Denver Broncos Orange and Blue Saturation!
By Craig Hurst
Four days removed from the Broncos spectacular win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, I am still excited the Broncos won and in total awe of the way the game ended. A small part of me hasn’t come to the realization that Denver, not Pittsburgh, is making the trip to Foxborough to face the mighty Patriots in the AFC divisional playoff round.
Rather than attempt to get my emotions in check, I am going to enjoy the season, no matter how long it goes, and deal with my emotions in the offseason! I am going to soak in and appreciate all this positive publicity the Broncos are receiving. The last time the Broncos were in the spotlight this much for their play on the field was when current VP of Football Operations, John Elway, was actually listed on the depth chart as QB1. I am sure die-hard fans in Bronco Nation can remember those days. Isn’t it great to be at that spot again?
A typical NFL season is a journey with a Lombardi trophy sitting at the end of that road for only one team. No one knows how far this Denver Bronco journey will go, but I do know that so far it has been an amazing ride filled with many games and situations that could definitely rival the world’s highest and fastest roller coaster. Whatever happens Saturday evening, it is safe to say that for now, our ship has been turned and is heading the right direction.
Below are just a few items/notes of the things I’ve seen or read that give a very brief glimpse of how the Broncos are taking not only the NFL by storm, but the entire country. Bronco fans in or around Denver, Colorado are always saturated, but for us orange-and-blue fanatics outside the Rocky Mountain region, it is refreshing to see something about the Broncos and their players whenever you turn on the TV, get on the internet, or open a newspaper.
- Sunday’s wild card game between Denver and Pittsburgh attracted 42.4 million viewers and was the most watched program since last year’s Super Bowl. Kudos to the Steeler fans for this achievement also. Having been through difficult losses before, Bronco fans know what Steeler fans are going through this week. Credit to Pittsburgh’s fan base for showing up in Denver. That being said, I am glad their season ended and ours continues.
- No doubt that last Sunday’s playoff game between Denver and Pittsburgh will automatically be stored in NFL archives as an instant classic. For us Bronco fans, the game, specifically “The Play”, ranks up there with The Drive, The Fumble, The Drive II, Elway’s Helicopter Run, and John Mobley knocking down Brett Favre’s pass on fourth down. From this point on, The Play will be engrained in our memory forever.
- Flipping through the channels Tuesday night around 11 pm and guess who was the focus of Dave Letterman’s Top Ten List? You guessed it – Tim Tebow. Click here for link to see Dave read the list.
- Monday evening did anyone see The Denver Nugget’s mascot, Rocky, sink the half court, backward shot? Of course, after multiple misses, Rocky took off his jacket and showed the crowd his blue Tebow jersey. After Tebowing, Rocky sunk the shot which sent the crowd crazy! See YouTube video here.
- For those fans who had to see Sunday’s dramatic win one more time, the NFL Network aired the 90 minute version of the game Wednesday evening on NFL Replay. If you missed it, I am sure it will be aired again before the Broncos take the field against the Patriots. NFL Network is also airing “Tebow Time 2011” this Friday at 6pm MST which is a detailed look at the ups and downs of this year’s magical season.
That is just a sample obviously of the things I have seen the last few days. There is no need to try and explain how the Broncos and their recent success, or lack of it the last three weeks of the season, is spreading like wild fire. I am going to sit back and totally bask in the orange and blue publicity, hoping that the Broncos can find a way to make it continue.
Enjoy the ride with me Bronco Nation!
Go Broncos – good luck this weekend and beat New England!
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