Time to throw the spotlight on the wonderful Indianapolis theatre companies and their offerings for the month of May. Here is FunCityFinder’s list of current live stage plays on the boards, happening at the many fine Indianapolis performing arts venues during May in 2011. All are located inside the city of Indianapolis and other nearby [...]

May 7th On this day in 1824, Beethoven's 9th Symphony premiered in Vienna.   In 1847, the American Medical Association was organized in Philadelphia, Pa.   In 1915, the British ocean liner Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine in World War I off the coast of Ireland.   In 1945, Germany unconditionally surrendered to the allies in Rheims, France.   In 1954, the 56-day-long battle of Dienbienphu ended with Ho Chi Minh's forces defeating the French, signaling the end of French power in Indochina.   In 1992, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting mid-term Congressional pay raises, was ratified. In 1994, Norway's most famous painting, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, was recovered almost three months after it was stolen from a museum in Oslo. The fragile painting was recovered undamaged at a hotel in Asgardstrand, about 40 miles south of Oslo, police said.   In 1999, during action against Yugoslavia, NATO jets mistakenly bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three and injuring 20.   And in 2000, Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as Russia’s president.

I Hate it when this happens !

I stumbled upon this article and, in hindsight, I guess it makes sense. But at first thought, I was truly blown away by the idea that over the last five years the Saints have the best record in the NFC. Can you imagine? Not one team has done better. Not the Philadelphia Eagles, not the Dallas Cowboys, not the New York Giants, not the Chicago Bears... not anyone. Here are the top five records since 2006:

1. New Orleans Saints: 49-31

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 48-31-1 (if only Donovan McNabb knew there were ties)

3(t). Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers & New York Giants: 48-32

Now granted, these records are so close that one bad season is all it would take to potentially drop you from best over the last five years to 5th or 6th. Still, that's got to make you feel good that over the last five years your Saints have posted more wins than any other team in the NFC. They've won a Super Bowl and they've been to an NFC Championship game in that span, so you already knew they were doing something right. But to me this almost validates it further.

In a league that has so much change and fluctuation, the Saints have been a constant the last five years. Have they reached Indianapolis Colts or New England Patriots status in terms of being a franchise juggernaut? I don't know that we're quite there yet. Still, they're getting awful close to building something similar. 

Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I realize that the Saints are respected around the league as a premiere franchise. While it comes with the territory of winning, respect is something different. It makes you feared and it earns you clout. Oh, you root for the Saints? Good team. Remember when that used to be accompanied by a scoff or a sigh instead?

Good times...

Today is my birthday, and though it is a special day, I am still here to help you my fellow fan, get your fill of information for our division today.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gene Frenette cautions that despite the majority of the Jaguars' draft picks are from small schools, fans should be patient in letting them develop.

Tania Ganguli explains how Blaine Gabbert got Jaguars scouts interested with his Insight Bowl performance.

Tennessee Titans

Not much news here.

Cheerleader auditions begin soon (the article is easy on the eyes).

Houston Texans

Paul Kuharsky makes the case for Mario Williams moving to weakside linebacker in the 3-4.

Indianapolis Colts

According to Tom Rietmann of Colts.com, second-rounder Ben Ijalana is searching for his niche on the Colts' aging offensive line.

Mike Chappell addressed questions regarding the Colts' contract issues with Reggie Wayne and Melvin Bullitt

My FAVORITE word in the whole English language is FREE !!  I stumbled upon this information and thought I'd share it with mycolts peeps who collect comic books !!  The first Saturday of May each year - participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books ABSOLUTELY FREE to anyone who comes in to their stores. On Saturday May 7th from 9 AM to 1PM - the Mooresville (IN) Public Library will host "Free Comic Book Day" with their provider, University Comics !! They will also be sharing FREE popcorn during the event !!  For more information on the library event call:  317-831-7323 Call your local comic book stores to find out if they are participating in this annual event !!

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke - via conference call - with Indianapolis Colts season ticket holders on Wednesday evening.  NOT being a season ticket holder I wasn't privvy to the conversation and/or information shared. This phone call is the basis of today's "question of the day" !! IF you could ask Commissioner Goodell ONE question about the NFL labor issue - what would it be ?  

