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Stadium Review - Peyton and the Boys
A 3:00am wake up call roused me from an uncomfortable night of tossing and turning, but in pursuit of the Quest for 31, sleep is for the weak. I had planned a down and back road trip to watch the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts lock horns with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. With the AFC South Division title at stake, this was sure to be an exciting game and I had scored two cheap Indianapolis Colts tickets on E-bay, ensuring that I would be a part of it. In pursuit of Stadium #17, I enlisted the aid of my fraternity brother Clevon to make the arduous journey with me. Clee was with me for Stadium #4, Ford Field, in Detroit and was ready to make an appearance on the Quest for 31 leaderboard in a tie for third place. When I showed up at 4:30 that morning, a bright-eyed Clevon greeted me with a cooler packed full of tailgating essentials. It was a five and a half hour ride to Indianapolis where we had planned to fire up the grill for some pregame tailgating.  Our pre and post game ritual would of course feature the proper beverages of choice to wash down a fine selection of local brats and sides. So with a fully packed itinerary of fun, including what was sure to be a great football game, trying to return to Detroit by midnight would be a challenge.

Arriving at the stadium, we found the area to be less than ideal for tailgating. The RCA dome is located in downtown Indianapolis, so most fans appeared to park their cars in one of the many parking decks surrounding the stadium and they don’t allow fan tailgating. We were able to locate some smaller parking lots near the stadium where the Gameday Tailgaters seemed to congregate, but the majority of fans struck me as non-tailgating, day commuters that come to the city just to watch the game. Clevon and I set up our gear and with the promise of rain looming, quickly began cooking. I'm embarrassed to say that instead of slowly browning the fine meat products that were provided for our midday meal, I proceeded to char each sausage to a blackened crisp featuring a nearly raw center ... stupid propane grill. Ingesting our lunch of charcoal briquette sticks, we tried to cut the Cajun flavor by adding some chili sauce and mustard.  Although Clee insisted they were perfect, with each mouthful of blackened meat permanently scarring my taste buds, I knew better. The other major disappointment was the lack of amenities in the parking areas. There were no port-a-johns or garbage cans available for fan use. So as a result of this grotesque oversight, I wasted precious drinking time standing in line at the White Castle across the street just to use the bathroom.

Inside the RCA Dome, the Indianapolis Colts fans had an impressive command of using the domed stadium to their advantage. It was refreshing to see a dome crowd that understood the value of the 12th man, as it was something that was severely lacking during my visit to St. Louis. From the opening kickoff until the last few seconds ticked off the clock, Colts fans were out of their seats and they were loud. Booming crowd noise erupted each time the Jacksonville offense took the field and Peyton Manning worked in silence as he orchestrated scoring drives that picked apart the Jacksonville Defense. At halftime, the Indianapolis Colts organization actually presented five lucky fans with Official Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl Championship rings, in a "Quest for the Ring" fundraiser to benefit local charities. I have never been more jealous in all my life as I watched the sheer joy on the faces of the five fans who were awarded with rings.

The game itself was everything it was billed to be and my cheap Indianapolis Colts tickets were well worth the price we paid. The Colts jumped out to an early lead, but the visiting Jags battled back throughout the game to keep it close, pounding the Colts Run Defense with a heavy dose of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. It was a unique thrill for me to watch another juggernaut offense take the field and execute one of the better offensive machines of the decade. Peyton Manning and Company were simply too much for the Jaguars to handle and a 28 - 25 win was celebrated by Colts fans at the end of the day.

The Food
The food at the RCA Dome is excellent. Their Nachos are fantastic, and a trip to Delia's Ribs in the 100 level is a must. Delia's features slabs of ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, roasted chicken, Mac & Cheese, and lots of other items - definitely an experience that is not to be missed. The other item I really liked was the Colts souvenir popcorn bucket. For $10, Colts fans get a plastic bucket filled with popcorn that can later be used to put your beer bottles on ice - a practical and functional souvenir indeed.


For more information on the city of Indianapolis, IN check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below:
     NFL: December 6, 2009 - Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts
     NFL: July 9, 2010 - Lucas Oil Stadium Tour
     NBA: Indiana Pacers, Conseco Fieldhouse
 

 
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