Keep on dreamin...

The dust (or confetti rather) hadn't yet settled on the Colts victory in the AFC Championship game one week ago today when it hit me. So many dreams coming true. Right here - right now. In one building, in one moment, in one isolated hundred yard parcel of the universe countless dreams became reality right in front of my eyes. Not only for the 53+ players on the Colts sideline, but also for their families, the people in the front office, the city and the fans. Tony Dungy dreamed of having his son James stand alongside him at the Super Bowl, and while James Dungy is no longer with us, Tony will live out that dream with his youngest son Eric at his side... and James undoubtedly looking down from heaven. Jim Irsay dreamed of stepping out from his father's ominous shadow and putting his own stamp on this franchise. Bill Polian, the mastermind of the jigsaw puzzle that is the Colts roster over the last several years, dreamed that he could once again raise a team from the ashes and create a group of men that would guide him to his sixth Super Bowl, and perhaps actually win that elusive championship. Peyton Manning dreamed of besting Tom Brady and Bill Bellicheck, Marlin Jackson dreamed of making the game-ending interception, Joseph Addai dreamed of starring on a global stage. Many of those guys in blue and white just dreamed of having the opportunity to play in a game of that magnitude.

Fans dream too. Before the AFC Championship the game ball was presented by the very first group of season ticket holders from the Colts first season in Indianapolis, 1984. Think those guys haven't been dreaming of this day for awhile? When the clock struck zero and the comeback was complete, confetti rocketed out of the RCA Dome sky and covered the exhausted and elated fan base. Grown men cried. Strangers hugged. Kids stood on their seats (okay, so did I) to celebrate with this group with whom we had gone through so much. Dreams were realized. Fans dream of that day. That moment in history. People will talk about that game when I am an old man. Since I was little I often dreamed of being able to just be at a game like that. I have been incredibly blessed with many opportunities to attend amazing sporting events, mostly thanks to my parents and some friends. And now I am lucky enough to be able to say I was there for the Colts 2006 AFC Championship. A game that tops them all.

For those that don't understand, it may sound silly to say that a game can transcend a city, but never has it been more true. For the next seven days Indianapolis will continue to be consumed with the spectacle in South Florida. Spirits will soar and this event, this game, will take our city to the next level. Watch as dreams unfold before the world. Dreams of the players, the coaches, and the fans. Our city is living a dream. And the dream is alive...

Adam