The Indianapolis Colts return to Anderson this year for training camp. Here’s the schedule.

Sunday, August 1 – Players report by 2 p.m.

Monday, August 2 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 3 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (afternoon session is special teams only)

Wednesday, August 4 – 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 5 – 3:30 p.m. (special teams only)

Friday, August 6 – 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 7 – 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, August 8 – No practice

Monday, August 9 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (afternoon session is special teams only)

Tuesday, August 10 – 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 11 – 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 12 – 3:30 p.m. (special teams only)

Friday, August 13 – 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 14 – 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, August 15 – San Francisco vs. Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, 1 p.m. (preseason game)

Monday, August 16 – 4 p.m.

Tuesday, August 17 – 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 18 – 9:30 a.m., break camp

It’s a rare occasion that you can make a good move and a bad move at the same time, but the NFL managed to pull it off.

Yesterday the NFL announced that for the 2010 season the overtime rules would be changing. BUT, they’d only be changing for 12, or 37.5%, of the 32 teams in the league, for a cumulative 11 games.

First the rule change.

• If the team winning the coin toss kicks a field goal on their first possession, the other team gets the ball for a possession in order to either try to tie or win the game.
• If the team winning the coin toss gets a touchdown on their first possession, the game is over.
• If the teams are still tied after they each have had one possession, the old (a.k.a. “normal”) sudden death overtime rules apply (the first to score wins).

Now to when the changes take effect.

These rules will only be used during the playoffs due to injury concerns.  But this is extremely flawed as it:

1. Sends the message that player safety isn’t important during the playoffs. (And I’d debate that reasoning as a cop out regardless.)
2. Could possibly ruin other teams playoff hopes and/or seeding.

I agree that the new concept is better than the old, but I still like college rules better. And if you’re going to do it, do it. Don’t halfway commit to it.

There are my thoughts. What are yours?

If you haven’t hard, the Indianapolis Colts cut backup quarterback Jim Sorgi a few days ago.  There’s really no surprise there since they kept Curtis Painter on the roster last season, Sorgi ended the season on the “IR” and he would be due a hefty veteran pay check for sitting on the bench.  And let’s be honest, if Peyton Manning gets hurt there’s no one who can step in and fill those shoes.

But the time in free agent land didn’t last long as the New York Giants quickly picked up Sorgi to be the backup to Peyton’s brother, Eli Manning.  Given history, Sorgi probably has a little better of a chance of getting in the game with the Giants, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen, as we need to see another Manning vs. Manning Throw-down this coming season!

Best of luck to Jim Sorgi though. I’ve always admired the man &have been a little bit jealous that he gets to hang out with Peyton Manning & gets paid the big bucks to do so. Not to mention, he’ll be in much better physical shape in retirement than many ex-NFL players are.

I think that this is the third or fourth year running that I’ve tried to get press credentials for the NFL Scouting Combine that is held here in Indianapolis every year.  And to keep  my 0-fer record in tact I received yet another rejection that goes like this:

We have received your request for media credentials to the 2010 NFL Combine. Unfortunately, due to tremendous demand, we are unable to accommodate your request.

Thank you for your interest in the NFL.

Corry Rush
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

OK, fair enough. Surge Bucket Media is a small potatoes outlet that currently only publishes online via blogs & podcasts. But what gets me is the whole canned “due to tremendous demand” response that is sent out every year.

This isn’t the Super Bowl. This isn’t the Pro Bowl. This isn’t the NFL Draft. This isn’t a game. This isn’t even something related to a specific team. It’s the NFL Combine where they scout the potential incoming draft picks.

Now I know that there are quite a few people in town for it (just try to go to lunch around the stadium and you’ll see that). But go and take a look at the photos & video from previous Combine’s and you’ll see that there really aren’t that many people in the stands watching. Maybe they’re milling around the stadium or back in the media rooms, or at the food court at Circle Centre Mall, I don’t know, but I don’t believe for one minute that there’s “tremendous demand” if that’s derived at just by the number of good seats in the lower level of Lucas Oil Stadium. (BTW, Indy.com reports that the estimated attendance is 3,400 people.)

Anyway, complaining about it will not do any good. But I just wish for once that the NFL would be honest about it. If you don’t cater to smaller media outlets, please be up front about it. That’s your choice as all attendees are your guests. While that would bum me out a bit, that is something I could totally respect.

