http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...NEWS01/51128028

Eager fans ready for Colts-Steelers game

Colts fans rallied, partied and put on their team colors today – some of them pushed indoors by wind and rain for “Blue Monday” preparations ahead of the the Monday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Star reporters are filing reports from around the city:

Rivals ribbing each other
5:20 p.m.
Two couples from Lebanon who shared a ride Downtown this afternoon represented both sides in the game.

The Rev. Bob Davis and his wife Pam are from southwest Pennsylvania and are Steelers fans.

Jeff Edens and his wife Portia are for the Colts. Edens looked the part, sporting a long blue coat and blue wig, with his beard dyed Colts blue.

Edens joked that buying the tickets for his Baptist minister and Mrs. Davis amounted to his tithing “for the year.”

Davis was asked whom he considered the better quarterback – Steelers great Terry Bradshaw or Peyton Manning.

“It’s got to be Manning,” Davis said. His wife said current Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be better eventually “but he hasn’t hit his prime yet.”

That’s right, Edens cracked: “He hasn’t hit ANYTHING this year.”

Fans get fire truck ride
4:30 p.m.
It was no ordinary trip from the airport for a Minneapolis couple today.

Todd and Heidi Gaughan were greeted at Indianapolis International Airport by Randy Collins, president of the Blue Crew fan club.

Collins gave the couple a lift in the club’s 1970 Mack fire truck, which is painted in the team’s signature blue and white colors.

“They were going to take a cab and I said, 'You don't have to do that. We'll just pick you up in the fire truck,’” Collins said.

The couple paid $1,600 for two tickets from an online broker. Heidi, attending her first NFL game, budgeted $1,500 to spend at the Colts Pro Shop.

Tailgaters setting up near Dome
2:30 p.m.
At the Slippery Noodle Inn three blocks from the RCA Dome, tailgaters with reserved spaces in the bar’s parking lot were setting up by early afternoon.

Owner Hal Yeagy said he expected about 500 people inside by game time and had hired 30 extra staffers.

Construction of a new stadium south of the dome has eliminted hundreds of parking spaces, he noted.

“It’s such a zoo with everybody trying to get down here,” Yeagy said.

The 155-year-old establishment, which bills itself as the state’s oldest bar, has seen its share of Steelers fans as well.

About 200 people were in the place on Sunday night at closing time – nearly all of them from Pittsburgh, Yeagy said.

Rain fails to dampen rally
12:30 p.m.
Hundreds of Colts fans gathered for a noon rally at City Market, away from blustery weather outside.

A band called The Joes played on the second floor balcony at the south end of the market. Face-painters laid on the blue and white, Colts cheerleaders pepped things up and “The Real Men of Genius,” characters from a beer commercial, were on hand.

The noise was deafening at times, but that didn’t bother Teresa Davis, dressed in a Colts sweatshirt but safely out of the thickest part of the crowd. Davis sat in a corner, knitting a blanket for a relative’s baby daughter.

Davis knits all the time – the blanket alone will take 35 hours, she said.

What about during the game?

“I won’t be knitting then,” she said.

Few Steeler shirts in the crowd
12:45 p.m.

Judging from the jerseys and other fan-wear at the noon City Market rally, Indianapolis enjoyed an early lead of about 400 to 4.

Chris Meek, 23, of Indianapolis was among the few Steelers fans on hand, wearing a Pittsburgh jersey and throwing some good-natured taunts to the rest of the crowd.

Meek, predicting a 28-24 Pittsburgh victory, said he did not have a ticket to the game.

“I’m going to find the bar filled with the most Colts fans and do what I’m doing here,” he said.

New license plates unveiled
10:30 a.m.
For $35, Colts fans can adorn the backs of their cars with a state license plate featuring the team helmet and blue horseshoe.
But if you have your heart set on carrying Peyton Manning’s No. 18 on your plate, you better start saving your money.
The most coveted license plate numbers – those representing popular players including Manning, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Dwight Freeney — will be auctioned off starting Tuesday at 8 a.m.

The number 19, representing Hall of Fame Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas, is also up for auction, as is the number 4, for popular former quarterback Jim Harbaugh.

In all, 400 plates featuring the numbers 1 to 100, with the prefixes “GO”, “TD”, “IC”, and “OF” will be auctioned. Twenty-nine player numbers will be auctioned as well.

For all of them, the starting bid will be $25; the auction ends Dec. 16 at 5 p.m.

Ten team plates, featuring the prefix “TM” with numbers 1 through 5, 18, 32, 87, 88 and 93 will be given to the Colts to give away to fans.

Colts license plates can be obtained starting Jan. 3 from any license branch in the state. There’s an additional $35 charge for the specialty plate — $15 stays with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and $20 goes toward the cost of building the new Indiana Stadium.

Those who win an auction plate will have to pick up a form from stadium building officials, then take it to the license branch. The buildin authority is currently located within the law firm of Ice Miller Downtown, but there are plans for the authority to open its own offices soon near the construction site.

State officials expect to raise about $500,000 annually, which will go toward paying off debt on the $500 million stadium project.

To bid on the plate, visit www.bmv.in.gov starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Star reporters Michele McNeil, Abe Aamidor and John Strauss contributed.

Read more about the Colts fans in tomorrow's Star

Go Steelers! :football:

Sorry Marie, I used to live in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh had a rough game last week. The Steelers still are using back-up quarterbacks. Most people think the Colts will win this one.

That's ok, I am quite comfortable rooting for the underdogs.

I'm one point ahead in fantasy football this week. My opponent has Manning, Harrison and Vanderjagt. Guess who's hoping for a Steeler shut out tonight?

:football:

Go COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Steelers!

:football: :football:

Thanks for the TD, Hines Ward!

Colts - 13

Steelers - 7

Half-Time

Colts - 16

Steelers - 7



Ok Pittsburgh -- We need a TD and a FG

Colts - 23

Steelers - 7

Congratulations Colts!

Final Score

Colts - 26

Steelers - 7

I didn't make it to the end of the game. Sorry the Steelers lost........but I'm glad the Colts won!!!!!

:cold:

It did end rather late. Were you at the stadium?

Nope I was in bed! :cold:

I watched parts of it but I just couldn't stay awake anymore. My hubby gave me the full report this morning. It was midnight here when it wrapped up. If I don't get my sleep I get grumpy.

best wishes marie