We watched them run drills, scrimmage and chat, in a fun, relaxed environment. That’s my favorite part of training camp—while the rookies & 2nd line players are busting their butt to prove themselves, the guys we already know & love are just out there having a great time, getting back into gear for the season.

They have a much more casual attitude, and you can just see the love of the game on their faces. Towards the end of practice, we hung out by the fence in hopes of catching a few autographs.

We haven’t been very successful at it in the past, but we carried our autograph football & fave jerseys, just in case. The hubby would love to have Peyton Manning’s Superbowl jersey autographed. I, of course, am constantly stalking Reggie Wayne. We wandered along the fence and watched a bunch of guys we don’t know (yet?) sign footballs & posters.

Then, I saw the crowd.

It was obviously a major player so we headed that direction with our football. When I saw Reggie Wayne along the fence, I pretty much tossed everything at my family and ran. The crowd was huge & mostly filled with guys much bigger than I. The hubby managed to squeeze in with our football, but I was determined to get my jersey signed too.

I stood off the side of the crowd, leaned my cleavage over the fence and yelled, “Reggie! Big fan, right over here.” He looked at me, grinned and went back to signing autographs. But, when he finished the section he was working, Reggie Wayne—yes, that one!—walked over to me, took my jersey and signed what appears to be his name. Sometimes? Being a girl is awesome.

And, that is the story of how my boobs got an autographed Reggie Wayne jersey.

Colts City will setup camp throughout the week. You’ll find merchandise, freebies, games, inflatables & giveaways. We took the girls a few years ago and had a lot of fun. Player autographs also occur throughout training camp, but there is no specific schedule. Names & times are announced just before players are available. Occasionally, you’ll catch players willing to sign autographs after practice as well.

And the open practice sessions? A lot of fun to watch—it’s your chance to be up close & personal while you get an informal look at the Colts on the field. It is super hot out, though, so be prepared with water, sunblock & lightweight clothing. (Like, this spaghetti strap Colts shirt, maybe?) We’re considering hitting up a night practice this year, instead. The night practice party on August 17th looks promising—there’s fireworks!

Anyone else headed out to watch the Colts kickoff their season?

Just because the boys aren’t playing right now, doesn’t mean you can’t show your support for our hometown team! Here is some of the best fan gear for the summer season.

NFL Men’s Drawstring Printed Logo Indianapolis Colts Swim Trunk
Price: $16.99 at K-Mart
What summer would be complete without sporting Colts swim trunks. And? If you’re headed to a luau, be sure to select the floral print Colts trunks!

Indianapolis Colts Navy Blue Team Stripe Beach Towel
Price: $17.95
If the swim trunks or a little too much for you (or, you know—you’re a girl!), grab a Colts beach towel instead, before you hit the pool this summer!

Indianapolis Colts Swim Ring
Price: $19.03 at OverStock.com
Float across the pool or lake in this Colts swim ring. It deflates for easy storage, but why wouldn’t you want to show it off all the time?

Indianapolis Colts Pool Float
Price: $34.95
Float around the pool, lake, or beach while showing off your team spirit! This pool float includes an inflated pillow for maximum summer relaxation.

Indianapolis Colts Carry Cooler
Price: $19.99 at Fans Edge
Whether you’re on the road, at the beach or picnicking at the park, you can carry the Colts & your food right along with you. This portable cooler holds 18-24 cans with 3 exterior pockets for added storage. It folds flat for storage, and the polyester exterior wipes clean.

Indianapolis Colts Inflatable Floating Cooler
Price: $39.95 at Football Fanatics
Taking your drinks to the pool, lake or beach? How about an inflatable floating cooler, featuring—you guessed it—the Indianapolis Colts!

Indianapolis Colts Black Grill Cover
Price: $24.95 at Football Fanatics
One of my favorite things about summer is it’s the hubby’s season to cook! Cover your grill between dinners with this Colts grill cover. It features a hook and loop fastener on the bottom hem for a more secure fit on windy days.

Indianapolis Colts Stainless Steel 4 Piece BBQ Set
Price: $34.95 at Football Fanatics
And, hey—you can show off your Colts pride while you flip burgers with this 4-piece grill set.

What is your favorite part of summer?

But, whether you spend all week speculating and watching the clock or wait for training camp to see who shows up, you can own the very same hat our new Colts will receive this weekend! This is the official Reebok hat top picks will be wearing during the press conferences—how fun is that?

Colts Draft Day hat, Football Fanatics $24.95

I’m getting this couch!

I keep trying to talk my parents into buying one. Afterall, they’re the ones with the Colts living room. (Yes. Seriously.) She has a Colts lamp, Colts curtains, a Colts clock, Colts accessories and Colts wall hangings. But this couch? “Would be too much.”

It’s less than $1000—and ships for only $14.95! Also? It’s made purely of awesome. Plus, when you get tired of the whole bleed blue theme in the off season, you’ll give it to me for my basement!

I clearly need to work on my pitch.

Whoa! What?! Apparently, Jerraud Powers was just as surprised. I’m anxiously awaiting an update from the team. In the meantime, I’ll be following the discussion on Twitter, and trying to track down a Raheem Brock Colts jersey while I still can.

Yes, I’m still upset about the Jets game from the regular season. Had the management not given up on a perfect season, claiming the only important thing was a Superbowl title, everything would be different. I could have gone into the playoffs with a bit more excitement and even if they still lost, I would have had a bit more pride in my team.

The coaches, the management—they let the team down, they let the fans down and they let the entire city of Indianapolis down. It wasn’t about the perfect season, really. It was about playing every game to your fullest potential. To come out of a Superbowl loss saying “We did our best all season long.”

I know the boys played hard, all the way through. But management didn’t equip them with the right tools for the job. If someone had been injured, and the 2nd & 3rd string players had gone in, they still would have had a strong team around them. But to pull out all our weapons and basically hand the game over?

It’s going to take me awhile to get over that.

Breaded pork tenderloins are an Indy delicacy, though they might be difficult or time-consuming to whip up at home. Instead, how about a few local brands to celebrate our state’s showing in the big game? At South Bend Chocolate company, you could pick out a variety of treats to please the chocolate lovers in your group. (Might I recommend the double-dipped peanuts? Yum!)

And, yes, there’s corn! More accurately, popcorn! Orville Redenbacher himself was born right here in Indiana. Serving popcorn balls, caramel corn or other flavored popcorns would be a fun (and tasty) tribute. Just Pop In even features blueberry popcorn in the perfect shade for your party! Sara Gaum from Vendor Bar has given us a few recipes for the do-it-yourself crowd:

Curry Popcorn

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 2 dashes hot sauce
• 1 gallon popped popcorn

Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in the garlic, turmeric, curry powder, and cumin; keep over heat 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 minute more. Add the hot sauce and pour over the popcorn. Serve immediately.

Peanut-y Sweet Popcorn

• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 (3.5 ounce) packages microwave popcorn, popped

Bring the corn syrup, honey, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan; cook at a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir the peanut butter and vanilla into the syrup mixture until the peanut butter has melted completely. Pour the sauce over the popcorn and stir until evenly coated. Allow to cool completely and break into chunks to serve.