Announcement

Collapse

The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
See more
See less

Training camp stories.....

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Training camp stories.....

    http://www.examiner.com/x-4450-India...after-11-years


    Add to favorites Examiner Bio Indianapolis Colts 2010 training camp news: A farewell to Terre Haute after 11 years
    June 2, 12:37 AMIndianapolis Colts ExaminerJohn Oehser


    So, on Tuesday afternoon, after weeks of rumors, the news came that the Indianapolis Colts aren't going back to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for training camp this season.

    The Colts, after 11 seasons training in Terre Haute, Ind., will move camp to Anderson University in Anderson, Ind., the Indianapolis Star is reporting.

    And so ends an era of sorts.

    We at Indy Football Report won't insult intelligence by overemphasizing the change, or by waxing too poetic about the change in venue. The Colts will go on, of course, and there likely will be little visible difference on the field once the season begins.

    Still, because the off-season is a bit of a slower news time and a time for reflection, let's reflect a moment on the Colts' time training in Terre Haute.

    The Colts have trained there for 11 seasons, with those seasons not only 11 of the most successful seasons in franchise history, but an 11-year span successful on a level few NFL franchises have attained.

    The Colts moved camp to Rose-Hulman in 1999, the year after Colts QB Peyton Manning's rookie season. They have missed the playoffs one time since, and in the Terre Haute era, the team has produced:

    Seven division titles, six in the AFC South and one in the AFC East.

    Ten playoff appearances.

    Two Super Bowl appearances.

    One Super Bowl title.

    They have produced countless Pro Bowl selections, and more success during that era than any franchise has a right to expect, and while the presence of Manning obviously had a bit more to do with resume than the tiny engineering school on the east side of Terre Haute, there's little doubt Rose-Hulman will be missed.

    Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy talked often of how perfect the campus was for training camp, and during Dungy's seven seasons as coach it often struck me as remarkable how much he truly enjoyed camp. And while it often struck me how much Dungy enjoyed everything about being a coach – from dealing with the players to doing his own errands and taking time to talk to front-office staff around the building – the memory of Dungy is one of the first things I think about when thinking about the Colts' 11 seasons at Terre Haute, nine of which I attended in some capacity.

    So, that's where we'll start today – with Dungy – and we'll free-form a bit through some other memories and thoughts on Rose-Hulman as the Colts say good-bye to the campus after 11 years.

    Dungy: There are few images as memorable for fans or media who covered the Colts at Rose-Hulman than Dungy walking everywhere around training camp. The team issued all coaches golf carts, and Dungy's was nicer than most of the rest of the staff, but I remember him saying in his first season – 2002 – that they were unecessary. The players didn't have them and he said he'd never use one, either. In seven seasons, I never saw him use the cart.

    Arrival Day: So many memories on this day. Almost all involve baking in an unforgiving sun while waqiting three or four hours for players and coaches to arrive, playing guess-the-player as SUVs carrying players in their last free hours arrived for camp. But the best part about arrival day was Edgerrin James, and later, Reggie Wayne. James started a tradition when he arrived in a taxicab one year after an off-season when he made news for some seriously high-speed speeding tickets. Another year he arrived in a school bus carrying kids from his hometown of Immokalee, Fla. When James signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2006, Wayne – a close friend of James – carried on the tradition. He arrived for 2006 training camp in an Edgerrin James Cardinals jersey, and the year after the Colts won the Super Bowl, he arrived in camouflage, with the Colts being the”hunted” and all. Last season, he arrived in a dump truck with a hard hat signifying the Colts' needing to get back to work to make the Super Bowl. Wayne had the knack for turning a long day into something memorable, and at the time, he set the tone for the season.

    Heat: OK, so that it's hot in Central Indiana in August isn't unique, but you can't mention Terre Haute camps without mentioning standing on the sidelines dripping sweat and trying tactfully find a way to stay out of the sun.

    Dungy's power: Colts President Bill Polian used to joke that it never rained on a Tony Dungy practice. This isn't saying it never rained, but it was remarkable how few practices got rained out in Terre Haute in Dungy's time as the Colts' coach.

