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Colts Launch Fanthem Contest

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In honor of their Fan Appreciation game on January 1, the Indianapolis Colts are giving one lucky fan the opportunity to lead the singing of the National Anthem prior to kickoff. The FANthem contest launched today and runs through December 19. The winner will receive (4) tickets and (1) parking pass to the game, along with the opportunity to lead the crowd in the singing of the National Anthem. The team takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 1, 2017. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on CBS.

Fans interested in performing the anthem on January 1 must submit their entry, including a link to their audition recording, via www.colts.com/fanthem by December 19, 2016. All submissions must include a National Anthem performance (audio or video).  Submissions not containing a version of the National Anthem will not be considered. This is the first year the Colts have hosted a FANthem contest.

Colts Lead the AFC South after Week 4

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With week 4 in the books for the AFC South, our Indianapolis Colts have clawed their way to the top with a 2-2 record (2-0 in the division). The Titans, Jaguars & Texans all sit at one win, with Tennessee in second place for the moment due to their bye week.

Andrew Luck was on the sidelines on Sunday with an injured shoulder, but the 40-year-old veteran Matt Hasselbeck stood in and delivered quite a performance in a lucky 16-13 overtime win at home against the Jaguars.

A quarter of the way into the season I had anticipated the Colts would be 4-0, maybe 3-1 a the worst. The games against the Titans and Jaguars should have been blowouts, not 2 and 3 point nail-biting affairs. The games against the Bills and Jets seemed like they could have gone either way, but with some boneheaded play calling (for example, it’s pouring down rain and we throw the ball close to 75% of the plays) and lackluster performance (5 interceptions and 4 fumbles (3 lost) in those two games), that just wasn’t in the cards.

With a short week, the Colts take on the Texans Thursday night, possibly without Luck in the lineup again. The outcome of this game should give us a decent idea of how the rest of the season will unfold in the division, but there’s still a lot of football to play before making any predictions.

Ed Carpenter delivers Reggie Wayne to training camp

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Verizon IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter had a key role in helping Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne arrive at training camp in style.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 pole sitter and four-time race winner drove an Indy Racing Experience two-seater as the Colts star made his customary grand entrance to training camp at Anderson University.

“I want one of these,” Wayne said after climbing out of the back seat of the car, which typically gives rides at Verizon IndyCar Series racing venues. “I enjoyed every little bit of that. It was fun. I’m a guy that likes speed, which is one way to get that speed in me.”

He and Carpenter got in the car at the exit off I-69 and made the five-mile drive to the college campus.

Carpenter, a Colts season ticket holder, said he didn’t hesitate when asked to take part in the event, which has seen Wayne arrived to camp in a helicopter, dump truck, military convoy and even in a bus that was full of kids.

“I feel privileged and honored to be asked to bring Reggie,” Carpenter said. “At first I was kind of hoping we had a police escort so we didn’t have to stop at lights. It was kind of cool stopping at lights and being parked next to people. I think people figured it out pretty quick. I think (Reggie’s) helmet was a dead giveaway. We had quite a ride.”

Wayne, a six-time Pro Bowler, was wearing a racing helmet painted like his Colts football helmet and blue firesuit during the ride to camp. He hopes to use it again by taking another ride in the two-seater, this time at speed around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Ed and his crew are an outstanding group, a first-class organization, like the Colts,” Wayne said. “They did a great job of setting it up for me. I’m truly appreciative. I thanked them infinitely for making this happen. This is by far my favorite.”

2014 Colts Kickoff Concert, featuring Blues Traveler, September 5th

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2014 Colts Kickoff ConcertWith the start of the Indianapolis Colts regular season just under two months away, the team announced today that they will host their 2nd Annual Kickoff Concert presented by Verizon Wireless, a technology leader with the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

The concert will be held on Friday, September 5, from 6-10 p.m., on the west block of Georgia Street in conjunction with Indianapolis Downtown Inc.

The event, which will be free and open to the public, will feature Grammy Award winning recording artist Blues Traveler, performers of the smash hits “Run Around”, “Hook”, and “Carolina Blues”. The Easthills will open.

The Colts will kick off the regular season in a primetime Sunday Night Football matchup versus the Denver Broncos on Sunday, September 7. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

Colts sign LB-Josh McNary, place on Reserve/Military list

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The Indianapolis Colts yesterday signed free agent linebacker Josh McNary and placed him on the team’s Reserve/Military List. McNary, who is currently commissioned in the United States Army, will finish his active duty service prior to joining the team.

“Josh had an outstanding career at West Point,” said General Manager Ryan Grigson. “His production speaks for itself, but his intangibles rival any stats. He is still fulfilling the commitment he made to serving our country, but we look forward to him wearing the horseshoe here in the near future.”

