The NFL has started the Pro Bowl voting today via the nfl.com website. It should continue for quite a while toward the end of the season. Football Fans can vote for one player, or vote for every roster slot in the Pro Bowl.

While it seems too early to tell the best players of the season, we can still make a pretty good determination of who is worthy thus far.

I don't believe in giving a vote to a player that is not deserving and that includes Broncos. But being biased, I will give the nod to a Bronco that is just as good as any other player in the league. For example: Dre Bly is not playing Pro Bowl caliber football. Casey Weigmann on the other hand, is playing as good as anyone at his position, so I will vote for Weigmann.

Here are the Broncos candidates that I have voted for and am keying on having a Pro Bowl year:

QB: Jay Cutler

WR: Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal    (unfortunately Stokley is not a candidate)

TE: Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham

C: Casey Weigmann

T: Ryan Clady

DE: Elvis Dumerville, John Engelberger

OLB: DJ Williams. Boss Bailey

ILB: Nate Webster

CB: Champ Bailey

K: Matt Prater

There are other Broncos at other positions that are Candidates, but the players above are the ones I believe in and hope that they will make the pro bowl.

You can vote as many times as you like, and I hope the all Bronco Fans pitch in and vote as much as possible, to help our boys make the grade. Here is the link:

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot

I was just listening to the podcast of the 10-08 Broadcast of MHR Radio. Toward the end of the show, the Guru mentioned in passing about an MHR Conference. My immediate thought was "Why not?"

The obvious place would be in Denver, and I would say during the first or second week of Training Camp in August 2009.

Here's some ideas:

It would be a three day event that would cover Fri-Sunday. It would need to be on a weekend that we could visit camp as a group when they have a practice on Saturday. We could make a deal with a Southeast Hotel near Dove Valley for a discount rate for out of towners and use of a Conference Room on Saturday night.

Itinerary:

Friday Evening:  Meet and greet at a local Restaurant with a Brewery or pub attached.  (War Stories / Fellowship and a good time)

Sat Morning : Meet for breakfast and on to Dove Valley for practice. Usually Saturday's have only one practice (morning)

Sat Afternoon: Group Tour of Invesco Field for MHR

Sat Evening: Dinner at the Hotel Convention room / Guest of Honor (former Broncos players) Show Film highlights of old Broncos games / Historic / Crackerbarrel at the bar. Presentations such as MHR University

Sunday late morning / mid day   BBQ & ??  

This is a very possible can do. Depending on the kind of support / attendance, the room at the Hotel could be over budget if not enough people came. I which case, a local establishment with a smaller meeting room could be arranged where an overhead video could still be shown. These are just a few ideas and an event that I believe we should make happen.

I've had some experience coordinating things like this and would volunteer to head up a committe in Denver to make it happen. Let me know your thoughts

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***Update***

The Sports Guru will be heading this up with what looks like a committee in Denver to handle Logistics. Stay Posted. Guru will be addressing this soon.

Ok, lets sound off Bronco Land. What is your prediction for the upcoming? Lets see who can come the closest and have the bragging rights into next week. Keep it simple, no over-analyzing it. Straight talk withought explanation. I'll start it off. ***La La Land membership not required***

Denver Diehards prediction:

Denver 34  /   New Orleans 19

Cutler: 320yds 3td's (BMarsh, Stokley,Sheff)

Young 105 yds 1TD

Royal 80 ret yds (no td's)

Prater 2/3 FG's 

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Well I just finished watching the NFL Channel's feature presentation called "The Missing Rings - 1981 SD Chargers".

I must say that it was an excellent show to watch. For some of us, it will bring back many memories of Dan Fouts, Winslow and all of Air Coryell's offense.

Even as a Bronco fan who's arch enemy was the Raiders, the Chargers became more potent an offense that the Raiders ever were. There is no denying that from 79 and on into the 80's, the Chargers were the best show in the NFL. Fouts was always a bit of an **S, but he ran his team well. Kelen Winslow, arguably one of the best 3 tight ends in history narates the show along with Dan Fouts and Hank Bauer.

