One more time, the lost generation of Baltimore Colts players is on the outside looking in.
Thirty-six years after they played - and won - their own Super Bowl, the 1970 Colts expressed resentment and outrage that the 2006 Colts are calling this the third Super Bowl in their history.
"It does bother me, but what can you do about it?" cornerback Charlie Stukes said. "It's difficult to associate Indianapolis with the Baltimore Colts. They're two entirely different organizations.
"To me, the Baltimore Colts were the pride of the city and in a league by themselves."
According to Mark Waechter, information services specialist at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, the Colts have chosen to include the Super Bowl showings of the Baltimore Colts under their umbrella.
"This counts as their third appearance in the Super Bowl and ... the second [victory] in franchise history," he said.
The Baltimore Colts won the fifth Super Bowl, 16-13, over the Dallas Cowboys after the 1970 season. Two years earlier, they were upset by the New York Jets, 16-7.
After the Colts stole out of Baltimore in the middle of the night 23 years ago, those 1970 Colts have been disenfranchised and essentially forgotten - outside Baltimore, anyway.
"To me, it just doesn't seem right," safety Rick Volk said. "We were the Baltimore Colts. None of the players from the Baltimore Colts feel involved in that franchise at all."
Said wide receiver Eddie Hinton: "They can't be saying that [that it's their third Super Bowl]. I can't relate to that. They took the logo and name and, when they left Baltimore, I guess my past went along with them."
A number of Colts from the Baltimore era complained about the lack of involvement with owner Jim Irsay's franchise in Indianapolis, and the fact that few have ever been invited there for games.
"I think the Irsays are taking a liberty with the Colts' name," offensive tackle Dan Sullivan said. "Indianapolis has not bridged the gap. They've not reached the olive branch across the borders.
"I cannot for the life of me believe that there are people sitting in Indianapolis who would not be absolutely thrilled to see a Lenny Moore, a Gino Marchetti, an Artie Donovan or a Raymond Berry introduced at halftime [at the RCA Dome].
"If they want to take the liberty of saying, `The Colts have won two [Super Bowls],' then shouldn't they bridge that gap? I don't know that that can be resolved. There's so much good solid history [in Baltimore] that it's just a shame that it's gotten to this point."
