INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Colts fans were fired up as the Super Bowl got under way Sunday, hoping to cheer their team to its second title in four years.
The atmosphere throughout Indianapolis was festive even before the Colts started playing the New Orleans Saints on Sunday evening. Bars, especially those downtown, were prepared for big crowds. Monument Circle, at the center of the city, was the hotspot for celebrating fans after the Colts beat the Chicago Bears in 2007.
Indianapolis fan Rick Destefano said he hoped the team members appreciated the opportunity.
“I hope they don’t take it for granted, since they’ve been there before.”
Blue jerseys and shirts were the Sunday best for members of Circle City Church in northeast Indianapolis. Still, fans there said it wasn’t the same as before Indianapolis beat the Bears.
e bit more confident. We’re not the underdogs; we’re supposed to win. It’s still exciting.”
Chimbanda felt fortunate to be cheering for his Colts in another Super Bowl, considering that coach Jim Caldwell replaced Tony Dungy and longtime star receiver Marvin Harrison no longer is with the team.
“Going into the season, no one thought the Colts could get this far with all the changes they made,” he said.
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning already has a championship and more than 50,000 yards passing. Colts fan Cord Hale said he thought another win could solidify Manning’s place in NFL annals.
“I really think I would like to see Peyton Manning go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time,” Hale said. “Rings do matter when you look back in history.”
But not everyone in Indianapolis was wearing blue. Many Purdue fans were pulling for the Saints because New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees attended the university that’s about 65 miles from downtown.
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