Fans commiserate loss to Patriots

An epidemic of football fever swept across Bloomington Sunday as Colts fans showed up en masse and filled every table at Yogi's Bar and Grill to watch their team go for its first Super Bowl appearance in Indianapolis franchise history.\nHowever, the New England Patriots defense was effectively able to subdue the Colts offense and the crowd's collective mood in a 24-14 AFC Championship victory.\nAs is often the case before the big game, fans were in good spirits. People razzed the announcers any time they suggested that the Colts might lose, or in the case of Deion Sanders, every time he opened his mouth.\nWhen Dan Marino picked the Patriots before the game, someone asked, "What do you know about the Super Bowl?"\nWhen quarterback Tom Brady marched the Patriots offense onto the field for the first time, he was met by the cry of "Pretty boy!"\nBut silence followed when Brady sliced through the Colts defense for a touchdown on New England's first possession.\nThe crowd got back into it as the Colts marched straight down the field against the Patriots vaunted defense on their first possession. A Peyton Manning interception in the end zone brought a loud groan from everyone involved.\nThis was the mood for much of the first half. Every time the crowd seemed ready to get back into the game, some type of disaster would strike, like another Manning interception or Marvin Harrison's fumble inside the 10-yard line.\nWhen a snap sailed over punter Hunter Smith's head for a safety, a couple of people decided they had seen enough. \nOne of the few people enjoying the whole spectacle was Bloomington resident and Patriots fan Brian Violette, a native of Maine. However, it didn't come without grief from some fellow patrons.\n"This is definitely hostile territory. I walked right into the lion's den," Violette said, sporting a Ty Law jersey. It was an appropriate jersey to be wearing, as Law would finish the game with three interceptions.\nAlthough the Colts trailed 15-0 at halftime, most fans stayed and kept the faith.\n"They've proven that they can come back from this point before," senior Greg Jenkins said. "The defense just needs to step it up."\nWhen the Colts scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half, fans were able to explode in cheers for the first time in the game. There was optimism once again.\nCheers would turn back into groans when Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri barely slipped in a field goal that put New England up 18-7.\nAbout half an hour later, the exact opposite effect happened -- people groaned as they thought Brady had thrown a touchdown pass to put the Patriots up 28-7, but then began cheering as they slowly realized Walt Harris made a seemingly miraculous interception.\nCries of "Tampa Bay!" referring to the Colts improbable comeback against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football became the mantra for many fans.\nThe final collective roar occurred with 1:20 left in the game, when it appeared Brady fumbled and the Colts recovered, giving Manning one last chance to bring the game into overtime. But the replay showed Brady was down before fumbling, overturning the call and sending any hopes of victory out the window for Colts fans.\nThough sophomore Steve Dawson found the game hard to digest, he didn't think it was as heartbreaking as the Colts loss in the 1996 AFC Championship, when the team came a dropped Hail Mary away from going to the Super Bowl.\n"It's not as bad because it didn't come down to a single play," Dawson said. "But it's still disappointing."\nFor now, Colts fans will have to wait until next year -- something that a New Englander like Violette knows plenty about.\n"The Red Sox are the candy in my eye," Violette said. "I want the Patriots to win it all, but I'd gladly trade in both of their Super Bowls for a World Series"