As a long time Colts fan that can remember the days of an empty RCA Dome, a starting QB named Jeff George, and a dropped Hail-Mary in the1995 AFC Champion game, it's hard to find much to be picky about these days.

The Super Bowl Victory over the Bears following the 2006 NFL season was a long time coming, and in many ways an end to a journey that began years ago following a late night truck ride from Baltimore to Indianapolis. The Irony behind the victory on that rainy night in Miami is that most 'true-blue' Colts Fans probably weren't dancing in the streets and celebrating their firm grasp of the elusive Lombardi trophy, but rather, like myself, sat isolated in their homes taking deep, deep sighs of relief (up and until the parade of course), and thinking "Finally!" You see with success comes expectations, and even most Jaguar Fans would have to admit the Colts have been an extremely successful franchise since Peyton Manning's arrival in Indianapolis following the1997 draft.

Since then the Colts have only missed the playoffs twice (once in his rookie year 3-13), and are 63-17 since 2003 reeling off five straight seasons of 12 wins or more, a rarity in today's NFL. But as the Colts continued to put tally's in the 'W' column, and Peyton and the Colts high powered offense were putting points on the scoreboard, Colt's critics (and there were plenty) kept reminding Colt's Fans, "What have you done in the Playoffs," and labeled the team as "soft." Progressing a once lonely NFL franchise in a small market, (who's previous success and history was left behind in Baltimore), to one of the dominant teams in the NFL was no longer an accomplishment. With success comes expectations.

You could almost see it coming like a small snowball, which rolls down a hill, picking up steam, before finally becoming a thundering avalanche tearing through a small village. When will the Colts make the playoffs? When will the Colts win a playoff game? When will the Colts beat the Patriots and make it to a Super Bowl? Not to mention the constant harassment from fans of opposing teams in our division (Ten and Jax most notably) constantly reminding Colts fans how 'Overrated,' we were. Can you imagine the legacy left on the table if all of the turn around and all of the hype during Peyton's tenure came to an end without a Super Bowl win? Not just an appearance (which in 1995 would have been unimaginable and welcome) but a win?

Thankfully much like the Cuban Missile Crisis before it, all of this was avoided at the conclusion of Super XLI in Miami when the scoreboard read, Colts 29 Bears 17. Our time had come, if only for one night our critics would be silenced, and our Colts were the World Champions. No doubt an exciting time for a Colts fan, but instead of dancing in the streets and pointing fingers towards Nashville and Jacksonville, I sat in my rocking chair like a man 40 years my elder, looked at my wife and said, finally!

Stay Dirty