[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 7, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1293-H1297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS FOR WINNING SUPER BOWL XLI

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 130) congratulating the National 
Football League champion Indianapolis Colts for winning Super Bowl XLI 
and for bringing the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana 
their first Lombardi Trophy.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 130

       Whereas on February 4, 2007, in Miami, Florida, the 
     Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 
     29 to 17 in Super Bowl XLI to win the National Football 
     League (NFL) Championship;
       Whereas this is the first Super Bowl win for the 
     Indianapolis Colts following an overall season record of 16-4 
     and a regular season record of 12-4;
       Whereas the Colts won their fourth American Football 
     Conference (AFC) South Title this year and the AFC 
     championship title with a stunning come-from-behind 38-34 
     victory over the New England Patriots on January 21, 2007;
       Whereas Tony Dungy, in his fifth season with the Colts, is 
     the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl 
     and is one of the most respected coaches in the league, 
     cultivating Championship success for the team and boasting 
     10-plus victories and playoff appearances in his first four 
     seasons with the Colts;
       Whereas Colts Owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay, 
     who assumed ownership of the Colts in 1997, has helped 
     revitalize the Colts franchise along with Colts President 
     Bill Polian whose name is synonymous with pro football 
     success;
       Whereas quarterback Peyton Manning, who had 25 completions 
     for 247 yards, was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) 
     of Super Bowl XLI; and
       Whereas the entire Colts franchise has become a model of 
     professionalism, goodwill, and community service in 
     representing the City of Indianapolis and the State of 
     Indiana and brings pride to Hoosiers and Colts fans 
     everywhere: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives congratulates 
     the National Football League champion Indianapolis Colts for 
     winning Super Bowl XLI and for bringing the City of 
     Indianapolis and the State of Indiana their first Lombardi 
     Trophy.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I will defer my opening remarks, 
and first shall be first. And I am going to yield such time as she 
might consume to the first lady of Indiana, Representative Julia 
Carson, who is the sponsor of this resolution.

[[Page H1294]]

  Ms. CARSON. I do thank you very much, Representative Davis, for your 
courtesy and your indulgence, especially being from Illinois, the 
Chicago Bears. And the Bears have been overcome by the Colts. If you 
watch the Animal Planet channel, you can see that the Colts are not to 
be pushed around. So I want to thank you very much for your courtesy.
  I come to the floor today to join my colleague, Danny Burton. We have 
contiguous districts. I am fighting over mine because the Colts' 
headquarters and the team is in my district, but I am sure he doesn't 
mind that at all. I heard the wonderful remarks that he made yesterday 
about the Colts, about Tony Dungy and Bill Polian and Jim Irsay. I want 
to thank him for it.
  I come today to congratulate the Indianapolis Colts, who are in my 
district. See, we have good things in my district. They are not all 
drive-by shootings. The Indianapolis Colts have made us extremely 
proud. Here is a man, Tony Dungy, who incurred major tragedy, who hung 
out about a week or two, and then he came back and got back on the 
plate. I admired him for that. He sets an example for a lot of our 
young kids to follow that your setbacks can be your setups and your 
stumbling blocks can be your stepping stones.
  Tony Dungy was determined to lead. He lead in a very positive way. He 
could have stayed out, moaned and groaned about what had happened, but 
he didn't do that. He incurred his spirituality and kept on moving.
  I heard somebody mention the NASCAR a few minutes ago. We lost Paul 
Dana in NASCAR out in Indianapolis, and he fought successfully to get 
race cars to use ethanol. In 2008, all the race cars of NASCAR will be 
fired up and fueled up by ethanol. I want to be sure and mention that.
  I rise today to recognize the Indianapolis Colts, the Super Bowl 
champions. The path they took was not easy, but they made it look easy 
because they operated as a team. I think that is an illustration of 
what we can become if we operate in unison as a team. When one member 
faltered, two others would be there to fill the gap. And after a long 
season, they filled the gap on a rain-soaked field in Miami to claim 
the title of world champions. Tony Dungy, game MVP Peyton Manning and 
Robert Sanders have all earned the title of champions.
  I am proud that Indianapolis was represented by a very classy team 
with character. In a day when so many athletes are questionable 
examples, this team shows that you can be an active citizen and a 
winner at the same time.
  This is a championship of firsts. This is the first Super Bowl win 
for the Indianapolis Colts, and the first time an African American head 
coach led the team to an NFL title.
  Congratulations, Indianapolis Colts, and team owner Jim Irsay and 
President Bill Polian and all those who have supported this team 
through the years. I want to thank Lovie Smith, class act; Chicago 
Bears; and all my friends in Chicago for a wonderful Super Bowl.
  You go, Colts.
  I yield back to Danny, and I won't take my district away from him 
right now.
  Thank you, Mr. Burton.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  You know, there are a lot of reasons to thank Tony Dungy and Peyton 
Manning and the whole team for the great victory they had last Sunday. 
I sat in the rain for about 5 hours and watched them, and I didn't feel 
a drop of rain because they did such a great job.
  I might have felt a drop of rain in the first part when Devin Hester 
ran 92 yards for the opening kickoff touchdown. It kind of scared 
everybody to death who were Colts fans, but we all had faith in Peyton 
Manning and the Colts, and we knew that they wouldn't give up, 
especially after watching them coming back from the biggest deficit in 
championship history to defeat New England 2 weeks before.
  But the reason I want to thank them today is for my Illinois 
colleagues. I want Coach Dungy and Peyton Manning and the whole team to 
know, from my colleagues in Illinois, I want a deep-dish pizza, a pound 
of cheese cake and a bunch of DVDs for our troops over in Iraq. So I 
want to thank them very much for making sure I didn't have to pay for 
all that other stuff, but my colleague on the other side of the aisle 
does.
  Let me be serious for just a moment. We are very, very thrilled to 
have a Super Bowl champion in Indianapolis, we waited for a long, long 
time. And it came at a time when we had some of the finest people that 
have ever been on a football team playing in Indianapolis. It came at a 
time when we had one of the finest coaches who ever coached football in 
Indianapolis. And not only is Tony Dungy a great coach, but he is a 
great American and a very patriotic man and a good Christian fellow. 
And everybody in Indianapolis really respects him.
  Peyton Manning has been a gentleman on and off the field. The whole 
team has. I can name everybody on the team. And I just want to say, on 
behalf of the Congress, me and Julia Carson, my colleague who 
represents Indianapolis, and Steve Buyer and others, that we are very, 
very proud of the Colts. We hope they bring us another Super Bowl next 
year, but even if they don't, we are very, very thrilled. They have 
done Indianapolis proud, and we are very proud to talk about them here 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1215

