Circle City Celebration

INDIANAPOLIS – It was as close as the Circle City could come to the Big Easy. \nThousands of people took to the streets of Indianapolis on Thursday evening, many with alcohol in tow. Some were wearing colorful makeup. Others, bright blue wigs. \nIt wasn’t quite Mardi Gras, but for Indianapolis Colts fans, it was one big party. The Colts were just hours away from the opening kickoff of their first regular season game against the New Orleans Saints, just hours away from beginning their title defense. \nBut before Saints kicker Olindo Mare could send the first kick of the 2007 NFL season high into the air at the RCA Dome, there was time for the folks of Indianapolis to celebrate. They are still defending Super Bowl champions.\nRock band Hinder and singers Kelly Clarkson and Faith Hill did their part to shut down parts of downtown Indy by performing from the south side of Monument Circle. \nMeridian Street was packed, but instead of the swarm of cars that typically occupy the road at rush hour, it was full of fans clad in blue and white Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Joseph Addai and Bob Sanders jerseys. The underrepresented Saints snuck in a Reggie Bush jersey or two.\nColts fan Alex Irwin, a 2005 IU graduate, said he was lucky to get a ticket as he leaned against a metal barrier while listening to a small brass ensemble bellow tunes outside the RCA Dome before the game. \n“This is a special event,” said Irwin between puffs on a cigarette. “I’ve never seen anything like what’s going on at Monument Circle before.”\nIrwin’s family gets season tickets every year, and he was happy to get tickets to the opening game. He’s pumped for the upcoming season. \n“I expect to win as many Super Bowls as Peyton has years in him,” said Irwin, wearing a blue Joseph Addai jersey. “He’s the greatest quarterback of all time.” \nBut not everybody was so impressed with the Colts. \nRachel Robert of New Orleans stood out in the Colts-crazy crowd. It might have been her No. 26 Deuce McAllister Saints jersey that gave her away.\n“There’s a lot of blue,” said Robert, who was one of a group of 50 Saints fans who trekked from Louisiana to Indiana for the game. “Hopefully we’ll meet up in the Super Bowl.”\nDid Indianapolis’ one-day party impress the New Orleans native? \n“No,” Robert said. “(Mardi Gras) is better than this.”\nInside the dome, Seymour, Ind., native and IU booster John Mellencamp did his part to welcome in the new season, performing the song “Small Town” for the sell-out crowd. \nMellencamp introduced Colts owner Jim Irsay, who helped unveil a not-so-humble Super Bowl banner from the top of the dome – a friendly reminder to the national TV audience and all future opponents that while the road to Super Bowl XLI went through Indianapolis, the road to Super Bowl XLII starts there too. And at least on Thursday night, that road was paved in white and blue.