Published: August 01, 2009 06:48 pm         

Tribune-Star Editorial: Are you ready for some Colts football?

Training camp begins 11th straight year here

TERRE HAUTE — Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley will begin to bleed blue later today as the Indianapolis Colts arrive on the campus of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for preseason training camp.

It promises to be another grand and colorful three weeks as the Colts prepare for the 2009 season. The presence of the popular NFL franchise in our community for the 11th straight year has brought Terre Haute positive exposure and given it a chance to introduce visitors to many of the area’s wonderful assets.

This summer’s camp should be especially rewarding for the community. Rumors of the camp moving to Anderson created prolonged uncertainty during the spring, but in the end, the Colts opted to remain at Rose-Hulman for at least one more year. That decision serves as a tribute to the excellent facilities and treatment the team receives while here.

Colts and Rose-Hulman officials are looking for another strong year for attendance by fans at public camp events. Last year’s camp brought out more than 22,000 fans, with a large percentage of those coming in from outside the immediate area.

If you don’t think that’s a big deal, we direct you to comments made in today’s front page feature about Colts camp by David Patterson, executive director of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“A daily visitor to Terre Haute means about $60 per person to the economy and $100 per person if they stay overnight here,” Patterson said.

And of course, there’s more benefit from the Colts’ presence here than money. “Beyond the financial impact, the Colts have given visibility to the Rose-Hulman campus as well as our community,” Patterson said. “It is a professional organization that shows itself well in a highly visible field.”

The people of Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley have reason to be proud of the training camp’s presence. No one should be shy about spreading the word. If you’ve got friends, family or work acquaintances around the state who’ve never been to Colts camp, invite them to visit one of the practices today through Aug. 19. Give them some hints about places to eat, shop and stay overnight.

Actual practices start Monday at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Colts City, which includes interactive inflatables, a Colts in Motion traveling museum and a rock climbing wall, is open 8-11:30 a.m. and 3-5:30 p.m. Colts City will be open five times during the training camp.

The training camp is free, but parking is $10 per car per day. That fee goes to the Rose-Hulman athletics department.

We join the community in welcoming the Colts back to Terre Haute for training camp and wish the team a pleasant and productive stay. We also extend a warm welcome to all the visitors and Colts fans who will be passing through in coming weeks. It’s a great time of year in west-central Indiana.