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this is obviously a bitter pill to swallow, especially 
given the fact that I represent the Chicago Bears, who happen to be in 
my district, the stadium that they use. We were anticipating great 
thrills and great delights, and for a brief moment we did, in fact, 
have that. But then someone said to me that we came in like lions and 
went out like lambs.
  I guess that is exactly what happened. This past Sunday, Tony Dungy 
and the Indianapolis Colts beat Lovie Smith and his Chicago Bears 29-17 
in a wet Super Bowl XLI.
  The slippery conditions made for several muffs and miscues throughout 
the game, including a Romo-like botched hold during the extra point 
after the Colts' first touchdown.
  The Bears got off to a quick start with Devin Hester returning the 
opening kickoff for a TD, and Rex Grossman hitting Muhsin Muhammad with 
a 4-yard pass in the first quarter for another seven points.
  After this the Bears' offense sort of fizzled, and the Colts took 
advantage with Peyton Manning leading several drives that ended in Adam 
Vinatieri's field goals and a TD pass to Reggie Wayne. Joseph Addai and 
Dominic Rhodes also both contributed some hard runs with a combined 
rushing total of 190 yards and a touchdown. On the other side of the 
ball, the Colts were the better defense, causing five turnovers.
  As noted last week, this game made history with two African American 
coaches facing each other for the title, and Tony Dungy being the first 
black coach to win a Super Bowl.
  Of course, I want to congratulate Coach Dungy on a job well done, and 
adding to the celebration of Black History Month. I also want to 
commend Peyton Manning for his leadership of the team. I want to thank 
Representative Carson's staff for their hard work, especially Kathleen 
Taylor, who did such a quick job of putting all of this together so 
that we did not have to delay.
  And so with serious regret on the part of the Chicago Bears, I 
commend and congratulate the Indianapolis Colts and urge support for 
this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, it sure is nice to hear the 
gentleman from Illinois extol the virtues of the Indianapolis Colts. I 
really appreciate that, Danny.
  I am very happy to yield to my colleague from Indiana, another great 
Colts fan, Congressman Steve Buyer, 2 minutes.
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand here to honor the 
Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl champions. The Colts are a team that 
I believe represent the best of professionalism and goodwill.
  My congratulations to Tony Dungy for his accomplishments in leading 
the