    Autographs: Not having been to another NFL camp in nearly a decade, I can't say how much more or less Colts players sign autographs. What I can say is I have memories of watching the Colts' biggest names – Manning, Dwight Freeney, James, Wayne, Bob Sanders – stand and sign for for a long time after a lot of night practices over the last decade.

    Dominic Rhodes: The strangest training camp injury in nine seasons covering camp in Terre Haute may have been Rhodes tearing his ACL in 2002. This was the classic no-contact injury. He was running a pass pattern, went down and – just like that – done for the year. Rhodes recovered from the injury and returned to have a solid, successful career for the Colts.

    Bob Sanders: It was easy to see Sanders was special from the start of his time with the Colts. He made plays even as a rookie in 2004 that made players on the sidelines stop what they were doing and watch. But I knew he was special off the field the following season in training camp. Although he played only part of the season as a rookie, he came to camp in 2005 as a clear team leader, speaking of an improved defense and taking on a role as team spokesman.

    The fans: Not to be too trite, but if there's one overriding theme for Colts training camp in Terre Haute – or any NFL team in any camp, for that matter – it's the fans. With the league necessarily being relatively distant from fans during the regular season and much of the off-season, camp remains a few weeks each season when fans can truly get relatively close to teams at a pretty reasonable price. And that's why just about any fan could write a far better post about memories of Terre Haute than this one. Doubtless, thousands of Colts fans have memories of their own, special memories of Terre Haute, and while such memories will certainly be created in Anderson, there's little question that considering the players, the seasons and the titles that have been associated with Terre Haute, it long will occupy at least some level of a special meaning to Colts fans for many years.
    Last edited by RWB; 06-03-2010, 09:40 AM.
    You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

  • #2
    Re: Training camp articles...

    Now that THaute is no longer the sight for Colts camp, as time permits, I'll throw in a few camp memories as well.
    You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Training camp articles...

      Dungy: There are few images as memorable for fans or media who covered the Colts at Rose-Hulman than Dungy walking everywhere around training camp. The team issued all coaches golf carts, and Dungy's was nicer than most of the rest of the staff, but I remember him saying in his first season – 2002 – that they were unecessary. The players didn't have them and he said he'd never use one, either. In seven seasons, I never saw him use the cart.

      My memories....I can't recall Tony ever using a golf cart as well. Once in a great while his daughter who worked a couple of camps and provided rides to players may pick dad up, but it was rare.

      Tony Dungy would make sure to know everyone's name and treated everyone the same. Didn't matter if it was Jim Irsay or down to the guy that took the trash out. The guy was the real deal and one reason the majority of his players were the real deal as well.

      Remember seeing a large stack of books (Quiet Strength) stacked in his office. He took time everyday to personally sign every book that someone would send in. No, these were not for a book signing, these were from folks who did take the chance of sending it to him in the hopes he would sign.
      You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Training camp articles...

        Speaking of golf carts.....Howard Mudd would always either take the governor off the cart to make it faster, or made sure he got a beefed up version utility vehicle. There is fast and then scary fast. Howard like to drive scary fast.

        Edited......
        Last edited by RWB; 06-02-2010, 03:35 PM. Reason: CYA too much
        You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Training camp articles...

          You have to admire Tony Dungy for being an excellent role model for these young men. Behind the scenes (not everyone but most) where there were no cameras, no reporters, you would constantly find the players carrying their playbook and their bible. It wasn't for show as the coach wasn't around to gather brownie points and such. And there was a difference between a Mora camp and Dungy camp.

          While Coach Mora seemed to have a tougher persona his camp had more of a college feel where the players mess with each other. Some would call it hazing, Mora would not accept such a thing, but the players sometimes were not on the same page. This was also not acceptable under Dungy and you were expected to be an adult. I once again say the players followed the coaches lead. However, there was the anual tradition of putting an intern's golf cart out on a dock, in the middle of a lake, or sometimes all the tires were removed and the golf cart was set on concrete blocks.
          You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Training camp articles...

            During Coach Mora's time the rookies were usually stuck in camp a little longer the day it broke. Not because they were putting in extra time, rather, they couldn't see.????

