Horse Tracks - 1/7/09

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DENVER POST

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It was the offseason, a carefree summer vacation on the New Jersey shore, yet there was Jason Garrett, still coaching.   OK, so Garrett, the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator, wasn't exactly drawing up plays for Tony Romo and Terrell Owens, but the job seemed no less important to Garrett at the time.

There is so much dog-and-pony show involved with NFL coaching searches that in-house candidates often are dismissed as courtesies, a politically correct necessity.

Today, the Broncos will interview their final known candidate, the Vikings' Leslie Frazier, for the head coaching vacancy created eight days ago by the dismissal of Mike Shanahan.

John Elway was the first Bronco inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Gary Zimmerman, even though he played only five of his 14 professional seasons in Denver, counts as two.

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

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A Princeton graduate, Jason Garrett usually takes quality notes.  So in his quest to be the next Broncos coach, Garrett says he already is familiar with Denver's centerpiece player on offense - quarterback Jay Cutler.

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OTHER

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When I lay awake at night, staring at the ceiling wondering what the Broncos are going to do, I pray that Pat Bowlen will not hire another offensive guru as head coach. Obviously, Bowlen wants to hire the best prospect available regardless of his area of specialization, but the Broncos defensive problems are so acute, that fixing that side of the ball must be Bowlen's first priority.

It was the last day for Indigo Joe's Sports Pub in Centennial. It was going out of business. Hard times hung over the crowd as they watched the news conference broadcast from Broncos' headquarters down the road at Dove Valley.