I have been bothered recently by a vocal few who have spit venom towards John Elway because he owed Tebow more. Did he?

I believe the crux of the issue is that people still see Elway the player, Elway the California kid with the rocket arm, Elway the old veteran diving between two defenders in the Superbowl, and not John Elway the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Denver Broncos. Again...Elway is an Executive.

Elway's job is to work with the rest of management to build a championship team. He doesn't have the luxury of keeping someone he likes personally if he questions their football acumen. He has more important responsibilities to the team than to teach footwork and mechanics to a fan favorite. Do the Ravens ask Ozzie Newsome to teach young tight ends seam routes? Does Jerry Jones break out his old Arkansas gear to run drills with the offensive linemen? No. Elway has to think big picture. He can't let the benefit of one outweigh or compromise the possibility of putting together a championship team for the people he truly owes.

He owes it to Pat Bowlen. His boss, mentor, and friend for nearly thirty years. A man who has invested more into his team and the league as a whole than amost anyone in the history of the NFL.

He owes it to Floyd Little, Frank Tripucka, and all of the founding Broncos who saved this franchise from being moved to another state in its infancy.

He owes it to Shannon Sharpe, Rod Smith, Dennis Smith, Eddie Mac, Tom Jackson, Randy Gradishar, Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Karl Mecklenburg, Red Miller, Dan Reeves, Mike Shannahan and all of the other Broncos players and coaches who helped build this great team.

He owes it to Darrent Williams, Damien Nash, and Kenny McKinley.

He owes it to the parking attendants, concession workers, downtown business owners who depend on game revenue to pay the rent.

And he owes it to everyone in Broncos' Country who bleed orange and blue. From the old timers like my grandpa who have been there from the beginning and has raised four generations of Broncos faithful, to the servicemen overseas, to the transplants who fell in love with their new local team, to those who frequent the sports bars in less enlightened states or search the Internet for the best live feed internationally, to all of the Terrells, Randys, and Shannons born everyday.