Superbowl Champs!!

Excited! Thrilled! Elated! Joy! Relief! Satisfaction! These are just a few of the emotions I have been feeling since the end of the Superbowl victory last night. And what a game it was. There was no lack of excitement from beginning to end, with the conclusion I have dreamed of since 1995.

I admit I have only been a Colts fan since 1995. That was the year I began taking a real interest in the game of football and especially the NFL team called the Indianapolis Colts. That was the fall my daughter was in Riley hospital and my husband and I would watch the games from her hospital room.

I have a unique and special husband. He has so much patience with people and it's because of him that I was able to learn enough about football to love and appreciate the game. As we sat in the hospital rooms watching the games, I could ask him questions about what was going on and he would always explain in ways I could understand.

Those were the days of Harbaugh and Siragusa and they had a great year almost making it to the Superbowl. After that season, I was hooked. My love and passion for the game has grown each year since. The fact that my son started playing youth football in 1998 and is now a junior in high school and still playing and my husband being the offensive coordinator for our high school team has added to my passion.

I have had many good reasons to love and support the Colts through the years. They have put together a team of great guys starting with the owner Jim Irsay taking over after his father's death in 1997, to obtaining RB Marvin Harrison in 1996, QB Peyton Manning in 1998 and coach Tony Dungy in 2002. We have had sad moments of losing great players to other teams and exciting moments of adding new members that have really brought success - such as this year's additions of kicker Adam Vinatieri and RB rookie Joseph Addai. But the men who stand out the most to me and the ultimate reason I love this team so much is the many men of faith we have representing our city and the NFL.

Tony Dungy has had so many opportunities to live his faith before our nation and show how Jesus makes a difference in his life. My heart broke with him and his family last year as they had to deal with the unexpectant death of their son, James. It was such a blow - a devastation that they were able to accept because of faith. I have had the opportunity to read about the faith of Dallas Clark, Hunter Smith, Jeff Saturday, Tarik Glenn, Ben Utecht, and others who use their fame to witness to others. To me, that is what makes them champions. They have the "it's not about me, it's about Him" attitudes.

God bless all of you. You inspire me and give me the real reason to cheer - "Go Colts!!"