Indianapolis Colts Football

COLTS FAN CASEY: 2013 DRAFT BLOG

What’s up Colts Nation!? Yes it is Draft Day and yes Colts Fan Casey is back out of hibernation to ring in the real start of the 2013 season, the NFL Draft. It’s a little hard to get more excited about this year’s draft than last year’s considering the fact we drafted Andrew Luck with the first overall pick, but there’s a lot of reasons to be excited. One of those being that we go into the 2013 Draft without a laundry list of needs since we addressed the “BIG NEEDS” via free agency. I won’t talk too much about the free agency signings other than the fact I am VERY pleased with the direction that Ryan Grigson went with his acquisitions.

Now back to the Draft and more specifically Draft Weekend. The Colts have a lot of stuff going on for their fans throughout the next few days. Details below…

Thursday April 25^th

-        Draft Party at Colts Grille presented by New Era and Bud Light

• Antoine Bethea and Donald Brown will be signing autographs from 7:00pm-9:00pm
• Four Colts cheerleaders signing autographs from 7:oopm-9:00pm
• Blue, the official Colts mascot
• Lombardi trophy
• Colts trivia to win prizes and giveaways!
• 1070 The Fan Live Remote broadcast
• New Era Draft Hat display
• Bud Light Promotional Team
• 1070 The Fan and Hank FM promotional giveaways
• First 24 fans to show their Colts NFL Extra Points Credit Card will receive an autographed Adam Vinatieri mini-helmet courtesy of Barclays

-        Live broadcast of Press Conference following each pick… WATCH HERE

-        Live broadcast of the Colts Draft Radio Show… LISTEN HERE

Friday April 26^th

-        Google+ Hangout presented by New Era and Lids with our first draft choice LIVE on Colts.com or on our Google+ Page scheduled to start at 3PM. Plus, I’ll be hosting it!

-        Live broadcast of Press Conference following each pick… WATCH HERE

Friday April 26^th

-        Live broadcast of Press Conference following each pick… WATCH HERE

Of course, don’t forget to follow the Colts on Twitter as they will be bringing you up-to-the-minute updates about draft status, selections, and more!

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter too!

Yours in Football,

TUESDAY’S TOP 10 PHOTOS

Hey Colts fans, it’s Matt Bowen  your Colts Team Photographer.
I will be posting my “Tuesday’s Top 10″ photo gallery to colts.com!  The photos galleries will always have a theme, ranging from game action to creative images around the Colts Complex!

Today’s photo gallery is all about GAME FACES!  Being on the sideline close to the players in the heat of battle allows me the opportunity to capture the true emotion of the game!  The majority of the time they have no idea that I’m even around, let alone taking their picture.  This affords me the ability to photograph them in true candid moments.  Most of the images in this gallery lasted for a split second and I just happened to be focused on them hoping for a reaction.  When the emotion of the game spills out in a reaction, I have to be there to capture it.  As a sports photographer I strive to capture the peak moments of a game.  These moments range from finger tip catches and amazing sacks to high fives and screams of jubilation! Whatever the moment, my only job is to be there to capture that moment and not get run over in the process!

If you have a great theme idea for a “Tuesday’s Top 10″ photo gallery, please let me know!

TUESDAY’S TOP 10 PHOTOS – GAME FACES

TUESDAY’S TOP 10 PHOTOS

Hey Colts fans, it’s Matt Bowen  your Colts Team Photographer.
Starting today and every Tuesday, I will be posting my “Tuesday’s Top 10″ photo gallery to colts.com!  The photos galleries will always have a theme, ranging from game action to creative images around the Colts Complex!

Today’s photo gallery is all about the player’s travel attire!  When we travel, I try to capture candid images of the players on the road.  I always end up with great shots of them on the airport tarmac before they board the plane.  Some of them are glad to see me and others, not so much.  Either way, it’s always an adventure interacting with them (and sometimes dodging them) before we depart Indianapolis!