United States Navy Seals logo

SALUTE to the US Navy Seals - Team 6 - for their successful mission in Pakistan which resulted in the death of "Enemy No. 1" !! May God bless each and every one of them for their bravery and meticulous preparation for their mission !! God bless the U.S.A !! [image]

"Hoosiers Sending Help South" logo graphic

[image]     The Indianapolis Colts, WISH-TV and The Salvation Army are teaming up to help those whose lives have been impacted by the devastating storms that recently ripped through the Southeast United States. Our “Hoosiers Sending Help South” campaign, which runs May 5 through May 8, is a call to action for Hoosiers to step up in a big way and help our neighbors in the south. All money raised during this four day initiative will bring food, water, shelter, and other essential support to the victims. Colts Owner and CEO Jim Irsay is kicking things off with a $5,000 donation. With your help, we can make an even bigger impact. Text “GIVE” to 80888 to make a $10 donation.  You can also click on the following link below to donate any amount:  https://secure20.salvationarmy.org/?projectId=USC-IND-ColtsHelp   Remember, 100% of every dollar will go to those who need it most.  [image] I challenge you to "Make a Difference" in the lives of those devastated by the unprecedented tornado outbreak across the southern tier of states !!  Join me & other Colts fans by making a donation and "make a difference" !! DEADLINE IS SUNDAY MAY 8TH !!! 

   NOTE THERE IS A LINK FIR AUDIO & TRANSCRIPT ,LAST 2 LINES   Nate Dunlevy, who didn’t try to contain his disgust over the call. When he didn't write about it, I asked for his review. “As a fan and a season-ticket holder for 11 years, I found the whole thing to be a waste of time,” said Dunlevy, who runs 18to88.com. “I was shocked at the kind of questions people asked … “The vast majority of the questions had little to do with the lockout. The ones that did, Goodell gave a potboiler answer to that we've heard a thousand times. Many of us were on the line with real, hard questions and they didn't field a single one I would classify as difficult. “I simply can't believe that people called in to ask Goodell about what players he liked as a kid. It was bizarre. The audio is on line, and it's a mind numbing bore. Just like the real experience.” Here’s a transcript if you do better staying awake while reading rather than listening. http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/post/_/id/23786/one-listener-goodell-colts-call-a-waste&ex_cid=MyESPNToday_Team  

  May 5, 2011 Saturdays share faith story with hundreds at prayer breakfast FYI  - THIS is  a Long Article Attendees pray for community, government, schools, businesses By Abbey Doyle The Herald Bulletin ANDERSON, Ind. — A crowd of about 500 gave Jeff and Karen Saturday a standing ovation after the two shared their faith story Thursday at the Madison County Prayer Breakfast.“It is powerful to look out on this sea of people,” the Indianapolis Colts center said. “Especially knowing that all of us are standing up united for Christ and praying for the same things. ... We are all doing it together. That is a powerful, powerful thing.”Communities across the country were hosting similar events on Thursday, the National Day of Prayer.The event at Madison Park Church of God was hosted by Anderson Mayor Kris Ockomon.“We’ve always tried to have a faith-based administration,” the mayor said after the event. “This is one way we can reach out to the community. It gives a positive image to the community.”Ockomon acknowledged the special relationship the Saturdays have with the city and his brother Skip Ockomon and said he was grateful for the couple’s willingness to come and share their story.Both Jeff and Karen Saturday received nods of appreciation and understanding and chuckles during their address. http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x1892928163/Saturdays-share-faith-story-with-hundreds-at-prayer-breakfast

Just try reading this without laughing till you cry!!!   A guy who purchased his lovely wife a pocket Tazer for their anniversary submitted this: Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse- sized tazer. The effects of the tazer were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety.... WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two AAA batteries in the thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button and pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. AWESOME!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave. Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right? There I sat in my recliner, our cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised.. Am I wrong? So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and tazer in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, 'no possible way!' What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best.. I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, 'don't do it' reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and . . ........!!! I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs. The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.. Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a tazer, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor.. A three second burst would be considered conservative! A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My triceps and right thigh were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs.. I had no control over the drooling. Apparently I pooped myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair.  P.s... My wife, can't stop laughing about my experience, loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it! If you think education is difficult, try being stupid !!

The Colts, WISH-TV and The Salvation Army are teaming up to help those whose lives have been impacted by the devastating storms that recently ripped through the Southeast United States. Our “Hoosiers Sending Help South” campaign, which runs May 5 through May 8, is a call to action for Hoosiers to step up in a [...]

  Today’s player of the day is John Chick.   John Chick went to Utah State, where he played there for 4 years. In his freshman year, he recorded 42 tackles, with 4 sacks. He was the first freshman to start the season opener since 1993. In his sophomore year, he made 37 tackles, and had one forced fumble; a very disappointing in many people’s mind. In his junior year he switched to linebacker, and he did pretty well. He amassed 40 tackles with 3 sacks, and earned the team’s Golden Helmet Award for top hitter. In his senior year, he switched to back to defensive end and made 12.5 sacks and 48 tackles. It was a good way to end his college career. He was projected to go undrafted. In the 2006 NFL Draft, John went undrafted. He would be signed by the Texans, but would not play long for the team. In 2007, he went to the CFL (go Canada) and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He would play there in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, he won the Best (CFL) Defensive Player of the Year award. Not long after the season, the Colts decided to sign him to the practice squad. He would play the whole 2010 season on the practice squad. John is ever improving, and he seems ready to make the NFL roster. He has good size, but not very good speed. He is a pretty good run stopper, so maybe he’ll take over Dawson or Foster for that role!?! He has a lot of potential and I like what I see from him so far. Keep up the good work John!  

