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WRAPPED UP IN BLUE IN A BLACK AND GOLD WORLD: Snowbirds cling to their Colts
Saints madness has taken the Gulf Coast by storm. An entire region of the country that has never made the NFL a priority is suddenly cheerleading a team that has perennially been at the bottom of the professional football barrel.
As an NFL football fan on the Gulf Coast, it may be easy to forget that Colts fans even exist. But in Indiana, at least for Super Bowl weekend, the “Speed Blue” of the Indianapolis Colts has replaced Hoosier “Cream and Crimson”.
Run and Carroll Chambers have been coming to Destin for 12 years, and in the heart of Snowbird season the Indianapolis natives find themselves preparing for the game in the middle of all the insanity.
“The whole city is blue,” said Carroll, describing her most recent trip home. “The lady at the check-out counter in the store even asked me, ‘where’s your blue?’ And the schools are going to be out on Monday.”
After their family has had Colts’ season tickets for 27 years, the Chambers’ will be creating their own, little Indianapolis by having friends over for a Super Bowl party in their Destin winter home, which will include Rachael Ray’s Super Bowl Chili.
“I expect that we will win,” said Carroll. “I’ll be very disappointed if we don’t.”
Another Destin transplant, Kyle Merritt, is not hiding his optimism for Sunday’s game.
“I just don’t think all these bandwagon fans are ready for the hurtin’ we’re about to put on them,” said Merritt. “I can’t wait.”
Merritt is originally from Lafayette, Ind., and works in Destin as a bartender and a lifeguard during tourist season for the Destin Fire Control District.
“Peyton is going to make it rain out there,” said Merritt.
