Baltimore Colts

Founded in 1953, the Baltimore Colts history is short, but is one that is filled with both incredible successes and remarkable Hall of Famers. Coached by the legendary Don Shula (who also played for the team) before he left for the Miami Dolphins, the team repeated made runs for the NFL championship. Led by the Legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas, the Colts offense was known for its potency and ability to win games.

But the Baltimore Colts were not just known for their ability to field world class quarterbacks. In what has been dubbed the greatest game ever played, Gino Marchetti made a game changing tackle, breaking his leg in the process. It was because of this incredible sacrifice made by the Colts defensive lineman that they went on to win the game 23 - 17, and claim the 1958 NFL championship in the process as well. Raymond Berry’s touchdown reception from Unitas proved to be the winning score.

Despite these successes, the final years that the Colts were in Baltimore were marked with poor seasons. The team spirit was strong, and the fans loved the team, but there were major issues off the field. While the team equipment such as the Baltimore Colts jerseys, helmets, and pads were all in great condition, their home stadium (called Memorial Stadium) was in dire need of upgrades and renovations. This, as well as their sharing the facility with the Baltimore Orioles did not help.

With the team struggling and playing conditions poor, the Ownership of the Baltimore Colts fell out with the leadership of the City of Baltimore. While the performance on the field was poor, the conditions which fans and players were subjected to compounded the frustration. The owner of the team at the time, Jim Irsay, gave the city an ultimatum: give us a new stadium or we leave.

Because of the cost of building a new stadium, the city flatly refused. They stated that if the Baltimore Colts wanted to have a new facility, it would need to be privately, not publicly financed. This answer, compounded by the willingness of Indianapolis to accommodate Irsay’s demands led for the team to transfer operations to Indiana. in the middle of the night, all of the franchises equipment, from the Baltimore Colts jerseys to documents pertaining to the administration of the team, were clandestinely loaded onto moving trucks and driven out of Maryland forever.

This painful parting of ways was not easy for Baltimore fans. To many, a Baltimore Colts jersey is a sad reminder of what was, but what is no more. They did not change much during the course of their history, and are very much the same today, even though the team is now the Indianapolis Colts. The home uniforms are a deep blue color, while their road jerseys are all white. It is this lack of change and the similarity to the modern day Colts uniform that makes the memory of the Baltimore Colts such an agonizing one.