New 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick can’t talk to coach Jim Harbaugh until the lockout ends. But he can get some coaching from Harbaugh’s star pupil. Kaepernick says he’s in the process of moving to Santa Clara, near the 49ers’ headquarters — and near the campus of Stanford, whose quarterback, Andrew Luck, is well versed in Harbaugh’s offense after playing for Harbaugh the last three seasons. Kaepernick said he met Luck last year at the Manning Passing Academy and expects to talk to Luck frequently about Harbaugh’s offense. http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b9mC6 OF COURSE LUCK WILL LIKELY BE DRAFTED # 1 NEXT YEAR  

It's pure speculation at this point, but the teams that really impressed me were: #1. Denver- Von Miller-Rahim Moore-Orlando Franklin-Nate Irving were all very good picks and Quinton Carter,Julius Thomas,Mike Muhammed,Virgil Green and Jeremy Beal all were quality picks, I think Green was a steal in Rd. 7 #2. New York Giants- Prince Amukamara-Marvin Austin-Jerrel Jennigan-James Brewer-Greg Jones-Tyler Sash , that's impressive!!  Jones and Sash in RD. 6, are you kidding me? #3. Arizona-Patrick Peterson-Ryan Williams-Rob Houser-Sam Acho-Anthony Sherman-Quan Sturdivant, all very good picks, and again Sturdivant in Rd. 6? I guess ILB's aren't  rated too highly better luck next year: #1. Oakland- (Seems like they are pretty "good" at this ) No #1 didn't help, Wisniewski was a nice #2 and Jones could be a find in RD.4, that's about it. Chicago-like the Colts, they only had 5 picks, Carimi was a good selection in Rd. 1 and Paea in RD.2, not much else. Others: New England: with all the picks they had stockpiled, wasn't that impressed with their picks. Dowling was a good pick in RD. 2, Not convinced Solder is a good pick, got a couple of Rb's who could team up for some production and a good QB (Mallett), is Brady going to be traded? Cannon is hit or miss. AFC South: Tennesee: We got some young QB's in the division now (Jake Locker). Akeem Ayers, Jurrell Casey and Colin McCarthy were good picks. Jacksonvile- another young QB ( Blaine Gabbert). Rackley and Shorts were good picks Houston- J.J.Watt, Brooks Reed and Brandon Harris were good picks and got some decent players for depth later. Colts- my official grade was C+, 5 picks hurt some and the labor mess, but they did good with the picks they had. 

This is the final edition of What to Expect for 2011.  We've covered Castonzo, Ijalana, Nevis, and Carter this week. After the season, we'll look back at the series and evaluate the rookie year for the players.

The Colts final pick was surprising in the specific, but not in general. Indy took Chris Rucker a corner out of Michigan State. A big, physical Marlin Jackson-like player, the selection of Rucker was in keeping with the Colts' trend of regularly drafting corner backs.

It turns out that the 6th round is a popular round for taking defensive backs.  Since 2004, there have been 45 safeties and corners taken. Because Rucker has been mentioned as a big physical DB who could end up at safety, it's fair to include the safeties as well. 13 of the 45 players taken never made an NFL squad.  Only six of the 45 ever became starters at any point in their careers.  Only four were starters their rookie years (Afalva, Bethea, Harris and Brown).  Only 11 of the 45 collected at least 10 tackles in their rookie season.

Essentially, if a rookie 6th round DB makes the team and plays at all, he's way ahead of the curve.

The Colts love to take defensive backs.  Since 2002, they've taken 19 different DBs in the draft. 17 made the team (including Kevin Thomas who got hurt in rookie minicamp last year).  Of the 19, 10 eventually became starters at some point in their career for some team.  Five became starters of at least 8 games as rookies (Powers, Bethea, David, Doss, Strickland).  10 of the 19 had at least 15 tackles in their rookie season.  The Colts take DBs liberally, and then play the guys who can play.

Rucker is coming into a deep secondary for corners. The Colts have Powers, Tryon, Hayden, and Lacey who have all played extensively.  They also have Kevin Thomas who should be healthy and ready to go.  Polian compared Rucker to Marlin Jackson physically.  Jackson occasionally played safety and was looking to make the move to the position with Philadelphia before his knee blew.  The Colts clearly think Rucker can be physical presence and good tackler.  That means he should be able to carve out a nice role for himself on special teams if no where else.