[[Page H1295]]

Colts to an overall season record of 16-4 and for becoming the first 
African American head coach to win a Super Bowl. I am most hopeful that 
such reference does not have to be made in the future. That is the 
goodness of America. Coach, you have also demonstrated that nice guys 
can win.
  I also commend the passionate Indianapolis Colts who braved single-
digit temperatures to welcome back home for the first time to the city 
of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
  Mr. Speaker, I also learned something, though, that I think America 
should know about the Super Bowl. You see, the teams that actually play 
the Super Bowl actually get 17 percent of the tickets. Those tickets go 
to those fans of the two teams, and they are upper deck, end zone 
seats, which means that all of the prime seats of the Super Bowl go to 
all of the other owners. So what I am most hopeful is that America 
takes note here that actually the fans of the teams that get to play 
the Super Bowl really do not get to see much of their team in a Super 
Bowl. And so what happens here is the city who wants a Super Bowl in 
their city, they trade seats for votes. And so it is like, hey, if I 
want the Super Bowl in Detroit, and you are the team owner in Detroit, 
I will give you 1,500 seats at the 35-yard line.
  By the end of the first quarter with all of the rain, you had over 
10,000 empty seats. You say, what happened to the fans? Well, those are 
people there who wanted to see a football game, but do not necessarily 
like to sit in the rain because they didn't like either team.
  So we need to redo how they do the Super Bowl and actually sit the 
fans where they can enjoy the game. So hopefully that is taken into 
account.
  To Coach Dungy, the entire team, the owner Jim Irsay, the dedicated 
staff of the Colts organization and thousands of Colts fans, I offer my 
congratulations to the Colts for the Super Bowl victory over my 
father's beloved Chicago Bears. Go Colts.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, of course maybe the NFL could 
learn from the House and realize that there should be no trading of 
seats for votes, and that would make the disposition a bit different.
  I yield 3 minutes to Representative Brad Ellsworth from Indiana.
  Mr. ELLSWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations 
to the Super Bowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts. The NFL season 
came to a triumphant close Sunday night in Miami. But I am most proud 
that the Colts began their history run to this Super Bowl in Indiana's 
Eighth District last August on the training fields of Rose-Hulman 
Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana.
  On Sunday, Coach Dungy, along with Lovie Smith of the Bears, became 
the first African American head coaches to walk the sidelines on the 
Super Bowl. As the clock expired and the scoreboard read 29 for the 
Colts and 17 for the Bears, a rain- and Gatorade-soaked Dungy made NFL 
history again by becoming the first African American to win the 
Lombardi Trophy.
  After a sloppy start in a rainy Miami that included a kickoff 
returned for a touchdown and an interception by the Bears, the Colts 
found themselves in an early hole. But the Dungy-led team refused to 
give up and charged back to take a 16-14 halftime lead, with Reggie 
Wayne and Dominic Rhodes providing touchdowns.
  The Colts dominated the second half of the game on both sides of the 
ball, surrendering only three points while bolstering their lead. 
Cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who was playing in place of injured starter 
Nick Harper, put the game nearly out of reach in the fourth quarter 
when he intercepted Rex Grossman's pass and returned it for 56 yards 
for a touchdown.
  Safety Bob Sanders, who forced a fumble earlier in the game, clinched 
it on the ensuing drive with an interception of his own, and Colts 
kicker Adam Vinatieri, the NFL's all-time leader in career Super Bowl 
field goals, contributed the remainder of the team's scoring.
  I am proud to congratulate the Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning. With 
his performance, Manning silenced all of the critics who throughout his 
career claimed that he could not win the big game. They do not get any 
bigger than this.
  Manning threw for 247 yards and a touchdown, while leading his team 
to victory. Manning was aided in the backfield by the two-pronged 
running attack of Rhodes and rookie Joe Addai, who combined to rush for 
190 yards.
  The Colts excelled on the field at the Super Bowl, but what makes it 
truly a pleasure to cheer for is the dignity and class the team 
displayed throughout the season. I believe that this starts at the top 
with Coach Dungy. Karen Crouse of the New York Times summed up the 
Colts' coach best when she wrote, and I quote, ``Dungy has the most 
victories of any NFL coach since 1999 with a record of 90-38. But the 
bottom line is not what defines him. His life has been about opening 
people's eyes so they may see talent and not skin color; spirituality 
and not celebrity; integrity and not self-interest. He has helped a lot 
of people see more clearly,'' and I could not agree more. Go Colts.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to another 
great Colts fan, Congressman Mike Pence.
  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in this bipartisan gathering 
with thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Julia Carson to 
congratulate the world champion Indianapolis Colts. I congratulate the 
gentlewoman from Indianapolis for her leadership on this resolution and 
its eloquent drafting.
  As others of my colleagues have suggested, the Colts' victory was not 
just a demonstration of athletic prowess, but it was a moment where I 
think the world got to see a little bit of Indiana on the world stage. 
They got to see the kind of serious work ethic, humility, commitment to 
getting the job done without a lot of flash and a lot of fanfare that 
really characterizes the people of Indiana.
  As Congressman Burton said, I also had the privilege, along with my 
wife Karen, of witnessing some history, not only the first world 
championship to come to Indianapolis, but also I saw the first African 
American coach lead a team to the Super Bowl, and to see two great 
teams led by two African American coaches shatter that glass ceiling, 
that for reasons of culture and habit had somehow been long 
established, in that stadium for that great championship game.
  You know, Mr. Speaker, it is said that attitude reflects leadership, 
and I believe that Coach Tony Dungy really personifies just the type of 
leadership that deserves rewarding in the NFL and is heralded in the 
State of Indiana.
  Let me say that Coach Dungy should be admired not only for that calm, 
steady leadership on the sidelines, but also his career off the field 
is equally impressive. Since his time in Tampa Bay, he brought his 
commitment to Christian values to young people through the Fellowship 
of Christian Athletes. He launched Mentors for Life, a program that 
provided tickets to young people for home games and their mentors. And 
I was there about a year ago when Coach Dungy, one of many such 
occasions around the country, spoke in Anderson, Indiana, to a stadium 
full of young people about his profound faith in Christ and about his 
belief in the relationship of character to success.
  But we also celebrate Peyton Manning, the man awarded with Most 
Valuable Player in the Super Bowl, and of course now a man who others 
have said has minted his reputation as one of the greatest quarterbacks 
of all time. He personifies a humility and a work ethic that I believe 
are rightly celebrated.
  Let me close by saying, as Peyton Manning remarked on being selected 
MVP, he said, ``I am excited, but I am proud to be on this team.''
  I would like to close my remarks today by asking unanimous consent to 
add to the Congressional Record the names of all of the members of the 
Colts' offense, defense, substitutions and the coaching staff, because 
this truly was a team effort. It was men and women in the head offices, 
and on the fields, on the training staff, and the catching staff that 
brought this world championship home to our capital city.
  They have our praise, our congratulations.

       Offense: Reggie Wayne--Wide Receiver, Tarik Glenn--
     Offensive Tackle, Ryan Lilja--Offensive Guard, Jeff 
     Saturday--Center, Jake Scott--Offensive Guard, Ryan Diem--

[[Page H1296]]

     Offensive Tackle, Dallas Clark--Tight End, Marvin Harrison--
     Wide Receiver, Peyton Manning--Quarterback, Joseph Addai--
     Running Back, and Ben Utecht--Tight End.
       Defense: Robert Mathis--Defensive End, Anthony McFarland--
     Defensive Tackle, Raheem Brock--Defensive Tackle, Dwight 
     Freeney--Defensive End, Cato June--Linebacker, Gary 
     Brackett--Linebacker, Rob Morris--Linebacker, Nick Harper--
     Defensive Back, Jason David--Defensive Back, Antoine Bethea--
     Defensive Back, and Bob Sanders--Defensive Back.
       Substitutions: Adam Vinatieri--Kicker, Terrance Wilkins--
     Wide Receiver, Hunter Smith--Punter, Kelvin Hayden--Defensive 
     Back, Marlin Jackson--Defensive Back, DeDe Dorsey--Running 
     Back, Dominic Rhodes--Running Back, Dexter Reid--Defensive 
     Back, Matt Giordano--Defensive Back, Justin Snow--Tight End, 
     Rocky Boiman--Linebacker, Keith O'Neil--Linebacker, Freddy 
     Keiaho--Linebacker, Tyjuan Hagler--Linebacker, Dylan Gandy--
     Offensive Guard, Dan Klecko--Defensive Tackle, Bo Schobel--
     Defensive End, Charlie Johnson--Offensive Tackle, Bryan 
     Fletcher--Tight End, Aaron Moorehead--Wide Receiver, Josh 
     Thomas--Defensive End, and Darrell Reid--Defensive Tackle.
       Coaching Staff: Tony Dungy--Head Coach, Jim Caldwell--
     Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks, Clyde Christensen--
     Receivers Coach, Leslie Frazier--Special Assistant to Head 
     Coach/Defensive Backs, Richard Howell--Assistant Strength 
     Coach, Gene Huey--Running Backs Coach, Ron Meeks--Defensive 
     Coordinator, Pete Metzelaars--Offensive Quality Control, Tom 
     Moore--Offensive Coordinator, Howard Mudd--Offensive Line 
     Coach, Mike Murphy--Linebacker Coach, Russ Purnell--Special 
     Teams Coach, Diron Reynolds--Defensive Quality Coach, John 
     Teerlinck--Defensive Line Coach, Ricky Thomas--Tight End 
     Coach, Jon Torine-- Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Alan 
     Williams--Defensive Backs Coach.

