perfect opportunity to ensure that the Bengals remained the gold standard for criminal behavior in the NFL. All you had to do was punch him back! When was the last time a guy who was 6 foot 5 and weighed over 300 pounds was in a bar fight and didn’t get a shot in?

2. PFT reported today that Jones claims he was jumped by Porter and 6 other men and robbed of some jewelry. Now, I can’t speak for the other 6 guys, but Joey Porter just signed a 32 million dollar deal, with 12 million in signing bonus. Somehow I doubt that Porter needs to rob another player of his bling. And if he did, then, damn, he’s an idiot.

The Chargers have already lost their coordinators, now they’re giving the head coach the boot – and a head coach with Hall of Fame creds at that.  President Dean Spanos attributes the firing to the disharmony between Schottenheimer and GM A.J. Smith, and not-so-subtly implied that had Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips stayed, Marty might still have a job.  Sure, they’re getting rid of a coach who couldn’t come through in the playoffs.  But the problem remains, can the find a coach who can get them there at all?

San Diego’s got enough talent that one might surmise that they can make the playoffs in spite of coaching.  But in all seriousness, the options out there are grim at best.  Wade Phillips just got a job.  Wade freakin’ Phillips.  That means that the Chargers are going to have to take the next best guy after Wade Phillips.  Norv Turner?  PFT suggests Pete Carroll, but haven’t we heard that about every other team in need of a head coach this offseason?  God forbid, my eternal underdog pick, Jim Fassel?

On a related note, how dumb does Jerry Jones feel about hiring Wade Phillips with Marty Schottenheimer now looking for work?

Fortunately for Smith’s ego, he wasn’t the only one trying to lose the game – his opponent, Carson Palmer, also attempted to throw the game, in order to be on time for a reservation for dinner with his wife.

So there are two possible conclusions one can take from this:

1. Carson Palmer is really, really good at losing.

2. Alex Smith is so terrible he can’t even lose on purpose.

Either way, not exactly a shining moment for either of them.

On the plus side, it does show, once and for all, that the Madden Bowl is not the highest aspiration of an NFL player, and winning the Madden Bowl is not better than winning the Super Bowl, the league MVP, and being inducted into the Hall of Fame combined – as much as Superstar Mode in the Madden video game series would like to have you believe it.

First, let me say that my way of choosing teams is somewhat unusual.  I carry little loyalty to location – I’ve found the New York sports market somewhat distasteful for a long time now.  I still root for the Giants and Jets when the opportunity presents itself (and am a Yankees fan for slightly different reasons), but mostly because of my family and friends, many of whom are, as one would expect given my location, followers of the New York sports teams.  My sympathy for those teams stems from the bond I have with them, and not any sort of connection I feel to the city itself, as much as I may love its museums, theaters, and nightlife.

Rather, I follow players.  I was a Yankee fan for a long time, because of players like Tino Martinez, and Paul O’Neill, and Andy Pettite.  And yet, I felt little attachment to the team itself.  When my favorite players began retiring, and leaving, my relationship with the team began to fade.  And finally, when Pettite joined the Astros, I half-heartedly switched my allegiance.  All my old favorite players on the Yankees had been replaced with new ones, who I honestly couldn’t drum up much affection for.  I followed the Astros for a couple seasons, during which all 3 of my teams at the time managed to get blindingly close to the ultimate prize, but come up short.  Houston would lose in the World Series, and the Colts and Sabres (who I root for simply because of Chris Drury, who graduated the same high school I did) would lose in the playoffs.  And finally, as Pettite returned to the Yankees and my distaste for the Astros management increased, I once again turned my allegiance to New York, though I still feel like a baseball fan without a real home.

The Colts are different.

Until the Colts, I was a true bandwagon fan (though I feel that it is an excusable offense for those under the age of 10 or 11, as I was).  I was, as one would expect, a Cowboys fan (I have an excuse of course, I was born in Fort Worth).  Of course, I never noticed the many incidents involving certain Dallas players, which, looking back, causes me to chuckle a good bit.  Even so, Troy Aikman is still one of my favorite all-time players, and I have a deep respect for him that grew out of my time following Dallas.  Even earlier, I had chosen the Redskins to be my team (though at that age, the extent of my fandom was a Redskins duffel bag).  I am sure that my cheering for the Cowboys and Redskins especially pained my father, a lifelong Giants fan.

Of course, as I said, this was in elementary school.  I still had not found my identity as a  sports fan.  I never felt a real connection with a team.

And then along comes 1998, right around the time I started to read Sports Illustrated in earnest, and started to become fascinated with sports in general – especially football.  I read about a young QB named Peyton Manning, who had chosen to remain in college for his senior year (something I admired, regardless of motive).  Here was this guy who was diametrically opposed to the bad-boy, cannon-armed Ryan Leaf.  Unlike so many players, who seemed more concerned with what came with the game (money, women, drugs – cue Nate Newton), Manning seemed like someone I could respect.

And so, when he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, I began to learn about the history of the Colts.  The early years of the NFL, the loss to the Jets in Super Bowl III and the win over the Cowboys in Super Bowl V.  The move from Baltimore to Indy.  The years of futility.  And I watched tape of the 1995 AFC Championship game, as Jim Harbaugh’s pass rolled incomplete off Aaron Bailey.  And I think I knew, at the time, what I was getting myself into.  It was the first time I hadn’t picked a team because they were a winner, but beause I wanted them to win.  My beginnings as a Colts fan were sandwiched between two 3-13 seasons.  I wanted to be a part of the Colts.

So growing up as a Colts fan – middle school and high school, specifically, and as I am in college now – I have found myself growing with my team.  I was not very strong back then – I was quiet, and got pushed around and picked on.  But especially in the last few years, as my team has found inner strength and toughness, so have I.  As the Colts learned to deal with adversity, I followed suit.  I built my confidence just as they, as a team, built theirs.

It was 3 years ago, after a particuarly tough loss to New England in the playoffs, that I realized something that told me that I had changed as a fan, from what I was long ago.  The loss was painful in a way that I hadn’t experienced with a sports team before.  And yet, I loved the Colts even more for it.  I didn’t just love my team in spite of their failings, I loved them because of their failings, because I could relate to them.

It was then that I understood, that all the time that I had been trying to become a part of the Colts, the Colts had become a part of me.

And now, nothing can change that.  And to see them finally on the biggest stage of all, I know that I, too, can succeed in my life.  Because if my team, who has failed so many times before, can do it, so can I.  And if you want to call me a bandwagoner, so be it.  But I would not give up my seat on the bandwagon for the world.