It was 33 years ago. March 28, 1984. It was snowing and cold in the middle of the night.
Some nights you don’t forget.
Mayflower Vans were on the move. My football team was gone. The Baltimore Colts were heading west on I-70.
I tried to stop them out around the Hagerstown exit, but State Police told me, “Let it go…there’s nothing you can do.”
My first autograph was Johnny U’s. I got him to sign a piece of paper at Hutzlers. He was sitting with Dan Sullivan.
One of my first football jersey’s was No. 23. It was Don McCauley.
My hand might have been broken by Bill Pellington at the Iron Horse Restaurant. He made the best pumpernickel rolls
And every year I used to go to Artie's birthday party, right up to his last.
To do the Turkey Bowl with Tom Matte every Thanksgiving is an honor. You see I can’t let it go. You see the Colts took 12 prime years of my cheering life away. I couldn’t root for the Redskins. Maybe the Dolphins because of Shula who coached here. But Johnny despised him.
Then the Ravens came and it took Coach Billick to tell us how to cheer again, what it was like to be an NFL fan again. How lucky we are to have ownership like we do.
I have never on-air said Indianapolis followed by their nickname. Its always Indy. I won’t use the “C” word.
Yes I am grateful, very much so about the Ravens success. Two Super Bowls??? OUTSTANDING.
But 33 years ago, I was standing on the side of I-70 watching a piece of my hometown pulled away. Yeah let it go.
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