McNary, 6-0, 251 pounds, finished his career as Army’s all-time leader in sacks (28.0) and tackles for loss (49), while adding 195 tackles (117 solo), nine passes defensed, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He is the only player in school history to record two double-digit sack seasons and also holds school records for the most sacks in a single game (4.0) and a single season (12.5).

As a senior in 2010, McNary capped off his career by returning a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown in the Black Knights’ 16-14 victory over Southern Methodist University in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. The win gave Army its first winning season since 1996 and first postseason victory since the 1985 Peach Bowl.

Following his senior year, McNary was honored with the 2011 East-West Shrine Game Pat Tillman Award, given to the player who best exemplifies character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service. The award is about a student-athlete’s achievements and conduct, both on and off the field. Upon his graduation from West Point, McNary was commissioned as an officer in the Army, which prevented him from being selected in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Indianapolis Colts 2013 Opponents

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The 2013 opponents for the Indianapolis Colts’ 16 Regular Season games are as follows:

Home Games

Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks

Away Games

Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers

How The Opponents Are Determined

The scheduling formula implemented in 2002 with realignment guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis.

Under the formula, every team plays 16 games as follows:

  • Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games).
  • The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games).
  • The four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle (4 games).
  • Two intraconference games based on the prior year’s standings (2 games). These games match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in a conference are matched in the same way each year.

Beginning in 2010, a change was made to how teams are paired in the schedule rotation to ensure that teams playing the AFC and NFC West divisions would not be required to make two west coast trips (e.g. at San Francisco and at Seattle), while other teams in their division had none (e.g. at St. Louis and at Arizona).

The official 2013 schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in the spring.

NFL Kickoff 2013 Weekend will begin on Thursday night, September 5, and the regular season will conclude on December 29.

Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will be played on Sunday, February 2.

SOURCE: NFL

2012 NFL Wild Card Weekend: Colts at Ravens January 6

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (11-5) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-6)
Sunday, January 6, 2013 on CBS, 1:00 PM ET

The Colts, who have won nine of their past 11, are only the second team in NFL history (2008 Miami) to win at least 11 games following a season with two or fewer victories.

“Man, this has been a great year, a storybook ending,” says Indianapolis wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE. “Let’s keep it going. Hopefully we can continue to write this movie.”

In last week’s 28-16 win over Houston, Colts head coach CHUCK PAGANO made his return to the sidelines after a three-month leave for chemotherapy treatments for leukemia.

“Guys really did not want to lose in his first game back and heading into the playoffs,” says rookie quarterback ANDREW LUCK, who is the only rookie quarterback to pass for at least 4,000 yards and win 10+ games.

Baltimore enters the postseason as the AFC North champions and had six players selected to the Pro Bowl: KR JACOBY JONES, FB VONTA LEACH, DT HALOTI NGATA, S ED REED, RB RAY RICE and G MARSHAL YANDA.

“This team’s getting healthy and we’re going to hit our stride going forward in the playoffs,” says Rice.

SOURCE: NFL

Indianapolis Colts Robert Mathis & Reggie Wayne Named To 2013 NFL Pro Bowl

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The NFL announced that Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Robert Mathis and wide receiver Reggie Wayne have been selected to the 2013 NFL Pro Bowl. This marks the fifth and sixth time Mathis and Wayne have been selected to the game, respectively. The 2013 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 27, 2013, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 11 games (all starts) this season, Mathis has recorded 45 tackles (27 solo), eight sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. He tied a career high this year with a sack in eight consecutive games dating back to last season. In Week 13 at Detroit, he recorded his first career interception when he picked off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

This year marks Mathis’ fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, which is tied for the seventh-longest streak in team history. For his career, Mathis has appeared in 146 games (82 starts), tallying 484 tackles (361 solo), 91.5 sacks, 40 forced fumbles, 17 passes defensed and 14 forced fumbles. His sack total currently ranks second in franchise history behind Dwight Freeney (106.5) and 38th in NFL history. Since 2002, Mathis’ 40 forced fumbles rank second in the NFL behind Freeney (44).

Wayne has appeared in all 15 games this season (14 starts), recording 102 receptions for 1,315 yards and five touchdowns. He ranks second in the AFC in receptions this season and third in receiving yards. Last week at Kansas City, Wayne recorded his fourth season with 100-or-more receptions, which ranks tied for second in NFL history. He also became the third active player and 14th in NFL history to reach the 13,000-yard milestone in the game. In Week 14 against Tennessee, he notched his sixth 1,200-yard season, tying him with Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison for the third-most seasons all-time.

Wayne set an NFL record in Week 12 against Buffalo by catching three-or-more passes in his 59thstraight game. The streak now sits at 63 consecutive games. In Week 5 against Green Bay, Wayne posted one of his best performances of his career with 13 receptions for a career-high 212 yards and a touchdown. The 212-yard total was the second-highest single-game output in franchise history and moved Wayne past former Colts running back Edgerrin James for second place on the franchise’s all-time scrimmage yards list.

