FanPost

On Underdogs, Elway and Egos..

Wow, never a dull moment in Broncos country. Just when I thought I could dedicate my home internet connection to Netflix for a few months, here we go again with another crazy off-season.


I apologize for those I'm about to offend with this post, because this is not my intent. Like many, I post to 'get things out of my system' so to speak, not to make others angry. I'm going to throw out some blasphemy here, so be prepared.

First, it's frustrating to see once again the 'absolute' judgements take place on this board.

To those who suggest "It's all about winning, winning solves all" - I'd ask you, using a extreme (to the point of irrelevant) example - would winning feel as good with a QB who was convicted of a heinous offense? Ok, perhaps an example closer to home. Would winning feel as good with a pouting, arrogant, selfish QB? Anyone remember that?

To those who suggest "winning is not important" - I was at the Lions game. I love Tebow as much as the next guy... But that game was sickening. I posted afterwards that it took another 9 games like that to make me see Tebow wasn't the guy, then that was the way it was. I would feel sad for him, but I'd be up for shipping him out. Lucky for us, it didn't go that route.

For many people, being the underdog is what makes winning extra special. That's how I feel about Tebow. This is not about pity, he gets paid a lot of money to face criticism - as did Orton. It's just more exciting. After all, who would want to watch a movie where the rich, arrogant, popular kid with all the breaks got the girl? Nobody likes an foregone conclusion.


This is where I get to Elway.


I'm sorry, I think this has a lot to do with his ego. There, I said it.

It's not ALL about ego, of course. He wasn't out looking at Luck to make his ego feel better. He also wasn't interviewing Manning to strengthen his ego either.

But I truly think that the criticism leveled at him this year - rightly or wrongly - p'd him off the the point where he just wants to get rid of the whole problem.

I don't blame him. This was a guy who was famous for his competitive spirit, so it is unexpected to not have him feel in any way competitive with Tebowmania? This is the Duke, the King of Denver after all. His name spoken in reverence for more than a decade. If you think this wouldn't touch him in any way, then I think you're at best wanting to ignore it or hoping it isn't so, and at worst, a little naive.

What I do blame him him for his lack of respect of Tebow, and in turn, the fans. Tebow is a guy who had commentators question his being in the NFL at all. We gave him a 1-4 start with no off-season and no 1st team reps, and he took us to the playoffs and even won a game, one that will go down in history. I was there and will never forget, regardless of what follows.

I'm Australian, and the last thing I'll ever be accused of is being oversensitive. But the way Elways has treated Tebow through the Orton situation, through the season, after the win, and now courting Manning publicly with zero comment, makes me sick. Tebow, along with Miller and others, made this whole city stand up and cheer again.

I know people who know Elway, which I guess you could say is one step above reading a tabloid. But to a person they suggest that the crap he had to put up with would not go down well. And - my opinion only - as a result he's rushing to force Tim out before we even know what we've got in him.

At the end of the day (I made this comment somewhere) - I will give Elway this, his does have balls.

Because if he dumps Tebow for Manning, and if Manning busts and Tebow booms elsewhere, then he won't have to worry about Tebow's threat to his legacy, he'll have damaged it all by himself.

And I'll still cheer for the Broncos, and many of you will forgive Elway, and you are all the better people for it. I wish I could be as understanding, football is a business after all.

Because I sure as hell won't forgive him. Because football is only a business because fans like me support a team passionately, and of some of us it's about who plays the game and they way they play it that makes winning all the more special. That includes how a team treats it's players, and how the team treats its fans.

And if Elway wants to treat fans like me like crap, and not even acknowledge us and what this process is doing - just like last season - then he can take his legacy and shove it.

(And I mean that in the nicest possible way.)



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