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Donnelly).
  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Congresswoman 
Carson on her resolution, to add my name to it, and to also say I come 
from a unique place, and that my district is not far from Chicago. Our 
beautiful district has numbers of Bears fans in it as well as Colts 
fans. And so to the Bears fans from Michigan City, Laporte, and South 
Bend, I say a season well done; one step short is still a heck of a 
year. We are incredibly proud of the Bears, but we are also beaming 
about our world champion Indianapolis Colts who did it in a way to 
reflect what our State's values are: dignity, hard work, class, and a 
never-give-up attitude.
  To Peyton Manning, to Joseph Addai, to all of the outstanding 
players, and especially to Coach Tony Dungy, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith 
come from a long tradition of fine men like Sherm Lewis, men like Eddie 
Robinson, and to see Tony Dungy as the first African American coach to 
win the Super Bowl was a tremendous moment. But he will not be the 
last. There will be many, many more. But his name will be etched in 
history forever. And as a man, we can only look at Tony and hope that 
we can be as fine in image and in value to our sons and daughters as he 
has been to all of us.
  Hard work, nonstop class, I am proud to be from our beloved State and 
proud of our world championship Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts.

                              {time}  1230

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to yield 3 
minutes to another Colts fan who is a friend of Peyton Manning from 
Tennessee, the great Congressman from that State (Zach Wamp).
  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and 
everyone from Illinois and Indiana for bringing us to this moment.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to represent the State of Tennessee in 
coming to congratulate the Indianapolis Colts. Few people would know 
this, but last Thursday here in Washington was our annual prayer 
breakfast, where we bring people from all around the world for our 
prayer breakfast. And Dr. Francis Collins of the Human Genome Project 
was the speaker, and he just did an extraordinary job.
  But what people wouldn't know was that before we invited Dr. Francis 
Collins, we actually extended an invitation to Tony Dungy. But Tony 
Dungy knew when we extended that invitation where he was going to be 
the following Sunday, and he told us. Sorry, I can't come speak at the 
National Prayer Breakfast because I will be preparing to play in the 
Super Bowl. And boy, was he preparing.
  Many people know the connections to Tennessee here with this Super 
Bowl because of Peyton Manning, because he played his college football 
at the University of Tennessee. And I dare say, other than the State of 
Indiana, and maybe Mississippi, the State of Tennessee was cheering for 
the Indianapolis Colts in greater numbers than any State in the Union 
because of Peyton Manning, because he is our favorite son because of 
where he played his college football.
  To this very day, he owns real estate in Chattanooga. He plays his 
golf in Chattanooga. We see him a lot. He is married to a Chattanooga 
girl. We are very proud of that.
  You wouldn't know also that R.V. Brown, who was the chaplain for the 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is one of Coach Dungy's closest friends and the 
person to whom we extended the invitation. We are so very proud of 
these relationships.
  What about Lovie Smith? He coached at the University of Tennessee as 
well. So all of these great players and coaches that really represented 
the goodness of America on Sunday and in the days leading into Sunday 
have some kind of Tennessee connections.
  But I just want to close with this thought. Proverbs 16:15 says this: 
Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives. They are like spring rain and 
sunshine.
  And I have got to tell you that Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are good-
tempered leaders straight from that scripture. They have invigorated 
lives, and they refresh and give life to this great Nation. We honor 
them today because of their leadership. We honor this team because of 
what they stood for. And we are grateful, frankly, that this brings the 
country together and lifts us to a new level.
  Congratulations, Indianapolis Colts.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, now it is my pleasure to yield 3 
minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana ( Mr. Hill).
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I was in my office just a few minutes ago 
watching, doing my work in my office, but I caught my colleagues 
talking about the victorious Indianapolis Colts, and I couldn't resist 
coming down here. I don't have any prepared remarks, but I want to come 