That said, as long as it’s held in Indianapolis (I’ve not heard if they extended the contract beyond 2010 or not) I will continue to throw our name in the hat. And who knows, maybe one year we’ll be able to attend.  But in the meantime I’ll sit back with the rest of you doing my best to follow what’s going on down at the Combine.

Hello fellow Indianapolis Colts fans! Please send in your Colts related videos, pictures & voicemails (317-565-4250) and we’ll get them posted to our Show Your Colts section.  Also, be sure to check out the Indianapolis Colts Friendly Establishments list.

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Last weekend I was watching Tim “Tree Boy” Bush report live from The Colts Pro Shop at Lucas Oil Stadium and he carefully ignored the fact the there were Indianapolis Colts thongs hanging on the wall (quite visible in HD though).  But Mary Milz decided to go right for it tonight.

Scroll over to 2 minutes in to watch Mary Milz try to sell the last Indianapolis Colts thong at The Colts Pro Shop at Lucas Oil Stadium.

At least later in the newscast the anchors voted against Bob Kravitz wearing a Speedo next week from Miami.

Some Indy establishments (bars, restaurants, etc) are apparently not Indianapolis Colts friendly.  So we’re putting together a list of where Colts fans are welcome on game day.  If you’d like to add an establishment, please contact us.  Check it out, leave us a message and GO COLTS! Beat those Baltimore Browns on Saturday night! And leave a message for Blue Shotgun Radio at 317-565-4250!

This Thanksgiving the plans include:

• Money Bread for breakfast
• Turkey for dinner
• Pumpkin Pie for dessert
• Football, football & more football (but  not the NFL Network game since it’s not available and no one that I know in Indy has the channel…plus the NFL Network sucks, without a doubt, so I can’t blame the cable companies for not providing it in any normal package)
• Maybe going to see A Christmas Carol, but upset that they’re only showing it in 3D since that does nothing for these “color deficient” eyes
• Black Friday shenanigans
• A wedding
• A parade
• Thanksgiving/Christmas fireworks
• More football
• Cyber Monday
• Even more football

So, what are your Thanksgiving weekend plans? Leave us a comment, or better yet, leave a voicemail for Blue Shotgun Radio at 317-565-4250.

Via the AP:

Brian Westbrook’s status is uncertain after the former All-Pro running back sustained another concussion in Philadelphia’s 31-23 loss at San Diego.

Westbrook was playing his first game after sitting out two because of a concussion suffered on Oct. 26. He was injured in the third quarter Sunday on a screen play in which he was caught between a block by Eagles receiver Jason Avant and a Chargers defender.

I have never understood the mind of football players, which is why one season in High School was plenty for me (we won our conference, I was a starter on offense & special teams & didn’t receive any broken bones, so that was good enough for me to pick up the tennis racket instead.)

My best memory of this was that our football coach was also the baseball coach. I got nailed in the head one game and wasn’t really with it but still wanted to play, and then the coach says to me, “Son, this isn’t football. We don’t play hurt.” and he pulled me from the game (which was a good decision since I was a bit dizzy).  That day pretty much sealed the deal on not continuing to play football.

Anyway, I have no idea why they thought it was a good idea for Westbrook to come back so soon. Anyone who know anything about concussion’s should have recommended at least a month off, and only returning if he was back to normal.  When you literally get your bell rung, that’s not something to take lightly.

Via the AP:

Jon Gruden has agreed to a multiyear contract to stay at ESPN, suggesting he won’t be returning to coaching anytime soon.

The Super Bowl-winning coach’s name was bound to come up about any job openings after this season. He was fired by the Buccaneers in January, then joined ESPN as a “Monday Night Football” analyst.

That is bad news for football fans everywhere. Not because Gruden won’t be coaching, but because that means we’re stuck with boring game calling on MNF for some time to come (which includes his cohorts).  And that just adds to boring (Al) AND moronic (Cris) Sunday Night Football. Not to mention the joke called the NFL Network (which I do not know a single person in Indianapolis who has that channel anyway because the NFL thinks it’s worth far more than it is).

And what’s up with these guys and the spelling of their names? Did they both get hit one too many times and lost an “h” somewhere?