            No the players didn't go blind, but the night before camp broke the vets would sneak into the parking lots and completely cover the rookies car windows with a inch thick smear of vaseline. No matter how many paper towels they would use it just wouldn't come off easily. Be assured though that's as far as it went. If a player tried to touch another player or put someone in any kind of harm I have no doubt they would have been kicked off immediately.
            You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Training camp articles...

              Heat: OK, so that it's hot in Central Indiana in August isn't unique, but you can't mention Terre Haute camps without mentioning standing on the sidelines dripping sweat and trying tactfully find a way to stay out of the sun.

              Per the article what I remember about heat.....They made sure all the players hydrated constantly. Not only on the field, but everywhere they would go. Through out the campus they would have large fridges full of gatorade, water, and yes even the kids brand Pedialyte, with signs saying DRINK FLUIDS.

              What I remember most though was the running gag when Hunter the Punter was in camp. As an inside joke there was on going bet on when Hunter would hit the porta potty during the morning practices. Yes I know, too much information, but true.
              You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Training camp articles...

                When the subject comes up who was your favorite player during camp over the years amongst the staff one name always rises to the top.....Edgerrin James....hands down. Funny as heck personality, down to the earth with everyone. and maybe a little crazy (in a good way, not Ron Ron).

                For folks who have been to camp you will recognize this area. There is a pedestrian bridge over a creek that runs between Rose-Hulman's dining hall and their Sports Center. Like most players he would stop on the bridge sometimes to watch the fish. He swore one day he was going to get a cane pole and do a little fishing off the bridge.

                Actually someone took him up on it and bought him a cheap cane pole as a joke. Well one evening when it was only an afternoon special teams practice Edgerrin took his pole, got a worm, and went to work. I was told later he went to the dining hall with 3 little fish braging 'I told you I could do it, now who's going to cook my fish'?

                For some reason he was never big on giving out autographs, but he loved to talk to people.
                You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Training camp stories.....

                  Did you check his fishing license?
                  Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Training camp stories.....

                    Originally posted by indygeezer View Post
                    Did you check his fishing license?
                    Nah, private property you know. Hard to believe its been 7 years since you and Cato June became buddies. Time flies my friend. Anyway since were talking fishing here's another one, though my memory starts to fade.

                    Sometimes when their was rare free time after practice, some guys would go to the local pubs to just get away. Marcus Pollard (did you know he played basketball in college ) would usually stay on campus.

                    Marcus use to bring several fishing poles to camp, buy bait, and then loan them out to anyone who wanted to hang out on campus to fish. Rose-Hulman has a nice size lake stocked with fish near the residence halls.

                    Another thing the lake is well stocked with are ..... snakes

                    One of the funniest things I've seen during these camps was Marcus Pollard, (I think it was Adam Meadows and maybe Steve McKinney?) and number of other D and O lineman standing around the lake fishing together. Pollard somehow get's a snake tangled up in his line and casually reels him in. He pulls the snake up to cut it loose and all the guys go ape ****. I mean they are screaming like little girls and running the fastest 40 they ever had away from Marcus. Pollard casually unhooks the thing and drops it on the ground.

                    With a big grin he goes right back to fishing. Oh he did yell out a comment to his teammates. "Any fool who loses a pole better be ready to find a Galyans cause you owe me".
                    Last edited by RWB; 06-03-2010, 11:32 AM.
                    You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Training camp stories.....

                      I'm sorry to hear they areleaving Terre Haute. I've always enjoyed RWB's camp reports.

                      I think you told one time about someoes golf cart ending up na plaform in the lake or something like that?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Training camp stories.....

                        One of my favorite stories involved Edgerrin James during his rookie season. As some of you may recall, he held out for a week or two and was a late arrival to camp. Anyway, I ran into Edgerrin at a concert in Indy in late July and no one recognized or knew him yet. We spoke for just a minute and he was a super nice guy and ended up signing with the Colts a few days later.

                        Anyway, fast forward a week or two and I was over in Terre Haute for camp. Edgerrin was getting ready to walk off the field and saw 4 or 5 of us standing by the bleachers and walked over and started signing autographs, taking pictures, talking to fans, etc. I mentioned the concert to Edgerrin and he recalled our conversation and we talked about Indy, music, football, etc. for a good 5-10 minutes and I couldn't believe that he recalled our conversation.