The history of 6th round DBs is not illustrious.  A fair expectation for Rucker is that he makes the team and contributes a dozen tackles over the course of the season.  That would be a top 10 season for a 6th round rookie DB since 2004.  There is very little chance he'll ever become a starter or a marquee player. The only 6th round DB since 2004 to make a Pro Bowl was Bethea.  Rucker is the kind of player teams pick to shore up special teams and to create depth. 

If he gives the Colts anything at all in 2011, he'll have exceeded expectations.

***

This concludes the What to Expect series for 2011.  Bear in mind, that many of these players may prove far better than the meager expectations I've set this week.  These are meant to be simple baselines so that we don't expect a level of production from a player that is out of line with normal expectations for the draft slot. It's entirely possible Nevis could be a force and get 5 sacks or that Ijalana could take the RT job from day one.  Carter could rush for 1,000 yards.  Anything is possible.  By having realistic expectations, however, we can better praise players who do better than the norm as well as fairly judge players whose career is on a perfectly acceptable arc.

Here's hoping that all five Colts' picks crush these expectations. More to the point, here's hoping we judge them all fairly.

Colts second-round pick Ben Ijalana enjoys short celebration, then plans for his future in the offensive line.

  Super-Bowl - I  Green Bay Packers Game Played 1967 .

  Super-Bowl -II  Green Bay Packers Game Played 1968 .

  Super-Bowl - III  New York Jets  Bame Played 1969 .

  Super-Bowl - IV  Kansas City Chiefs, Game Played 1970 .

  Super-Bowl - V  Baltimore Colts , Game Played 1971 .

Remember back when I had a brother who wrote hilarious things on this blog?

Yeah, me too.

Turns out he's been too busy having children to write about sports.  As a result of his inability to leave his poor wife be, his family has made USA Today.

The best part of the article is the cheesy ironic smile Luke is sporting in the photo (make sure you hit enlarge) as he shows off a Star Wars shoe to his son Clark.  Baby Harrison is in the picture too.

Yes, my brother has sons named Clark and Harrison.  He's that kind of awesome.

You can check out his quite talented wife's blog at Swonderland.net.

Kansas City Star

In the Nation | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-05-06 Philadelphia Inquirer WASHINGTON - A federal commission Thursday recommended construction of a museum on the National Mall honoring the history of American Latinos. The commission submitted a report to Congress and the White House outlining details of the proposed $600 ... Locals welcome call for national Latino museumSan Gabriel Valley Tribune Commission recommends museum honoring US LatinosLos Angeles Times Commission seeks congressional support for Latino museumFox News MiamiHerald.com -Art Daily -NBC Washington all 445 news articles »

  By Paul Kuharsky   Free agency has the potential to change things. But after the draft, here are three Colts who are more valuable/ more important than they were before: Adam Vinatieri: I didn’t expect Indianapolis to draft a kicker. But Vinatieri is a free agent no matter how things sift out.    Melvin Bullitt: A free agent if four years qualifies players for the open market, he’s a steady player who would have appeal elsewhere based on how thin the safety position is around the league.    Pierre Garcon: The wide receiver is a crucial part of the offense. I don’t know if he’s ultimately the successor to Reggie Wayne as the team’s No. 1 guy. But with no new receiver added, Garcon’s speed puts him in a position to continue to establish himself. He needs to be more consistent, particularly with catching the ball reliably in big spots.  http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b9lwC

My FAVORITE word in the English language is FREE !!  So I HAD to share the following with mycolts peeps !! [image]    Mother's Day Celebration Sunday May 8th  -  9 AM to 5 PM Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH   Mom is admitted FREE with the purchase of an adult, child or senior admission. Plus, she'll receive a flower and save 10% off her purchase in the Hall of Fame store.    

Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH) logo graphic

NFL Network logo graphic

National Football League (NFL) shield logo graphic

NFL Scouting Combine logo graphic

"Indianapolis 500" 100th Anniversary logo graphic

Will you buy - OR - read Rex Ryan's book "Play Like You Mean It" ?

Kudos to former Miami Dolphins CB Sam Madison who honored the recently deceased Dolphins TE Jim Mandich BEFORE announcing the Dolphins 2nd round draft pick at Radio City Music Hall !!  Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula announced at a public rememberance that TE Jim Mandich would be the Dolphins 22nd inductee in to the Dolphins Honor Roll during the 2011 season !!  Kudos to the Miami Dolphins for recognizing Mandich's worth to the team and their fans !! RIP Jim Mandich !!   [image]