Broncos Hard Hitting Practices

Before I dive into the Broncos stuff, I want to show you something absolutely ridiculous. If you thought going to a ballgame is too expensive here in Denver, or even at the new Yankee Stadium, then you might fall off your chair when you hear this one. People who occupy a luxury suite at the new Cowboy Stadium will have to pay $90 for a pizza. When I saw the headline, I thought maybe the pizza had some truffle oil and Kobe beef on top, but tdhey’re charging that much for just a plain cheese. I bet it even comes from Pizza Hut since their corporate headquarters are located in Dallas. Yuck! If you wanted multiple pies, it would probably be cheaper to call in an order for delivery, have the delivery guy sneak into the stadium, and then bail the guy out of jail. A 12-pack of domestic beer will set you back $66. If you like to watch the Cowboys, it would be better to leave the car in the garage, and make a nice butt dent in your sofa. I know Dallas has a lot of money floating around, and Jerry Jones has a new stadium to pay off, but jeez, don’t go big if you’re not sure you can cover your ass!

Now, as far as the Broncos go, I’ve told you that practices have been very physical. As a fan, it’s a win-lose situation. You want the team to go hard, but you fear the risk of injury. We had enough injuries last year that I’m sure the training room ran out of tape. Maybe it’s because practice wasn’t as physical as this year, and guys jumped right on the injury bandwagon because their bodies weren’t ready for such severe contact. I’m hoping that’s the case. Even in preseason, starters play the first half of the game and that’s about it. When it’s time to go 60 minutes, it’s a shock to the system. Josh McDaniels has allowed the guys to get some hard hits in, but keeps it under control.

I like his approach because it makes players better, and it gets them ready for contact more quickly. You still can’t help but grimace and grind your teeth when someone takes a hard hit in practice. But knowing that it will only make the team better helps – at least from a fan’s perspective.