From its inception in 1953 through 1984, the professional American football club presently known as the Indianapolis Colts was known as the Baltimore Colts. The squad was called after Baltimore's rich horse breeding and racing tradition. During that time the team was based in Baltimore, Maryland.
The move to Indianapolis was intended to simplify matters for fans who attended games outside of Baltimore -– many of them from Pennsylvania -– by reducing the number of teams they had to follow. The change also allowed new owner Jim Irsay more freedom to make changes to his football team.
Irsay had been president of the Denver Broncos when that team moved to Indianapolis in 1959. He wanted to bring a similar strategy to football by building a great roster and developing young players. This idea worked for Denver during this time, as well as Oakland and New York in 1960 and 1961 respectively. Irsay also believed that moving the team south would help it compete with the Pittsburgh Steelers for fans in the Indianapolis area.
He got his chance in 1964, when the original Baltimore Colts decided not to re-sign quarterback Johnny Unitas. Irsay immediately went out and signed him as a free agent. That decision proved to be one of the best in NFL history, as Unitas led the Colts to four straight championship games before winning one title in 1969.
Indianapolis Colts Baltimore Colts (previous name)
The organization began play in 1953 as the Baltimore Colts, with the club based in Baltimore, Maryland; following the 1983 season, the franchise relocated to Indianapolis. Carroll Rosenbloom brought an NFL club to Baltimore in 1953 and held it until 1972, when he sold it to Robert Irsay.
The Baltimore Colts The organization began play in 1953 as the Baltimore Colts, with the club based in Baltimore, Maryland; following the 1983 season, the franchise relocated to Indianapolis. Carroll Rosenbloom brought an NFL club to Baltimore in 1953 and held it until 1972, when he sold it to Robert Irsay. Irsay continued to operate the team as a self-sufficient business, and in 1984 he moved the club to Indianapolis. There were no other major league teams in Baltimore until 1996, when the Baltimore Orioles joined the Major League Baseball (MLB) league as a result of the Baltimore Monumental Sports & Entertainment (M&T) corporation's purchase of the franchise from John W. Galbreath. The corporation also operates the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Ravens of the National Football League (NFL).
In Indianapolis, the Colts have played their home games at the new Lucas Oil Stadium since 2010. The club's former stadium, Memorial Stadium, was built in 1956 by the city as a tribute to its residents who died serving in World War II. The Colts played their first game at Memorial Stadium on September 19, 1956, a 20-7 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Memorial Stadium was demolished in 2008 after 56 years of service to the community. The new Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2009 and is now the home of the Colts as well as the Indianapolis Indians of the American Indian League.
The Indianapolis Colts, previously the Baltimore Colts, are a National Football League franchise based in Indianapolis, Indiana (NFL). They play their home games at Lucas Oil Stadium. The team was founded in Indianapolis in 1890 as one of the original NFL teams. They are best known for being one of the most successful franchises in American sports history, having won four NFL championships in the 1950s, 1960s, 1990s, and 2000s.
Football is a gridiron game played between two teams with eleven players on each side. It is one of the most popular sports in the United States and Canada. The sport is global, but its governing body, the International Football Association Board (the "IFAB" or "I-F-A-B"), limits its definition to those countries that use the metric system for measurement. Therefore, soccer is not considered part of the sport.
An offense may advance the ball by kicking it, punting it, tossing it, or running with it. The defense must attempt to stop the offense from doing so. A player is eligible to return a kick or punt if he has not been touched by an opponent and is inbounds. The returner may choose to let the ball bounce or carry it forward.
They compete in the American Football Conference's (AFC) South Division of the National Football League (NFL). The organization began play in 1953 as the Baltimore Colts, with the club based in Baltimore, Maryland; following the 1983 season, the franchise relocated to Indianapolis. The Colts have won two NFL championships - in 1959 and 1970 - and have appeared in nine NFL Finals.
Colts' fans can take pride in the fact that their team has never been affiliated with another league team when it comes to football. The only time the Colts have played other football is when they were members of the American Football Association in 1958 and 1959. That being said, there are several other sports that are popular in Indiana - such as basketball and baseball - so if you're a Colts fan, there's a good chance that you follow some other team too!
The Indianapolis area is home to many professional and college sports teams. Baseball's Indianapolis Indians played at old Municipal Stadium before moving to new Victory Field in 1995. The Indianapolis Indians were one of the original Major League Baseball teams along with the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Cincinnati Reds. From 1946 to 1952, the city was also home to the Indianapolis 500, an annual automobile race that is part of the International Motorcycle Racing Championship series.
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