I’ve been a Colts fan for ~6 years now. Perhaps more than a Colts fan, I’m a Peyton Manning fan. This year’s Superbowl to me was the matchup I absolutely wanted. #1 seed in the NFC vs #1 seed in the AFC. Can’t be more perfect than that. I also respect Sean Payton and Drew Brees a lot. Therefore I thought if the Saints beat the Colts, it really will not affect me that much.

After the Colts’ loss, I had maybe 4 hours of sleep. I woke up this morning with Peyton’s interception being replayed in my head. I took the day off work and have been on the Colts official forum since I woke up. There is a lot negativity among the Colts fans. There are many who pointed out multiple turning points of the game:

• Playing conservative at the end of the 1st half
• Hank Baskett dropping the onside kick
• Austin Collie running the wrong way on a screen pass
• Pierre Garcon dropping a 3rd down catch in the 2nd quarter
• Tracy Porter’s pick six
• Reggie Wayne dropping the pass on the 4th and goal

Everyone has an opinion on which play really cost us the game. To me, it’s really not that important. We got outplayed as a team and lost because of that. However, with this loss, the dreaded GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation must now be blown out of proportion by the media (and fans). I will start to hear comments such as Peyton Manning choked again during the game that matters.

The GOAT talk is very annoying. I really love Peyton. I don’t know that much about NFL history. I came from China and only got into football a few years ago. I really love Peyton as a person and a football player. He’s fun to watch and he runs an unique offense. He always works and studies hard. He does not talk smack and is always respectful toward other players. In the most competitive professional sport, it’s hard to always maintain your composure. He talks like a politician and is very smart and a great role model. His commercials are the funniest. Personally I hope it could just stop at that.

But of course not. Because football is a business. Everyone needs to make money. If the media doesn’t talk about GOAT, how do they fill up their programs? Since the media runs this country, everyone is exposed to that.

When I first came to this country, I would have given a rats ass about football. I found grown men hitting each other was the the dumbest thing in the world. Until I actually learned more about the rules of the game and followed players like Peyton, I then understand why people can be crazy about it. But everything has two sides. The media debate is probably my least favorite aspect of the game. You have to put up with many idiotic analyst/commentators’ (cough Deion Sanders) “professional” opinions. But unfortunately it’s a part of the game that will always be there.

I think because Peyton is such a likable person born in a football family, he gets more coverage than a lot of other players. This will follow him to the end of his career. I’m just glad I get to watch him play. Hopefully even after he retires, he coaches or stays with football somehow.