There's plenty to love about August around here. The State Fair, for one. The first day of school is just around the corner. A certain boy has a birthday. And while those are all fine things, they just can't compare to the first morning I fetch the Indianapolis Star and see that Bob Kravitz is writing about the Colts again. It means one thing, and one thing only: football season is just around the corner.
The beginning of football season kicks off the same way for every team: training camp. The Colts hold their training camp at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute every year. After living here for three (three!) years, I decided this was the year we'd make the trek over to training camp and see our boys in action.
One of the first faces we saw this morning was that of Dallas Clark. I love this guy. I like my players to be good guys on and off the field, and Mr. Clark never disappoints. I bet he smiles like this when he gets one past the Patriots defense.
A little further down the field we have Mr. Reggie Wayne and Mr. Joseph Addai.
Joseph: Peyton's salary is only this big.
Reggie: And Eli's salary is THIS big!
Random Guy Who Probably Still Got A Super Bowl Ring: Word.
But, seriously people, what do you think I really drove nearly two hours with two small children for?
Er, I mean who. Although his what is pretty nice, if I do say so myself. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Peyton Manning . . .
This part of him ain't so bad either . . .
I know, I know. It's hard to take me seriously as a football fan when all I do is comment on a player's body, or how nice he looks when he bends over. I am a serious football fan, really I am. Just to prove it, here's a nice photo of my boys at work on the line of scrimmage.
We watched as many plays as we could, in between taking turns entertaining Eli and trying to keep him from running on to the field with his little football. The boys were looking good, and practice was humming right along, until Peyton caught wind that I was on the sidelines.
Angie's here? The actual Angie from Just Like The Number? And she's wearing her "Got Peyton" shirt?
And just like that, practice was over. Peyton autographed our jerseys and football, then he whisked me away to wine me and dine me while I interviewed him for this very blog.
Okay, so maybe that's not how it really went down. Practice went on. The kids started their own game of football on the sidelines.
If you look closely, you'll see Elena's very crooked front tooth. It had been hanging on by a thread (and quite frankly, grossing us all out) for nearly the whole summer. A few tosses of the old pigskin later, she took one to the face. And with that, the tradition of losing a tooth on a Friday continued.
We tried to get some autographs, but had no luck. In spite of that, I would say a good time was had by all. Especially by a certain girl with a zoom lens on her camera.
Wow! Awesome shots! Now if that would have been the Bears I might have totally been drooling all over my laptop 🙂
Great pictures! 🙂 I was cracking up reading this, I’d forgotten about your manning obsession.
You say obsession, I say Number One Fan.
Sent from my iPhone
Did he complain to the officials while you were there? Or, perhaps, stand with his hands up the center’s butt for 15 consecutive minutes?
Yeah. Did he slam his hands on the side of his helmet like a 5 year old? PUKE!
So, fyi, Dallas Clark smiles like that when he fetches the car for his grandma at church. On Christmas Eve. Dimples and all.
I <3 him. Also? I <3 Reggie Wayne. A lot.
Dear Peyton-haters: you are never allowed on my blog ever again.
Just kidding (mostly)! Seriously, at one point he did do that patented Peyton move of throwing up his hands in frustration and then putting them on his hips and pouting for a minute. I know you know the look. I tried so hard to get a picture of it, but he snapped out of it faster than he does during a real game.
You puke, I say, “Awwwww . . . how cute!”