Colts finally arrive for Super Bowl

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) _ Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts are in Florida to win a Super Bowl. The partying can begin next week. <br/><br/>The Colts arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, a day

Tuesday, January 30th 2007, 7:09 am

By: News On 6

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) _ Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts are in Florida to win a Super Bowl. The partying can begin next week.

The Colts arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, a day later than the Chicago Bears and most other recent Super Bowl teams, because they wanted to make this a business as usual week amid the torrent of the usual circus-like environment.

Now it's time to get to work.

``Our bye came fairly early in the season, so our guys have gone a long time without a weekend off,'' Dungy said. ``I wanted them all to spend some time with their families and have a chance to relax before getting down here.''

Good luck with that from now on.

The craziness began Monday night as the Colts made Dungy and six players available an hour after landing in South Florida. On Tuesday, more players, including two-time MVP Peyton Manning and quiet receiver Marvin Harrison, will address questions from podiums on media day, an often chaotic session.

Indy is also scheduled to practice for the first time in Florida on Wednesday.

The Colts kept Manning off the speaking schedule Monday night even though the last week has been filled with questions about his injured right thumb. Dungy said it wouldn't be a problem for Sunday's game.

Manning hurt his throwing hand when it hit the helmet of left tackle Tarik Glenn late in the AFC championship game. The Super Bowl would be Manning's 157th consecutive start, including the postseason, second all-time among quarterbacks behind only Brett Favre _ a three-time MVP with Green Bay and winner of the 1997 Super Bowl.

Instead, the biggest injury question concerns starting cornerback Nick Harper, who sprained his left ankle last week. He got off the bus with his foot in a walking boot.

``Everybody practiced today, except Nick,'' Dungy said. ``He's the only one who is questionable. He feels like he'll make it; we'll see on Wednesday.''

Before departing, the Colts held their final practice of the season at their indoor facility, again closing it to reporters. Dungy has generally held open practices, but closed all except the stretching portion to the media during the playoffs.

Dungy said last week he would not impose a team curfew until Tuesday night.

Still, these Colts came to Florida determined to fulfill their mission _ bringing back the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy _ and couldn't wait to get out of the single-digit temperatures back in Indiana for the more temperate climate of South Florida.

``I'm excited, I'm excited we're here,'' safety Bob Sanders said, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses despite no sunlight. ``It's awesome, I just love it. It's a feeling you can't explain.''

Some players reflected on how their unexpected route to the Super Bowl began, and how so many outsiders wrote off the Colts' chances primarily because they were the only team in the league to allow 100-yard rushers all 16 weeks of the regular season.

But with a chance to redeem themselves after last season's blown opportunity in the divisional round, the Colts intend to stay focused rather than spending time participating in late-night activities at their beachfront hotel property.

``We didn't talk a whole lot about that (distractions),'' Dungy said. ``We talked about what we want to accomplish, our job and preparing for the game. I don't think we'll deal with a lot of those temptations.''

For the Colts, the long-awaited trip has come after a 36-year absence from the NFL's biggest game. They had been to the playoffs seven times in eight years and reached the AFC championship three years ago without making it to the Super Bowl.

It's the third time in franchise history the Colts have tried to win a title in Miami. They lost to the New York Jets in 1969 and beat the Dallas Cowboys two years later, but it's the first time Dungy, Manning and Harrison have made it.

And they have no intention of getting caught in the sideshows.

``Last year, it was such a perfect set up for us, and it didn't happen,'' Sanders said. ``So we said if we ever get in that situation again, we'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.''