While the Indianapolis Colts have put the Hoosier State on the football map since 1984, they also have had their share of embarrassing moments.
No franchise is perfect, and the Horseshoe is no exception.
For the purposes of this article, we will limit the scope to embarrassing moments that occurred during the Colts’ time in Indy and not Baltimore.
We will also rank these moments according to their long-term repercussions on Colts franchise history.
3. The Boomstick Broad Ripple Canal Fiasco, 2010
Colts second-year punter Pat “Boomstick” McAfee made quite a splash for the wrong reasons in 2010.
Police arrested the 23-year-old McAfee for public intoxication after he plunged into Indy’s Broad Ripple canal in the early morning hours of October 20, 2010.
McAfee hung out at Broad Ripple – a trendy nightlife spot in Indianapolis – the night before.
He even had the gall to tell officers he was drunk while he swam in the canal.
Then-Colts head coach Jim Caldwell suspended McAfee for one game for his misdeed.
Fortunately, McAfee made amends in the ensuing years.
He earned two Pro Bowl appearances in 2014 and 2016.
McAfee also earned a reputation as one of the hardest-hitting punters in the NFL.
He’s also working on a thriving sports media career since he hung up his cleats following the 2016 NFL campaign.
McAfee’s Broad Ripple brouhaha earns a spot in this list because of the massive backlash that followed.
It certainly embarrassed the Colts organization at the time.
Good thing Boomstick atoned for his mistake and has now become one of the most prominent names in the sports media landscape.
2. Colts Fans Booing Andrew Luck’s Premature Retirement, 2019
Colts fans have a reputation as one of the friendliest fan bases in the National Football League.
If you’re a visiting fan at Lucas Oil Stadium, chances are the home fans will just leave you alone.
However, Colts fans acted way out of character on the day quarterback Andrew Luck retired three years ago.
Luck announced his premature retirement from the NFL on August 24, 2019.
The man was just 19 days short of his 30th birthday that year.
Many quarterbacks in that age bracket still had plenty of gas left in the tank.
Not Luck, though – his recent spate of injuries compelled him to hang up his cleats.
Colts fans in attendance for Indy’s preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium booed Luck as he walked off the gridiron on the day he retired.
Luck later admitted the boos hurt him badly.
Why kick a man when he’s already down?
Sure, Colts fans were highly emotional in the aftermath of Luck’s retirement.
But booing the quarterback who helped them reach the postseason four times in seven years?
Not good at all.
If there’s one thing that took a massive hit on the day Luck retired, it’s the Colts fan base’s reputation.
1. Mike Vanderjagt Taking Shots At Tony Dungy And Peyton Manning, 2003
Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt’s NFL career was going great until he decided to shoot his mouth off.
Vanderjagt never converted lower than 82.4 percent of his field goal attempts through his first four seasons with the Horseshoe from 1998 to 2001.
He even led the NFL in scoring with 145 points in 1999.
When Vanderjagt’s field-goal percentage plummeted to 74.2 percent in 2002, he began to unravel.
Vanderjagt criticized Colts head coach Tony Dungy for being too mild-mannered after a humiliating 41-0 loss to the New York Jets in the 2002 AFC Wild Card Game.
Vanderjagt also lambasted quarterback Peyton Manning’s leadership.
Manning promptly called out Vanderjagt and dubbed him an “idiot kicker” who got “liquored up” at the 2003 Pro Bowl.
That was an embarrassing moment in itself – the “Vanderjerk” mania had reached epic proportions in the Circle City by then.
Although Vanderjagt earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors following his 157-point performance in the 2003 NFL season, he had already tainted his reputation in Indy.
Vanderjagt’s missed field goal in the waning moments of the 2005 AFC Divisional Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers sealed his doom.
The Colts replaced him with legendary kicker Adam Vinatieri the following offseason.
Fast forward a year later, the Colts won Super Bowl XLI in February 2007.
That was how crucial that kicking change was for the Horseshoe.
Vanderjagt could’ve been the best kicker in Colts franchise history.
Sadly, he put his foot in his mouth at the worst possible moment.
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