Clichés suggest residents of central Indiana should be welcoming to fans, even those who root for the locally reviled New England Patriots, when they are here for the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
Put your best foot forward. Turn the other cheek. Be a good neighbor.
But more than anything, the behavior of Indiana residents, as it applies particularly to Patriots fans, is dictated by our well-earned reputation for Hoosier hospitality.
Let’s step back a minute and acknowledge that distaste for New England and its faithful is a natural outgrowth of the rivalry between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. For years, it seemed, the Patriots and pretty-boy quarterback Tom Brady stood between the Colts and the Super Bowl.
Through the early 2000s, the Colts had great season after great season, but it always seemed they stumbled against the Patriots, who went on to win Super Bowls in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
By the time Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and his teammates vanquished New England in a cathartic comeback in the AFC Championship game and went on to win Super Bowl XLI in 2007, Indianapolis faithful had had it up to their horseshoes with Brady and the Pats.
Now, there’s a 50-50 chance you’ll have to watch Brady hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 5. If it happens, swallow hard and don’t lash out.
If you won’t treat our visitors from Massachusetts well because it’s the right thing to do, do it for Indiana’s reputation. Do we want to be known as the state of revenge? No, it’s far better to be known as the state that forgives and forgets, not the state that harbors grudges.
If it helps, remember that over the past few years, the Colts have routinely gotten the best of the Patriots. Even this year, without Manning, a plucky Indy squad gave the Patriots all they could handle in Foxborough before losing.
Most of all, remember that, even though you might not like the Patriots, their fans are people, too. And in Indiana, we treat people with ... Hoosier hospitality.
Editorials
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New England Patriots fans support their team during the first half of the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens. Charles Krupa
Discussion
Editorial: Hoosiers should remember Pats are people, too
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