About two or three years ago, I read an excellent book: '77 by Terri Frei. It chronicles the season of the 1977 Denver Broncos, who that year became the first team in franchise history to make the Super Bowl. The book discussed the city's reaction to the Broncos and other non-football happenings around Denver at the time. It's a pretty good book if you're into that sort of thing, and made me wonder - what would it have been like to have been around at the time, to feel the buzz and the excitement? I was only two at the time, so yeah - no memories.
I sort of experienced it in the 1980s as the Broncos appeared in three Super Bowls from 1986-1989, although experiencing it in the SLV where most people didn't like the Broncos or were fair-weather fans wasn't quite the same.
When the Broncos won the Super Bowl following the 1997 and 1998 seasons, I lived in Idaho and Utah, respectively.
When I moved back to Colorado five years ago, I was hoping to be able to have some good fan experiences. However, I arrived just as they were running Jake Plummer out of town and just before Darrent Williams was murdered. What I got to experience was the twilight of Mike Shanahan's tenure in Denver, Jay Cutler's pouty face, and Josh McDaniels. So I've been feeling a little cheated that I moved here just in time to experience the dark years of Broncos history.
And then I realized recently - history is happening RIGHT NOW! This string of improbable come-from-behind wins is unprecedented. This is like MY 1977 and it is happening as I type.
Granted, this team probably isn't going to the Super Bowl. But then, I didn't think they were even going to make the playoffs this year. But here we are, with three games to go, sitting in first place in the AFC West. Nothing has been clinched yet, but the ride has definitely been fun.
It remains to be seen how this season winds up, but maybe someday a book will be written about 2011.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Daily Bronco Thought
And so we begin another week of debate about whether or not Tim Tebow should be the Broncos long-term answer at quarterback.
They can easily find a quarterback who is a better passer.
What they won't find is a quarterback who is a better leader.
I think the Broncos should stick with Tebow and work with him and try to develop his passing skills. I think their chances of success are much better going that route than drafting another young quarterback with a great arm and "hoping" he turns out to have the aptitude to lead the team to greatness as well.
Because it sure didn't work out with Jay Cutler, did it?
John Elway had a great arm, for sure. But what we treasure most about his career was his ability to make plays down the stretch. Let's think back to the 1991 AFC Divisional playoff game, when Elway executed "The Drive II". On that drive, he had to convert two 4th-and-10 plays. On the first, he scrambled and ran for the first down. On the second, he basically lobbed the ball to Vance Johnson, who scampered down the sideline for a long gain. Elway didn't need his rocket arm on either occassion.
Tebow has the same quality - the ability to make things happen any way he can. I vote we keep him around as the starting quarterback for 2012.
They can easily find a quarterback who is a better passer.
What they won't find is a quarterback who is a better leader.
I think the Broncos should stick with Tebow and work with him and try to develop his passing skills. I think their chances of success are much better going that route than drafting another young quarterback with a great arm and "hoping" he turns out to have the aptitude to lead the team to greatness as well.
Because it sure didn't work out with Jay Cutler, did it?
John Elway had a great arm, for sure. But what we treasure most about his career was his ability to make plays down the stretch. Let's think back to the 1991 AFC Divisional playoff game, when Elway executed "The Drive II". On that drive, he had to convert two 4th-and-10 plays. On the first, he scrambled and ran for the first down. On the second, he basically lobbed the ball to Vance Johnson, who scampered down the sideline for a long gain. Elway didn't need his rocket arm on either occassion.
Tebow has the same quality - the ability to make things happen any way he can. I vote we keep him around as the starting quarterback for 2012.
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