I got a strange call from a friend in January of 2007. A fellow Detroit Lions fan, who later purchased Lions season tickets with me, went onto StubHub late at night and decided to buy three very expensive tickets for the 2006 AFC Championship game between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. After being unable to get his money back, he brought another friend and I along with him to the game.
The winner of this game would face the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl 41. I was excited to see such a highly anticipated game, and to see future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady battle for a shot at the Super Bowl.
Thank you for joining me as I detail #1 on my list of the ten greatest games I've ever attended! If you're new to this series, welcome! You can find the previous posts in this series here:
#10. 2006 NHL Playoffs Edmonton vs. Detroit Game 1
#8. ND @ MSU Football, 9/23/2006
#5. Detroit Tigers vs. Cincinnati Reds 5/20/2006
#4. 2008 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional
#3. 2010 NCAA National Championship Game
#2. MSU vs. Northwestern 9/29/2001
Now let's get into the game that topped my list of the greatest games I ever attended.
The Game
The 2006 AFC Championship started off with a bang for the New England Patriots. After a long drive, Tom Brady fumbled the football. The ball squirted out of a pile of players and into the end zone where offensive lineman Logan Mankins made the recovery for the touchdown.
After a Colts field goal brought Indianapolis closer (7-3), the Patriots added a touchdown to their total with a seven-yard rush from running back Corey Dillon. A few plays later, Peyton Manning's pass down the field was intercepted by star cornerback Asante Samuel, who brought the interception all the way back for a touchdown. With nine minutes left in the second quarter, the Patriots had built an 18-point lead (21-3).
The Colts were able to make a field goal just before halftime, but still faced a 15-point deficit to overcome against Tom Brady's Patriots.
The action picked up quickly in the third quarter as Peyton Manning dove over the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown and then Manning found defensive lineman Dan Klecko wide open for another 1-yard touchdown. After completing a two-point conversion to Marvin Harrison, the game was now all tied at 21-21.
The Patriots came right back as Tom Brady found Jabar Gaffney for a six-yard touchdown catch.
The Colts put together another strong drive down the field. A fumble into the end zone by running back Dominic Rhodes could have put the Colts in an impossible situation, but a lucky bounce of the ball found Indianapolis lineman Jeff Saturday for a Colts touchdown.
The game continued to go back and forth. Down 3 points with less than four minutes to play, Manning led the Colts down the field once again, and when it mattered most, running back Joseph Addai pounded in a 3-yard touchdown. Tom Brady still had a chance to take the victory away from the Colts, but an interception in the final minute sealed the game for the Colts.
The Colts completed the comeback, which remains the largest comeback in the history of the AFC or NFC Championship games. The quality of this matchup with both Brady and Manning at their time, the rivalry between the two teams, and the dramatic finish make this the greatest game I have ever attended.
My Experience
This was an unlikely game for me to have the opportunity to attend. After getting the call about the game, I, of course, said "yes, I would love to go."
The morning of the game, we began to make the three-and-a-half hour drive to Indianapolis from Kalamazoo, Michigan. During the ride, I had to negotiate with my friend for the ticket to the game since I didn't have the money to repay him nor would I want to pay what he paid for the ticket. I ended up giving him two tickets to Wrestlemania 23 in Detroit, and two tickets for two separate upcoming Detroit Lions games. It was a steep trade, but I really wanted to see this game.
We arrived early and went to a Dave & Buster's to watch the Bears vs. Saints game on television and to have a few (turned into many) beers. While we were there, my friend was trying to scalp the tickets. At the time, I was a little bitter because I did not want to have to go back home without having seen the game in person, but I completely understand that he would want to try to recover the money he had spent on these tickets.
I had an incredible time at the game, although I believe I may have fallen asleep during a portion of the third quarter. I was able to see the entire fourth quarter, including the dramatic ending. While I wasn't a Colts fan, I was rooting to see Peyton Manning take his team to the Super Bowl.
Hopefully, I will see an even better game than this in my lifetime, but I am very happy to have been at this game. Thanks again for following me through this journey. I hope you enjoyed my stories and descriptions of the games I've attended in person.
Comments