I cannot get over how poor the Colts fan contingent was.  Fans identify with their teams.  Steelers fans are tough, knowledgeable, passionate, and live and die with our team.  If the Steelers are in Miami it’s a sea of Black and Gold.  Well there was a sea of Black and Gold in Miami, only it was really gold…not yellow.  Saints fans were in full force. Colts fans were scarce at best.  The fans of New Orleans were loose and enjoying themselves.  Colts fans looked lost and scared.  This is a franchise with a QB trying to cement his legacy as the best ever and nobody shows up.  If I had to do a ranking of jersey’s I saw in Miami for the week it goes like this. Saints 85%, Colts 10%, Steelers 2.5% Packers/Vikings 2%..rest of league.5%.  It goes to show we travel well even when we are not playing.  I was representing with my “got rings” T and Steeler SB champs hat.  All in all the people of NO were great although I am sick of hearing Who Dat! (my response was 6 time champs…that’s who)

Game: 

The crowd was heavily Saints, with the suits rooting for the dog as well.  I was sitting in the Colts endzone corner about 15 rows up…all the action was in this endzone.  I got to watch everything develop from behind.  Early on I was kicking myself for not betting on Colts.  Peyton was on point.  His release is more impressive in person, quick precise accurate bullets.  They should have been up 21-0 after that first quarter.  Also the Colts D was flying to the ball…NO was still shell shocked

Quick tangent: my trash talking highlight of my lifetime

Scene: waiting for my girlfriend to get out of bathroom.  I was talking to a Steelers fan.  I was wearing a sports coat with a Flor de lis on the breast so everyone assumed I was a Saints fan.  Out of nowhere random colts fan jumps in my face (keep in mind I am 6’4” about 240):

Colts Fan:  WHO DAT WHO DAT WHO DAT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me:  Not a Saints Fan, I’m a Steelers Fan, 6 time Super Bowl Champs!  Got any ring polish?

Colts Fan (runs about 10 feet away): F*%K YOU (then runs away)

Let’s just say they were celebrating a little early.

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Back to the game.  At halftime the Colts should have been up big.  They dominated everything except the scoreboard.  Couldn’t believe only 10-6, and the fact they decided sit on a 7 point lead and run 3 times to end the half…um 2 time outs with Peyton freaking Manning and 1:50.

The WHO was terrible!

If anyone remembers the Saints were down big to Miami at the Half at the same stadium down 24-10 to the Fins.  They proceeded to play the most dominant half I watched this season and finished the game winning 46-34.  This was in the back of my mind.

The surprise on side even caught me by surprise.  I was looking downfield so I missed the kickers approach my eyes shifted just after Hank Baskett botched it.  I thought I saw a clear Saints recovery from my angle but the pile was bigger than anything I have ever seen.  I shifted my attention straight up to the Colts sideline as the scrum unfolded.  Basically all there  offensive starters were about 5 yards on the field standing dejected.  They felt it right there, I sensed their body language from 60 yards away.  It was the Saints show after that; I never felt the Colts would win from that moment on. 

After the Saints first TD the stadium erupted.  If anyone knows the Saints Tune “When the Saints come Marching In”,  this is what they play when they score, only it was about a 15 second clip of the song and all their fans seemed so disappointed when they cut if off each time.  Imagine hearing “Oh Mama I’m in fear for my life from the long arm of the law” and that’s it.  When the Saints sealed it on the pick 6 they played the whole Saints song…it was pretty cool. 

As for the pick I had a great view.  Wayne gave up on the route before Manning threw it.  You literally saw it coming from a mile a way, that’s how good the corner’s break was on that ball.  Manning is 9-9 in the playoffs by the way.  Big Ben 8-2.

Couple of points about the Saints this year: #1 Scoring Offense, #20 Scoring D, #1 Point Diff, #3 Turnover Diff.  I still say Turnover Diff is the most important stat in correlation to winning and losing in this league.  Steelers with a top 5 turnover diff this season could have easily competed for that title.  A Pittsburgh Nola matchup would have been one of the all time great fan turnouts ever…there would have been bloodshed.