My buddy Craig

This is my buddy Craig Helfrich. He is a HUGE New England Patriots fan. He thinks Tom Brady is neat. Most of all, he really respects Bill Belichick!

Ok, none of what I just wrote is true, except the part about this being my buddy Craig Helfrich.

I met Craig this past summer when we played softball on the same team. Thanks to his outgoing nature, we pretty quickly became friends. This fall, he invited me over to his place to watch the first NFL game of the year between the Colts and Saints. I quickly learned of his passion for the Indianapolis Colts.

Craig is a great friend. He's almost always available and up for doing something. He's encouraging and lots of fun to joke around with. My family and I really appreciate him and are very thankful for his friendship.

As I said, I quickly learned of Craig's passion for the Colts. He's also passionate about Notre Dame football (although I don't think you'll get him to admit that right now), the Indiana Pacers and IU Hoosiers basketball. Did I miss any?

He's so passionate, in fact, that it drives him crazy that I don't have any particular team I choose to root for on a consistent basis. I usually just enjoy watching sports for the entertainment value, not because I have any vested interest in any of the teams playing.

Well, this non-commitment of mine allows me to sort of claim just about any team as "mine" at any given time. I've been doing this a lot lately as I've gone over to Craig's house for Monday Night Football quite often.

A few weeks ago when the Colts and Patriots played their big game - both were undefeated going into the game - I decided it was a good time to become a Patriots fan. This did not sit well with Craig, so we talked trash back and forth and finally made a little bet.

If the Colts won, I would have to wear a Colts hat to church Wednesday night (which really would not have bothered me much, except for people mistaking me for a horse lover). If the Patriots won, Craig would have to wear a Patriots hat. Obviously, you know the rest of the story from the picture above.

This is just one example of why I enjoy having Craig as a friend so much. He's easy to get riled up, but hard to offend. He's been a blessing to me and I just wanted to let you all know.