by Mj Ferruzza

Created on: January 18, 2009

The greatest moment in the history of Indianapolis Colts came from out of the perfect storm. The perfect storm can be defined as when a situation happens when three specific things come together. In the case of the NFL Indianapolis Colts, the three specific things that did come together would lead to great success. This success made them one of the premier teams and organizations in the NFL.

A quick history lesson on the Indianapolis Colts starts after Mayflower moving vans leave in the middle of the night from Baltimore in 1984 and land in downtown Indianapolis. The Colts were not good. In fact, they were laughable, affable and nary undraftable. John Elway, NFL Hall of Famer, MVP and 2 time Super Bowl Champ was a Colts draftee who flatly refused to join the organization. That episode was one of the organization and franchise's lowest point. It directly reflected the renegade owner and son he put in charge of the whole organization. No one wanted to be a Colt, but everyone enjoyed having the Colts on their schedule if they were not a Colt. After the old man and owner (Robert Irsay) died and the tide started to turn.

The perfect storm starts when Irsay the younger turned over his football decisions to Bill Polian. Polian was the football guru and genius who took the Buffalo Bills organization to 4 Super Bowls. His football mind and savvy could resurrect a once proud NFL name brand and bring back the former glory like the days of Johnny Unitas, even Bert Jones.

The second phase of the perfect storm was Polian's selection of Peyton Manning. Manning was a great college player at the University of Tennessee. Though he would never win a national championship or the Heisman, he was known as one of the best pro prospects at quarterback a college had produced in years. His key rival for the #1 pick that year (a pick that belonged to the Colts) was Ryan Leaf. Polian looked like a genius by picking Manning after later draft pick Leaf flamed out his rookie year in the pros.

And the third phase of this great storm came when Polian and Jim Irsay selected Tony Dungy as head coach. Dungy, a quiet and reserved man, and former NFL star with the Steelers had just been released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs finally came into prominence as a franchise, and a division powerhouse under Dungy's reign as head coach. He was loved by the players and the fans in Tampa. He would make that same mark in Indianapolis.

So here was Polian a man who got his former team to 4 Super Bowls but never won one. Manning who never won a national championship, though Tennessee would win it soon after he left. Dungy is replaced by John Gruden who takes Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory the very next year. Could these men win the big game? Or were they destined to play the role of bridesmaid all of their career?

The perfect storm culminated in the 2006 at the the Super Bowl in Miami. How fitting that this was the rainiest, sloppiest Super Bowl in history. There were fumbles, interceptions, kick off run backs and a see saw battle for 3 1/2 full quarters. All played under the deluge of foul weather. The weather that must have been part of the perfect storm explained above. The greatest moment in Indianapolis Colts history was the day the perfect storm brought all components together. The day the franchise was given the legitimacy it deserved after so many woeful years. The 2006 Super Bowl was their day of destiny. It was their moment in time.

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