The Stuff of Legends

I already posted these idea in another thread, but my posting was near the end of the thread and I really wanted to say it one more time (with a few improvements).  I haven't included the name of the person who created the thread or those who responded or their comments because I didn't think I should without their permission, especially after having made a few changes.  Certainly, if they want to identify themselves and include their comments, they are, of course, more than welcome. But here goes.

The Magic Number Is Still One.  

This bears repeating.

The magic number is still one.

We knew it was very possible, likely even, that the Chargers would win and the Broncos would lose this weekend. And that’s exactly what happened. There really shouldn’t be any talk of gloom and doom. Things will work out. This next weekend it is very possible, likely even, that the Broncos will beat the Bills AND the Chargers will lose to the Buccaneers.

So keep a steady keel. Keep the faith. The Broncos are a very young team, still learning how to win, but I think, no, I believe they are going to do it and this next weekend is when it will happen.

And even if it doesn’t, well, we still get to go head to head against the Chargers with everything on the line in their back yard. Now wouldn’t that be an exciting game to watch? These are not the Wade Phillips Broncos, the ones who went to Oakland with everything on the line and lost. These are the Mike Shanahan Broncos. And they will win. Mark my words.

I just think that it’s the moments of greatest adversity that create the biggest legends.

Do you remember what it felt like in that frozen stadium in Cleveland, when the Broncos’ returners muffed the kick and it rolled inside the two yard line? I do. I remember yelling at them to get their butts back there and at least fall on the damned thing because it looked like the Browns might just beat them there. And then, when they managed to finally recover the ball, I remember thinking, “Thank God they at least fell on it.”

But I also remember thinking, there was no way they were going to be able to drive it all the way and get the touch down. I mean, I knew it was theoretically possible but not very realistic.

And then, the first couple of plays were almost like nails in the coffin. But then, by some miracle, they managed to eek out a first down. Then, slowly at first, they began to gather momentum. Pretty soon it became evident that the Broncos actually believed they could do it. With each play it became more and more evident that the Browns were begining to believe that the Broncos could do it too. And then, one by one, the rowdy fans of the Browns fell silent as even the most dedicated and ardent began to believe no force on the field that day was going to stop the Broncos from punching it into the endzone. And then it happened, and a legend was born and the legend grew to become "The Drive", one of the greatest comebacks of NFL history, a story that fans of (almost) every team tell their children about.

But none of that would have been possible without that hopeless ball placement inside the Broncos’ own frozen two yard line.