From Manning's 'RAMBO 25 WEAK MAN' to the Super Bowl: 8 things to see at new Colts exhibit

Peyton Manning's wrist band with plays listed, is seen in the new exhibit, "Indianapolis Colts:  The Exhibit," Thursday, March 8, 2018.  The display opens March 10, 2018 and runs through Jan. 20, 2020 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.  It looks at the history of American football and the Colts, and the way the Hoosier Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium helped redefine Indianapolis as a championship town.

Since the Colts only landed in Indianapolis in the 1980s, you might not realize how much history is already in the books. 

The Indiana Historical Society has worked with the Colts to present "Indianapolis Colts: The Exhibit." Life-sized photos, player interviews, artifacts from the RCA Dome and interactive strength tests are on display to tell the story of the team and its fans.

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Here are eight items you need to see.

1. The first home game ticket from 1984

Look closely at the pictures on this ticket for the first Indianapolis Colts game on Sept. 2, 1984, at Hoosier Dome. Not one of the players is a member of the home team. Instead, they're all New York Jets, with running back Freeman McNeil drawn in the center. 

So why wouldn't the home team celebrate its own players on the ticket?

Likely because the Colts hadn't built an Indianapolis identity yet, said Steve Campbell, vice president of communications for the Colts. So they were selling their established opponents in a city that embraced auto racing and basketball. And at the time, Hoosiers were fans of other teams, including the Packers and Steelers, he said.  

In case you were wondering, the Jets lived up to their ticket image and beat the Colts 23-14 that day.

A ticket to the first Colts game in Indianapolis at the Hoosier Dome, is seen in the new exhibit, "Indianapolis Colts:  The Exhibit," Thursday, March 8, 2018.  The display opens March 10, 2018 and runs through Jan. 20, 2020 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.  It looks at the history of American football and the Colts, and the way the Hoosier Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium helped redefine Indianapolis as a championship town.

2. Peyton Manning's play wristband

"RAMBO 25 WEAK MAN X SPINNAKER." 

"(D) GUN 0 DEUCE."

These cues might not make any sense to you. But the former star quarterback understood them. Dozens of these phrases, typed in tiny capital letters, fit into a color-coded grid that Manning wore on his wrist during games.

Football players are "mastering another language, first of all, and then they're mastering every single individual play on there and what their assignment is, and that's incredibly complex," Campbell said.

3. Super Bowl game ball

Yes, it's one of the footballs that saw playing time in Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, 2007, when the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17.

It was the first time the Colts had won as Indianapolis' team, and this ball helped. Enough said.

Former Colts Coach Tony Dungy's shirt is seen in the new exhibit, "Indianapolis Colts:  The Exhibit," Thursday, March 8, 2018.  The display opens March 10, 2018 and runs through Jan. 20, 2020 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.  It looks at the history of American football and the Colts, and the way the Hoosier Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium helped redefine Indianapolis as a championship town.

4. Tony Dungy's polo

Dungy's initials — "TD" — are written in black marker on the collar of the white polo with blue stripes.

The initials show how the equipment staff members make sure to match the right clothes with the right person before game time.

Near the shirt is video of a post-game locker room talk from Dungy after a win.

"People are going to say a lot of things about you guys," he said. "Well-deserved, just don't believe any of it."

5. Jerseys from Vinatieri, Brackett and Addai

Members of the Colts' equipment team track down jerseys when players take them off after big games. 

Those are the people to thank for the jerseys that are on display now: Adam Vinatieri's from the 2006 AFC Championship, Gary Brackett's from Super Bowl XLI and Joseph Addai's from the same game.

Look close to see the black scuff marks on the back of Brackett's right shoulder and the intricate stitching around each letter and number.

"The jerseys that most fans wear are not like these," Campbell said. "You can see on game-worn and real, official jerseys, almost everything is stitched."

Gary Brackett's Super Bowl XLI jersey is seen in the new exhibit, "Indianapolis Colts:  The Exhibit," Thursday, March 8, 2018.  The display opens March 10, 2018 and runs through Jan. 20, 2020 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.  It looks at the history of American football and the Colts, and the way the Hoosier Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium helped redefine Indianapolis as a championship town.

6. You be the referee

Don't play coy; your game-time tweets already tell the world how you feel about the officials' calls. One interactive at the exhibit lets visitors watch plays and make a decision. 

Was that pass to former Colts tight end Jack Doyle complete? Did wide receiver T.Y. Hilton actually score a touchdown or did he run with an illegal forward pass?

The game lets you know at the end how your calls stacked up against officials'.

7. Rope | Pull 

Are you stronger than a football player? Say hello to the rope pull, which measures your strength against that of former Cowboys guard Larry Allen. He set the NFL record in 2001 when he bench-pressed 700 pounds.

Good luck.

Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders uniforms, like the one including these boots with crystal adornment, from 2000, are seen in the new exhibit, "Indianapolis Colts:  The Exhibit," Thursday, March 8, 2018.  The display opens March 10, 2018 and runs through Jan. 20, 2020 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.  It looks at the history of American football and the Colts, and the way the Hoosier Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium helped redefine Indianapolis as a championship town.

8. Cheerleading uniforms

The Colts cheerleaders' costumes sparkle on the field, but you've likely missed the details. Outfits from 1999 and the early 2000s show the gauzy white horseshoes on the front of the boots and the sequin pattern on the blue ruffly skirts.

The crystals that adorn the costumes are real, too, said Angela Wolfgram, exhibitions researcher for IHS. For the most part, they're attached to velcro strips that tear off easily so the garments can be laundered.

"Indianapolis Colts: The Exhibit" runs through Jan. 20, 2020, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St. Included with admission to the "Indiana Experience." $9 adults, $8 seniors, $5 kids ages 5 to 17. Free for kids under 5 and IHS members.

Call IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339. Follow her on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram.