A Very Merry NFL Halloween Experience

I remember attending an NFL game on October 31, 1999. The Dallas Cowboys were visiting the Indianapolis Colts for a Week 8 Halloween showdown at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. I went to the game with a few buddies. We had a group of tickets and one "odd ball" ticket on the 15 yard line, row 8. In order to see who would get the prime seat, we drew straws. I lucked out and won the better seat, so I had that going for me, which was nice.

Arriving at the stadium, we could tell that it was going to be a fun night because loads of tailgaters were dressed in Halloween costumes. It looked like a circus parading into the RCA Dome. What a riot! Once we got in, we noticed that not only were the fans dressed up, but so were the Colts Cheerleaders. There were no complaints from our crew. I parted ways with the group and found myself sitting next to Darth Vader and Chewbacca, with a wolfman and witch sitting in front of me. I had my Peyton Manning jersey on, maybe I was celebrating Halloween as a Peyton Manning who had really let himself go and aged - a lot. Not only were folks dressed up and hyped up about playing the Cowboys, many of them were also enjoying the varied adult beverages served in the venue. I'm pretty sure Chewbacca was drinking margaritas.

The game itself was a good one. After trailing 17 to 6 at the half, the Colts bounced back and would go on to win 34 to 24. As good as the game was though, that's not why I remember being there. What I remember most was the smackdown that the Colts defense laid down on Cowboys quarterback, Troy Aikman. The defense held Aikman to only 129 yards passing and 0 passing touchdowns, but the 5 sacks were spectacular. Four different Colts made sacks. Cornelius Bennett, Tony Blevins, and Jeff Burris had one sack each, while Chad Bratzke had two. Now I don't remember how the next part happened exactly but I can distinctly remember what happened afterward.

One of the aforementioned Colts laid Troy Aikman out and he just lay there on the turf. He did not move at all. The crowd got very silent as the trainers moved out to make sure he wasn't dead. There was some movement from Aikman and the crowd knew he was at least alive and semi-conscious. Still, it was dead quiet. Then it happened.

In the stillness of the RCA Dome, a proud Colts fan across the endzone from me stood and shouted, "Aikman, YOU SUCK!" Everyone in the stadium heard it. I was laughing. Chewbacca and Darth Vader were laughing. Lots of people were laughing. I thought to myself, "Hey, at least he's not seriously injured, so we can rib the guy. Probably another concussion." While the crowd came back to life, a Cowboy fan seated in front of the shouting Colt fan stood and threw a punch. The fistfight was on. I'm sure alcohol was involved somehow, and I don't condone drunkenness, but it was sure fun to watch those guys go at it. In the end, the cops came. One of the guys tried to run away (In a stadium? Up stairs? Yeah, right.) but was apprehended. They both were carted off to NFL prison, or wherever misbehaving fans are sent, and the game resumed.

What a night! The Colts win, Troy Aikman has another concussion and only lasts one more season, and I have a memory that remains fresh in my mind ten years later. Happy Halloween, football fans.