Vinatieri praises Pats fans, says joining Colts was "easy"
1:03 PM Thu, Mar 23, 2006 | Permalink
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Adam Vinatieri heaped praise on the New England Patriots and their fans at a press conference this afternoon, but he said it was still an easy decision to leave for the climate-controlled football environs of Indianapolis. Vinatieri was formally introduced today; he was joined by Colts head coach Tony Dungy and team president Bill Polian, who said he hoped Vinatieri had "10 great years" left in Indianapolis. Asked about perceptions that he was unhappy about the Patriots’ handling of his contract situation, Vinatieri said he had “no animosity at all toward that organization.” He made a point of thanking the Patriot fans for supporting him throughout his 10-year career. Curiously, Vinatieri downplayed the role of the money that the Colts offered him – reportedly $10 million over five years with a $3.5-million signing bonus – and suggested that his decision to leave the three-time Super Bowl champs was about wins and losses. “Leaving New England was tough in the sense that I have many, many great memories there,” Vinatieri said. “The Indianapolis Colts organization is a great organization, a winning organization, everything about them is fantastic, and so it made a lot of sense to me and was an easy decision at this point to jump on board.” Vinatieri did say that he was happy to have the security of a multiyear contract, and that he was enthusiastic about the prospect of kicking indoors at the RCA Dome. Asked about replacing Mike Vanderjagt, the former Colts kicker who is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, Vinatieri agreed that he had a tough act to follow. The Web site colts.com is currently featuring an interview with Vinatieri in which he continues to express his admiration for his new employer. 
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