If you have a great theme idea for a “Tuesday’s Top 10″ photo gallery, please let me know!

TUESDAY’S TOP 10 PHOTOS – PLAYER’S TRAVEL ATTIRE

COACH PAGANO & RYAN GRIGSON ON THE HIRING OF BRUCE ARAINS BY THE CARDINALS

Below are quotes from Indianapolis Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson and Head Coach Chuck Pagano on Bruce Arians being hired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

General Manager Ryan Grigson

“We congratulate Bruce on this great opportunity with the Arizona Cardinals. The exceptional job he did this past season in keeping this team focused, combined with his long record of accomplishment, made him a very attractive candidate for a head coaching position and we congratulate the Cardinals on their good judgment in selecting him. BA did a remarkable job last season, filling in for his friend and head coach in a time of need. Without BA’s selflessness, leadership, football acumen, and competitive spirit, we couldn’t have had the season we did. We surely will miss BA’s presence as a coach and a friend but we’re delighted for him and we wish Bruce, Chris, and their entire family nothing but the best as they embark on their new journey.”

Head Coach Chuck Pagano

“We are excited for Bruce, Chris, and his entire family. This is an opportunity of a life time and I know he will do a great job. Arizona hired a great coach but a better man. What he did in my absence was truly remarkable. I am forever in debt to Bruce. He is and always will be a great friend and I wish him nothing but the best as he begins this new chapter in his life.”

GO PANO PARTNERSHIP OFFERS ONE-OF-A-KIND 360 VIDEO

What’s up Colts Nation? Technology is a beautiful thing and I’ve got some pretty sweet news for all of you! As you may recall from the post-game celebration of our big win over the Lions, there was an awesome and interactive 360 degree video of the locker room.

This technology was developed by a company called Go Pano. According to their website, “GoPano.com is the only place on the web to host, view and share 360 videos. Shoot 360 videos with our lens attachments, like the GoPano micro or the GoPano plus, upload your 360 videos and share a video experience that’s almost as good as being there!”

What he had been using was the Go Pano Micro, but the folks at Go Pano wanted us to get the full effect of their product. So that’s when they decided to design us a custom piece of hardware for an iPhone 5, that combined the convenience of the micro model with the quality of their plus model. Check out the pictures they sent us below, this thing is awesome!

Now I invite you to watch some of the videos from this past week’s win over the Texans (especially the post-game speech) where we’re using the new mirco/plus version created exclusively for Colts Nation! Check out the videos here and go get a view of the Colts like never before.

Yours in fandom,

COLTS FAN CASEY: TEXANS PRE-GAME BLOG

What’s up Colts Nation!? It’s another bittersweet day for me as this is my final pre-game blog of the regular season.

Sunday’s game will be one of the most memorable and heartwarming experiences of my Colts fandom. Coach Chuck Pagano leading the team in a game for the first time since September 23^rd is one of the best presents anyone could ask for during the holiday season. I can’t wait for the moment when he comes out of the tunnel to undoubtedly a standing ovation. That place will be rocking!

However, as is customary I will be venturing out to the tailgating front despite the cold weather for the final time this season. It’s been such a memorable year for Colts Nation in so many ways, and in terms of tailgating it’s been no different.

As I’m sure you’re aware by now, I’m in search of the best tailgate in Colts Nation. Read full details here. But here’s the problem, I need you guys to tell me where to go! I should get things started around 10 AM tomorrow and I WILL be hungry! Think your tailgate has what it takes to win the “Tailgate of the Week” and be entered in the “Tailgate of the Year” contest? Then let me know where to come this week on Twitter and Facebook.

Here’s what you can win! 

Special thanks again to Colts Grille, Honda Generators/Reynolds Farm Equipment, and Hoosier Momma Bloody Mary Mix for making this all possible!

Yours in Food and Football,

COLTS FAN CASEY: WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL BLOG

What’s up Colts Nation!? This is it! This is my final fantasy football blog of the 2012 season. While it’s bittersweet for both you and I, you can still relive all of my blogs by clicking here.