This marks the sixth time Wayne has been selected to the Pro Bowl (2006-10, 2012). For his career, Wayne has appeared in 188 games (174 starts), catching 964 passes for 13,023 yards and 78 touchdowns. He currently ranks 10th in NFL history in receptions, 14th in receiving yards and 24th in receiving touchdowns. Each of those totals rank second in franchise history behind Marvin Harrison.

Source: Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts 2012 Fan Fest is Officially Underway

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The Indianapolis Colts 2012 Fan Fest and Colts Tailgate Tour is officially underway.  The 2012 Summer Tour schedule marks the ninth consecutive year the Indianapolis Colts have hosted a traveling marketing campaign featuring players and cheerleaders. This year, the stops are made possible by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance and American Family Insurance.

The Summer Tours will continue across Indiana with 16 total tour stops through July 13.  Summer Tour elements include autographs from Colts players and cheerleaders.  Fans may sign up for one of the Colts Official Fan Clubs, register to win Colts tickets, test their skills in the Play 60 zone, pick up free Colts giveaways, play on the Colts interactive inflatables and experience the Colts In Motion, the team’s traveling museum. Families are encouraged to arrive early since lines may be cut off at anytime to ensure the Tour remains on schedule.  All Tour stops will take place rain or shine.

If you have not yet experienced Colts in Motion, Colts In Motion is the club’s 42-foot trailer that is the centerpiece in the Colts regional outreach marketing effort.  Colts In Motion is equipped with interactive videos, touch screens, a quarterback challenge football toss, Lucas Oil Stadium features and a behind-the-scenes look at the entire Indianapolis Colts organization.

“Colts Fan Fest is a way to show appreciation for our fans and their continued support. We want to give back to Colts followers across the state through free events such as these. Fans are our lifeblood, and events like Fan Fest give them personal access to the team they cheer for each weekend,” said Pete Ward, Chief Operating Officer.

For the most up to date schedule of stops and to check the appearance schedule, visit www.colts.com/events.

2012 Colts Fan Fests and Tailgate Tour Stops:

Monday, June 4th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
AAA Hoosier Insurance
8120 East 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
AAA Hoosier Motor Club
2310 North Walnut Street
Bloomington, IN 47404

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
Meijer
2507 Chester Boulevard
Richmond, IN 47374

Monday, June 11th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
Vincennes University
Red Skelton Performing Arts
20 West Red Skelton Blvd
Vincennes, IN 47591

Thursday, June 14th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Fan Fest
*Featuring Live Music by “The Hunter Smith Band”
Honeywell Center
275 West Market Street
Wabash, IN 46992

Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
AAA Hoosier Insurance
4351 West Clara Lane
Muncie, IN 47304

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 5-7pm (CST)
Colts Fan Fest
*Featuring Live Music by “Jai Baker Band”
La Porte High School – Freshman Practice Field
602 F Street
LaPorte, IN 46350

Friday, June 22th, 2012 4:30-6:30pm
Colts Fan Fest
*Featuring Live Music by “The Legendary POCO
”Concert begins at 6:30pm
Foster Park
721 W. Superior St.
Kokomo, IN 46901

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Fan Fest
*Featuring Live Music by “Free Fallin’ (A Tribute to Tom Petty)”
Concert begins at 7:00pm
Riverside Park Amphitheater
100 West Water Street
Rushville, IN 46173

Monday, June 25th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
Meijer
5909 Illinois Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46804

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 4:30-6:30pm (CST)
Colts Fan Fest
*Featuring Live Music by “Free Fallin’ (A Tribute to Tom Petty)”
Toyota Plant
4000 Tulip Tree Drive
Princeton, IN 47670

Thursday, June 28th, 2012 5-7pm
Colts Fan Fest
*Featuring Live Music by “Free Fallin’ (A Tribute to Tom Petty)”
Riverside Amphitheater
45 East Water Street
New Albany, IN 47150

Monday, July 9th 2012 11-1pm (CST)
Colts Tailgate Tour
Fair Oaks Farms
856 N 600 E
Fair Oaks, IN 47943

Tuesday, July 10th 2012 5-7pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
IU Health Arnett Hospital
5165 McCarty Lane
Lafayette, Indiana 47905

Wednesday, July 11th 2012 5-7pm
Colts Fan Fest
*Featuring Live Music by “Jai Baker Band”
Deming Park
South Fruitridge Avenue
Terre Haute, Indiana 47803

Friday, July 13th 2012 5:30 – 7:30pm
Colts Tailgate Tour
North/South All-Star Game
North Central High School
1801 E. 86th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240