ANDERSON, Ind. — As the Indianapolis Colts were upset by the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, fans across Madison County watched the game, unable to believe their eyes.
Even as the fourth quarter soured, tavern owner Roger Moran held onto the belief that the Colts would pull out a win.
“We can be down 20 points in the fourth quarter and you know we’re going to win because we’ve done it all year long — but it didn’t happen,” he said.
Before the game fell out of Indianapolis’ favor, retired Anderson firefighters Dave Murdock and Phil Isom traded jokes, sipped beer and dined on deer chili and nacho dip at Moran’s Bar and Grill as the Colts took the field and began their domination of Super Bowl XLIV’s first quarter.
In Miami, Anderson resident Jerry Sale sat in the stadium, watching the Saints with hesitation.
The game they were playing, he said via telephone, was flawless.
Across Madison County, fans watched the game unfold, hoping the score would reflect their own game day predictions.
“27 to 3, Colts,” 25-year-old Kent Clute predicted.
Within minutes, the Saints scored and proved Clute wrong.
Anderson police Detective Cliff Cole gave the Saints a bit more credit. “35, 27 Colts,” he guessed.
Cole was joined by a handful of other police officers at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge in Anderson.
Getting settled into his seat at the stadium in Miami, Colts fan Kevin Ray knew early on that the game would be close.
“They’ve got a good offense. I don’t think we’ll be able to shut them totally out.”
Colts fans Lyndsey Burks and Amber DeWitt dyed strips of their hair blue in support of the team, committed to keeping the Colts spirit alive at Wings, Etc. in Anderson.
“We’re hard-core,” DeWitt exclaimed.
Though the game quickly turned bitter for the Colts, 8-year-old Kyler Denniston kept the faith, predicting an impressive score for the home team while snacking at Wings, Etc.
“Colts one million, the other guys ... 200,” Denniston predicted.
Unfortunately, Denniston was off by a few points.
“The Colts just didn’t play real good. The Saints deserved it. They outplayed it. The onside kick at the start of the half was a big game changer,” Moran said.
Sale watched from the stands as the Saints found a hole in the Colts defense. “New Orleans had to play an absolutely flawless football game to win it, and they did.”
As Colts fans wept nearby and the stadium began clearing out, Sale and his friends headed off into the Florida night in search of something to numb the pain. “We’re going to go look for some comfort food.”
Although the loss was bitter, Sale said the competition was football at its finest. “If you were watching that football game and you didn’t like that football game, you don’t like football.”
Contact Brandi Watters, 640-4847, brandi.watters@heraldbulletin.com
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