I can already hear the champagne bottles popping as the 1972 Dolphins players distastefully celebrate their place in football immortality yet again, an almost annual tradition that is always disgusting to hear about whether it is a 6-0 or 13-0 team that falls.  Seemingly everyone wanted to see the Colts go unbeaten and put this ridiculous party to rest.  Everyone except the 1972 Dolphins of course, and some Dolphins fans out there who have been desperately holding onto that acheivement as their only bragging rights to throw in other teams face nowadays since they haven't been in a position to even compete for the championship in a few decades. 

How about those morons appearing in Kenny Mayne's segment on ESPN this Sunday morning who touted, not the 1998 Broncos who also began 13-0 nor the 2003 Chiefs who started 9-0 more recently, but the 6-0 Colts team sometime during the 90's as the greatest unbeaten to fall?  Huh?  Those guys summed up with just that one bone headed comment how absurd this whole thing has become.   Most every other sports columnist, commentator, and fan out there was both confident and hoping that there would finally be another unbeaten NFL team in the history books and that the reign of the 72 Dolphins would finally come to an end.  

The 2005 Colts seemed to have fate on their side.  It looked as though the bad kharma stirred up by all the self promoting and poor sportsmanship the 72 Dolphins have exhibited the past few decades was finally going to come back to haunt them.  After relying on a swarming defense and great running game to win their first several games, the Colts rediscovered that offensive firepower enjoyed last year at about mid-season and had switched into cruise control, flat out embarrassing several teams along the way.  As the season began to wind down, the Colts beat Pittsburgh, survived Cinncinati, and handled the Jaguars, three games that many felt to be the biggest risk to the Colts chance at acheiving perfection in the regular season. 

After last week's win, the Colts secured themselves home field throughout the playoffs and had nothing left to play for but perfection.  Fans, the media, fantasy football owners everywhere, and most of all, Peyton himself, were hoping that Dungy would not play things ultra safe and bench his stars for some or most of the remaining games.  We all got our wish, as the Colts came to win once again.  Surely this year had become one of the most nerve racking seasons for those old 72 Dolphins and the desperate Dolphins fans out there, praying to preserve their sole place in the history books.  Unfortunately, today one of the greatest stories this year in the NFL  did not finish with a happy ending, at least for everyone other than those just previously mentioned.

Having to play a Chargers team that was no cake walk for the Colts last year either, was going to be hard again this year.  San Diego came into the game as 9 point underdogs, but desperately needed a win to stay alive in the AFC playoff hunt, especially since Pittsburgh also won today. Most were still confident it would be another tough game that ultimately would result in the Colts pulling away with the victory in the end, and it seemed like that was exactly what was happening on the field today.  After starting the game flat against the Chargers during the first half and being outplayed on both sides of the ball which resulted in a 16-0 defecit, a situation that probably led to some champagne being put on ice, the Colts capitalized on some key Chargers turnovers and stole the momentum from San Diego as they went on a 17-0 run.  It appeared to be a foregone conclusion that once again the Colts would come away with the victory and continue the perfect season.  As the disheartened 72 Dolphin vets and fans began to think about putting that Champagne back in storage, the unexpected happened.  With the Chargers clinging to a narrow lead and with LaDanian Tomlinson out of the game, back up running back Michael Turner ripped off a tremendous 83 yard touchdown run, and put the final nail in the coffin to secure a Chargers victory, keeping the team's playoff hopes alive, while ending the Colts quest for perfection.

Desperation won the day, both for the Chargers and for those old Dolphins.  I am sure that the Colts players and fans would much rather lose a game in the regular season and win the Super Bowl than go 16-0 and fall short in the post season yet again.  But I would have been happier just to see the annual sight of champagne corks popping off come to an end, and no, I'm not talking about at New Year's.  The Colts are still the team to beat in the NFL, and the Chargers are still alive in the AFC playoff chase.  With both of the previous two matchups between these teams being so close, how  great would it be to see both of these teams square up again in January?  There is definitely still a ton of great football ahead for most of us fans. 

However for the desperate Dolphin fans out there, today was the day.  This is the best it will get for them yet again.  The Patriots already wrapped up the division one more time, and another post season will come and go without the Dolphins in it.   I hope they are all as truly happy as they make it out to be as they sip that champagne, because that is the only thing they will be celebrating in relation to football for awhile.  The Colts are a team with far more class than those old 72 Dolphins, and hopefully they will have the fortune of downing some champagne of their own come this February in Detroit.  Drinking to a victory earned on the field that day tastes far sweeter than drinking to one from over 30 years ago.