One point to make quickly, if you’re still playing in your fantasy league right now, a meaningful game this is, then you must be in your league’s championship or “Super Bowl.” That does not apply to myself at 90% of the fantasy football playing population. However, with so much on the line this week, the most important decisions must be made now.

In last week’s blog, I talked about the importance for teams that are still striving for playoff spots and how important it is for them to perform. Now for this week, we have to take that into consideration, but we also must look at the teams that have “nothing” to play for and have their playoff positioning set. As we’ve seen in years past, this is the time when teams will typically rest their star players to have them ready for the playoffs.

Instead of doing my usual “start em” and “sit em” picks of the week as I’ve done throughout the year, I’m going to share some insights on who you should and shouldn’t start and why.

Should Start:

Tony Romo – This could be the biggest game of his career as he heads into Fed Ex Field to face off against RGIII and the Redskins. It’s this simple: the winner of the game wins the NFC East. Besides the fact Romo put up around 30 points on Thanksgiving in the first matchup between these two teams, I think this is the game where Romo shines and shows that he belongs. He has played so well throughout the month of December, not only this season, but in his career. I think he’ll put up huge fantasy points.

Adrian Peterson – Even though it’s unlikely he gets 207 yards and breaks Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, AP will have a huge day as his team’s playoff hopes are riding on his back just like his team has the entire year. It’s simple for the Vikings, win and you’re in. It makes it tough that they have to host the Green Bay Packers in their season finale. I’m not sure if they’ll win, or if AP will break the record, but I know that he will do whatever he can to assure both happen, and because of that you have to start him.

Be Careful:

Now there aren’t many teams out there that have their positioning locked up, but there are a few. One of them being our very own Colts, but as Coach Pagano said earlier this week, I don’t foresee us resting any of our players. However, the Atlanta Falcons have the NFC’s No. 1 seed locked up heading into a home game against the Buccaneers, and they have a lot of big players in the fantasy world, so I would be hesitant about starting any of the Falcons players. As far as the AFC is concerned, the only teams whose position is locked in are the Wildcard teams. The Bengals have the sixth seed locked up, but they have a big game against the Ravens so I don’t foresee either team resting players.

That’s it for me for the fantasy football season; don’t forget to check out my homepage on Colts.com to see what I’ve been up to! (Especially my tailgate videos)

Yours in Fantasy Football,

COLTS FAN CASEY: WEEK 16 FANTASY FOOTBALL BLOG

What’s up Colts Nation!? I’m back for one of my last fantasy football blogs and this is the time of year where every single point can matter. Scratch that, this is the time of the year where every tenth of a point can matter. This is for all the marbles. That is, unless you’re me, and you’re playing for the championship in the “loser” bracket. Nonetheless, I still will go down fighting!

A few things to keep in mind over the next few weeks of fantasy football. Luckily for us all, there seems to be a lot of teams in the hunt for playoff spots and playoff positioning. This means we’re not likely to see teams “resting” players over the next two games of the season. Also, there are teams still fighting to get into the playoffs so if you have players on those teams (Pittsburg, Minnesota, and Dallas come to mind) be sure to start them.

Now for my “start em” and “sit em” picks of the week.

Week 16 Start em: Let’s stay at home and go with our boy No. 12 Andrew Luck. Coming off his two lowest passing yard games of the season, look for Luck to bounce back with authority against a struggling yet talented defense of the Chiefs. This is a statement game for the Colts and I look for Luck to make a statement of his own.

Week 16 Sit em: This one is a toughie this week with so much post-season implications heading into this week. So let’s look at a game where neither team is in the playoff hunt and start there…. How about San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets? I think Shonn Green will have a bad week against the Chargers, he’s your sit of the week.

That’s it for me today; don’t forget to check out my homepage on Colts.com to see what I’ve been up to! (Especially my tailgate videos)

Yours in Fantasy Football,

COLTS FAN CASEY: WEEK 15 FANTASY BLOG

What’s up Colts Nation? As the fantasy season begins to wind down, by default my time on this blog is limited. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, all I had to do to earn a spot in the playoffs is to win and I was in. Well long story short, I didn’t do that, instead I got blown out by one of the best teams in my league.

The good news is that I have another league that I’m in where my team made the playoffs. The bad news is that team Colts Fan Casey is eliminated from playoff contention. My other team, “Make it Wayne on These Throws,” finished the season with a 10-4 record which is the inverse of team Colts Fan Casey’s record.

So now let’s take a moment to look forward to this week’s games. Despite the HUGE playoff and postseason implications present in matchups across the NFL this weekend, there are a lot of favorable fantasy pairings as well.

I’m going to show you guys a look at my other team’s roster for this week’s playoff game. It’s shown below.

Now for my “start em” and “sit em” picks of the week.

Week 15 Start em: He happens to be my starting QB, but I think Matt Stafford is your go-to guy this week as the Lions take on the Arizona Cardinals who are coming off a 58-0 loss at the hands of the Seahawks.

Week 15 Sit em: I’m going with Bears running back Matt Forte. He’s had a good season on the fantasy circuit, but I found an astounding stat saying he hasn’t scored a touchdown in the last four games against the Packers. Sit Mr. Forte.

Week 15 Random Thought: Don’t just base your starting lineup off of projections. Look at oppositions, trends, how teams handle the run vs. how they handle the pass. Look outside of the projections made by a bunch of pencil pushers. You know football now show it!

That’s it for me today; don’t forget to check out my homepage on Colts.com to see what I’ve been up to! (Especially my tailgate videos)

Yours in Fantasy Football,

COLTS FAN CASEY: TITANS PRE-GAME BLOG

What’s up Colts Nation? What a glorious day we have before us tomorrow! The Colts (8-4), yes the 8-4 Colts host the Titans in a divisional game where the horseshoe is looking for victory No. 9 and getting one step closer to the playoffs. I’m very excited for the game tomorrow and can’t wait to hear Lucas Oil Stadium rocking as always!

As far as football is concerned, I have a feeling the offense is going to perform very well this week. It’s the perfect setting for a good offensive game as Luck, Wayne and Co. have been rather impressive at home this year. I also think that T.Y. will continue to impress the league and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get his fifth 100+ receiving yard game of the season. My fantasy team hopes that as well J

I also look for the defensive front to get after Titans QB Jake Locker as their offensive line has endured some big injuries as of late. It’ll be beneficial for us to get them in third and long situations to allow Mathis, Freeney, and our stable of linebackers to get after the QB.

Now, onto the pre-game festivities as you all well know tailgating that is the only way to start a Colts game-day. There’s a busy day full of tailgating awaiting yours truly tomorrow.

Aside from my continued search for the best tailgate in Colts Nation, I am also going to be visiting the guys from Tailgate 32. These guys are living any football fan’s dream. They’re traveling to all 32 NFL stadiums this season in an RV and throwing their own tailgates at each stop. You MUST check these guys out! Not only their website and some of their webisodes, but their FREE, yes I said FREE tailgate tomorrow taking place in the Blue Crew lot. Full info is available here.

I know it’ll be cold tomorrow, but I should be hitting the lots around 10AM and I WILL be hungry! Think your tailgate has what it takes to win the “Tailgate of the Week” and be entered in the “Tailgate of the Year” promotion? Then let me know where to come this week on Twitter and Facebook.

Special thanks again to Colts Grille, Honda Generators/Reynolds Farm Equipment, and Hoosier Momma Bloody Mary Mix for making this all possible!

So if you’re throwing a tailgate, let me know, and if you’re not, join the guys from Tailgate 32 at their tailgate and show them why Colts Nation is the best place in the entire NFL to tailgate. Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

And as always, GO HORSE!

Yours in food, fandom, and football,