The Six-Pack
This one's for John
As long as the Broncos have John Elway and Peyton Manning, hope springs eternal in Denver. As SI's Joan Niessen writes:
This week, Elway admitted that he's still not over his three Super Bowl losses as a player, and he'll add Sunday's into the mix, he said, laughing. That hunger is what fuels him, and thus what fuels the organization. Coming up on two years ago, he hooked the big fish (Peyton Manning), and the next January, that wasn't enough. In the ensuing months, Elway reeled in more free agents, from the big names to the overlooked surprises. That looked like it might be enough -- it got them to a Super Bowl despite myriad injuries, after all -- but again, it wasn't. Now Elway will build yet again, and there's no reason to think things won't get just a little bit better, a little bit tougher, a little bit more equipped to snarl back at defenses like Seattle's.
Who knows what the Executive VP will have in store for us this year?
Shannon Sharpe on the Super Bowl loss
There are few people I have more respect for than Shannon Sharpe. He did it three times - he won the Super Bowl with two teams, three times. I soak up what he has to say like a sponge, because he knows what it takes better than 99.9% of the people out there. I respect his talent, his work ethic, and his rings.
Sharpe appeared on ESPN Denver Thursday. Listen here by clicking the Shannon Sharpe link near the top. The CJ and Les show tweeted out some highlights.
"Trust me, I won 3 Super Bowls & went to the Hall of Fame and I never got over the Jacksonville loss." - S.Sharpe #Broncos
— CJ & Les (@CJandLesShow) February 6, 2014
"Pot Roast is the only player on the #Broncos that could start on Seattle’s defense." Sharpe
— CJ & Les (@CJandLesShow) February 6, 2014
"If you look at Peyton’s history, he has to be the MVP of every game for his team to win." Sharpe #Broncos
— CJ & Les (@CJandLesShow) February 6, 2014
Sound FX nightmare
For you brave souls, here is the Sound FX version of Super Bowl XLVIII. It's as bad as it was the first time.
Richard Sherman: "Lord have mercy! It's Percy!" Then later, to Wes Welker (video 2), "Don't you ever say you want 1-on-1's with us!"
Must Read
The part where Champ complains on the sidelines about playing "30-40 plays already" is a little brutal. Not exactly ra-ra material there, Champ. Broncos defenders were starting to throw in the towel.
My thoughts exactly
Our friends at South Stands wrote this the day after the game. I just saw it now. This paragraph stood out.
What could I have done differently? Did I jinx the Broncos by not watching the Super Bowl where I watched the other playoff games? Should I have bought a different brand of beer? Guacamole is green. Should I not have served any? Should I have been less confident, shown Seattle more respect?
I totally do that. The superstitious part of me regrets going to the Super Bowl, because we were undefeated this season when me and my buddy watched the game from my couch.
Free Agency
Doug Farrar calls Eric Decker his most interesting free agent, pointing out that Decker wasn't too far behind Demaryius Thomas' numbers (I'll be honest, these surprise me a little). "Demaryius Thomas may have been the AFC champs’ number-one receiver overall, but Decker was right behind him in catches (87 to Thomas’ 92), yards (1,288 to Thomas’ 1,430), yards per catch (14.8 to 15.5), and touchdowns (11 to 14)," Barnwell writes. Sure, a lot of that production came in Decker's four-touchdown game, but they're impressive numbers nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Over the Cap looks at free agent pass rushers, an area where the Broncos might make a splash, and the mothership examines Seattle's dynasty-friendly cap situation.
Opening Night
It's opening night of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. So far, security and corruption and stray dogs have dominated the headlines, but it'll be nice to see Opening Ceremonies tonight. You can wait for the tape delayed version tonight on NBC, or Deadspin has a way you can stream starting at 9am MST. Enjoy the games, everybody.