                        As he was leaving the field, a heavy-set guy comes running over in pants and a long-sleeve shirt. Keep in mind it's mid August and probably 90+ degrees out and the guy is out of breath, breathing heavy, coughing and drenched in sweat. One of the Rose Hulman attendants said something like "You need to quit smoking, man" and Edgerrin just burst out laughing and thought it was hilarious.

                        During the early years in Terre Haute when the Colts weren't as good, there wouldn't nearly be as many fans and you had a chance to really talk to the players and get a ton of autographs.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Training camp stories.....

                          Originally posted by Smoothdave1 View Post
                          During the early years in Terre Haute when the Colts weren't as good, there wouldn't nearly be as many fans and you had a chance to really talk to the players and get a ton of autographs.
                          Thanks for the story SmoothD. Yeah camp has changed over the years and I think the folks in Anderson are going to have a little letdown. Don't get me wrong, they're going to be excited to see camp and the players up close. But I would be surprised if it's like they were use to years ago. A lot more people are aggressive in trying to get autographs now (ebay problem) and has really turned off players. Shoot, last camp a kid maybe 9 or 10 kept following the rope line where Peyton was signing would squeeze in between people and was pretty much pushy to get the autograph. You would think he was just a determined kid wanting a signature from his idol. Nope....soon as he got it he yells out "woohoo, I just made $20 bucks". Of course it's possible a parent promised him money if he got it, but I doubt it. Seen too many times usually a older male or two with gym bags full of stuff and they would hand the kids items to get players to sign. And no the kids weren't trying for Justin Snow or Michael Coe's signature.
                          Last edited by RWB; 06-04-2010, 10:36 AM.
                          You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Training camp stories.....

                            My personal best camp story....and the key word is personal. This isn't about something funny a player did, rather it was prove that sports can mean a little more to folks than just entertainment.

                            I had the opportunity to assist a woman (late 50s?)who had MS in getting a little closer walking distance to the stadium. Her daughter (30ish) was very appreciative and kept going on how her mom may have been the biggest Colts fan in the world. I wasn't really busy at the time so I offered to give her and her daughter a tour of the camp from an outside view. In other words by vehicle, in some restricted areas, but not in any buidlings.

                            It was no big deal since she didn't get out of the vehicle but was thrilled to see where the players stayed, the customized cars/trucks they were driving, etc.

                            This was the season Peyton was hurt and of course no one media wise knew exactly where he was early in camp. Just so happened at this particular moment Peyton was walking (with a noticeable limp) toward the Sports Center to get some rehab. Immediately the lady with MS see's Peyton and starts to hyperventilate and keeps saying "Oh my God there he is, there he is". Anyway she asks "can I get a picture of him"? I hated to do it but had to say no. Like I said, no one really knew where he was and of course I don't think the managment would have liked a photo of Peyton limping over for rehab out there.

                            You could see the disappointment in her face but she said she understood. Right at that time we stopped the vehicle and Peyton walked in front of us to the building. He looked over, gave a thumbs up, gave a little wave to the ladies, and continued on his way.

                            The lady with MS had tears coming down her face at this point and the daughter was crying too cause her mom was so happy. She said this is one of the best day's of my life.

                            I guess some folks could look at it like 'come on people it just sports'. But for this lady it was that important to her. The players make a lot of money, but just for that I would like to thank the Colts and Pacers for what they do.
                            You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Training camp stories.....

                              I was with my buddy at camp one year when the Colts had John Standeford on the practice squad. My buddy was older than John but had gone to the same high school and his kids were going to that high school. Even though they didn't know him they were interested in a "local kid does good" way and wanted to get his autograph. At the end of practice some of the players, including John were walking away from the field while a large crowd started asking for autos. People were shouting "Dwight", "Reggie", asking for autographs. Just then everything got quiet like happens at a party and my buddy yells "John, John Standeford". The entire crowd stops, the players stop, everyone, including John Standeford, turns around looking at my buddy like he had two heads. Hilarious. My buddy told him the story and they struck up a quick conversation while John was signing for his kids. Good stuff.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X