40,000 noisy fans cheer champion Colts at RCA Dome

INDIANAPOLIS - The RCA Dome never felt so good to the Super Bowl champion Colts.

After a rain-soaked victory in Miami the night before and then a frigid, bone-numbing homecoming parade through the streets of downtown Indianapolis last night, the Colts finally arrived at the stadium for a raucous celebration with their fans.

More than 40,000 of them, just as loud and boisterous as they were 2 weeks earlier at the AFC Championship Game, welcomed them home, reveling in the city's first major professional sports championship in more than 30 years.

"It sure feels good to be back in this dome after playing in that weather last night," shouted Peyton Manning, the MVP in the Colts' 29-17 victory over the Bears. "On behalf of the players, we want to thank the greatest fans in the world."

Most of the fans had been there for hours, patiently waiting for the team to arrive. The parade was supposed to begin around 4 p.m. but got under way late because the Colts' plane from Miami was delayed. No matter.

"It might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Robert Smith, of Indianapolis, said while watching a giant-screen replay of the win.

Many of the fans were wearing Colts blue. Many held signs such as "We love our Colts" or just a simple "Thank You."

"You guys are awesome," coach Tony Dungy told the crowd. "For the last 16 or 18 hours, we've been enjoying this championship. We had a team party last night, but we were looking forward to coming home. This is more than we could have ever expected. Thank you for this turnout." *