to the floor today to also extend my congratulations to the 
Indianapolis Colts.
  My wife and my three daughters had the opportunity to see the Colts 
win the AFC championship at Indianapolis. And at the time, I thought it 
was good enough that we just made it to the Super Bowl. But that wasn't 
good enough for Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison and the rest of the 
Colts and Tony Dungy. They wanted the ring. And they stepped up to the 
plate and took it to another level. And I watched in amazement how they 
held steady when the chips were down, especially when they were playing 
against the Patriots, and how they held steady when the Chicago Bears 
scored that touchdown right off the bat. They didn't panic. They showed 
true leadership, and I am so proud of the Colts, and I am proud of the 
fact that I had the opportunity to extend congratulations to them.
  I think Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning are the best one-two punch 
in the history of the NFL. These two players are magnificent athletes, 
but they are also magnificent human beings in who they are and how they 
lead. And I couldn't be more happy.
  I also have to say something about the Chicago Bears. They are a 
great football team. We beat a great football team. And Rex Grossman, 
who is the quarterback of that team, has caught a lot of heat recently 
for what he did. But he took the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl, and 
that is a feat in itself.
  And I single him out because I believe it was his dad or his uncle 
that I actually played football against in Bloomington, Indiana, where 
Rex Grossman actually is. So I consider him a constituent. Bloomington 
is in my district. It is great to applaud him for his accomplishments. 
I applaud the Chicago Bears, and I applaud the Indianapolis Colts for 
all the good things that they have done for the State of Indiana.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire of my colleague, 
do you have any more speakers?
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. No, I don't believe we do.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Well, if he has no more speakers, I am 
prepared to

[[Page H1297]]

yield back the balance of my time. But I just want to say to my 
colleagues from Illinois, and I say this in a good-natured way, if you 
need a Colts hat, I just happen to have a few in my office. I will be 
very happy to buy you one.
  But I still want my deep-dish pizza, my cheesecake, and I want to 
make sure those DVDs get to the troops in Iraq.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, to close, I will just simply say 
that, of course, Eli's has the best cheesecake in the world, and 
Representative Burton, you shall be able to partake of that.
  But also, let me say that we will congratulate all of the players, 
all of the owners, all of those who made these two great teams. I have 
never seen two men who have given more to a sport than Tony Dungy and 
Lovie Smith. Not only are they masters of the game, not only are they 
great coaches and leaders, but they exemplify the best of human beings, 
the best that you could possibly be, and that is what they have done 
for the game of football. That is what they have done for America. And 
I am sure that Americans all over the Nation will be cheering them on 
for years and years to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to Representative Julia Carson for the last 
word.
  Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that all of the delegation of 
Indiana has come to the floor to speak on behalf of this worthy 
resolution.
  Tony Dungy, if you don't mind, I will single him out, exhibits the 
kind of character that we would all like our men to exhibit. Young men, 
who were jumping up and down at the Colts Super Bowl, can learn so much 
about how far you get in this world by displaying strength, by 
displaying honesty and integrity and loving the Lord. That is what Tony 
Dungy does.
  He belongs to Northside New Era Church in Indianapolis, which is a 
little church on a hill. It is not a big, palatial church that swings 
around city blocks; just a little church on a hill. And the members 
there love him.
  And I notice that he took many of the young people from Northside New 
Era to Miami, which was an experience that they will never replicate.
  So I want to thank the Dungy family. His wife, when the church has an 
event, she is right there with her little apron on cooking, too.
  So it shows you that you can't think too highly of yourself. And Tony 
Dungy certainly doesn't do that. He thinks highly of the Lord and of 
all the people that he serves. And I am just happy that I lived long 
enough to see this major event happen on behalf of the district that I 
represent.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 130.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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