Random Thoughts on a Denver Bronco-less Championship Sunday
By Craig Hurst
Jan 12 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones (12) catches a pass for a touchdown in front of Denver Broncos free safety Rahim Moore (26) of the AFC divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
As I compose this post, I am sitting in my home Starbucks in Wichita, Kansas. This is not how I had planned spending today, but the events of last Saturday at Mile High caused a 180-degree change in this weekend’s travel plans. So, I sit here pondering what to write about, as well as how to spend my Sunday.
Because I am a pro football fan, a small part of me wants to tune in to today’s conference championships to see who will represent the AFC and NFC in Super Bowl XLVII. Because I am a die-hard Broncos fan, a large part of me still feels like climbing into a hole only to come out in mid-August when it’s time to start the 2013 NFL season.
Moments like this force me to take a step back and remind myself that pro sports are a form of entertainment, and that is all. Unfortunately, and unlike the movies, pro sports aren’t designed to always have a feel good ending; there has to be a winner and a loser.
I’ve been fortunate enough to witness a lot of Broncos games, and not all of those were victories. The season ending losses always sting and times like last weekend make the loss sting even more. Part of the frustration of last week’s loss comes from realizing that the Broncos were very close to having another opportunity at the crown jewel of the NFL – The Vince Lombardi Trophy. Opportunities like that are not easily earned, and there is absolutely no guarantee the opportunity will become available again.
That being said, there is a glimmer of hope in knowing that the Broncos have a lot of good pieces in place. They have a solid foundation in as they start the uphill battle all over again in 2013. As each day passes, and the Baltimore debacle gets farther in the rear view mirror. I will follow Peyton Manning’s advice and reflect on the positive things that happened during the 2012 season. Right now, however, I am not ready to do that, mentally.
S, what do I do today on Championship Sunday? As I mentioned earlier, I will probably watch the conference championships because I am a football fan. Regarding which teams will win today, I think who I want to win and who actually win are different. My gut tells me the New England Patriots will probably win their next two games and hoist another Lombardi Trophy, but I would love to see the Atlanta Falcons win it all. I am pulling for the Falcons because they have never won a Super Bowl, and I have experienced what it is like when your team wins the Super Bowl for the very first time – there is nothing like it.
Like every other football fan and/or analyst, I have absolutely no idea what will transpire later today, but I do know this – at the end of the day, two teams will be moving on and two teams will be done, one game short of their goal. The fans of those losing teams, at least for today, will get little consolation from the fact that they made it to the Conference Championship. The goal in the NFL is to win the Super Bowl; One team will succeed and thirty-one other teams will fail!
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