All the great offensive players are shown: Wes Chandler, Chuck Muncie, Charlie Joiner, JJ Jefferson, James Brooks. Man those guys were really really good. Honestly, the only thing that gave other teams a chance was that their defense was not so good. For me personally, I never really hated the Chargers back then, not like the Raiders. They didnt talk smack and rub it in our faces like Oakland did. I respected the Chargers back then and wished Denver had their talent.

The gist of the show was that with the Chargers reign making the playoffs from 1979-1982, they appeared in the playoffs 4 straight years and went to the AFC Championship twice - losing both times. Yes they were close, but no Cigar. The show is a great story, but shows how woulda, coulda, shoulda can play out with even the best of talent in the NFL.  It didn't seem as if the players themselves feel they were cheated out of a Superbowl. The Championship they lost in Cincy was the 2nd coldest day ever for a playoff game.They knew their failures and accepted them, but at the same time, they can also say with pride "We were pretty damn good". and they were. They just never made the Superbowl. Many of those Chargers are now in the HOF and deservedly so.

As I watched the show, I couldnt help but compare them to the Chargers of today. San Diego started a run two years ago, losing in the Divisional playoff to NE in 2006. Then in 07, they lose the AFC Championship to the same NE Team; This is about the only real comparison I can find between the Fouts led team and the Rivers era. They had a shot and failed. But the real story is that the Coryell offensive teams were much much better than todays Chargers.

I suppose their will be an argument due to win loss collums, but Fouts ran the AFC West for several years and his teams had character.  The talent of the Coryell teams were simply amazing, but more importantly, those men were great team players. There were no me guys on the team, with the exception of King Fouts from time to time, but he was a General on the field and no doubt let the team know who was in charge. I never really felt that Fouts carried that around off the field. Sure there was some cockyness here and there from the Chargers back then but not close to the way the current Chargers conduct themselves.

Take a look at the key players of the 80's offense vs the current Chargers:

1980's Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, JJ Jefferson, Wes Chandler, Kelen Winslow, Chuck Muncie, Lionel James, James Brooks,  

Current Phillip Rivers, LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio gates, Vincent Jacksn, Chris Chambers, Darren Spoles

While Chuck Muncie was a power back, I would say that LT is the only player that is better than what the 80's Chargers had. I believe that LT needs to continue to show for several years the kind of play he demonstrated in 06 to be considered the best RB in Charger history.

Probably the biggest reason for the current teams success is the defense. Todays Chargers are more balanced with their defense. After Fred Dean was traded in 1981, they lost their best defensive player all because of contract issues. But as far as an explosive offense, todays Chargers are not, and never will be as dangerous as the Chargers of the 80's.

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I highly reccomend watching "The Missing Ring - The 1981 SD Chargers" It is sure to entertain and will make Bronco fans happy they don't have to play Winslow and Fouts anymore. 

Thought the MHR community would like to know this:

Watching the game, the announcers said that Cutler was up to 298 yards just before his final pass. The pass went for what seemed to be a 3 yard gain.

"Great" I thought. Cutler had 301 yards. But after the game they said it was 299 and that really surprised me that they were off by 4yds.

Well today, the Broncos announced a League stat change in the game. They posted the following:

STAT CHANGE

The original stat line for Cutler against the Raiders said that he completed 16-of-24 pass attempts for 299 yards and a touchdown. Turns out that wasn’t completely accurate.

The NFL has now announced that Cutler actually threw for 300 yards.

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As more news filters out today as it has the last two days, the NFL is concerned about the injuries. In fairness, I should say they are really just concerned about Brady, but it's not good for the League or the Teams that have lost players. The only advantage that can come from it, is of course the teams that don't have to face key starters of the opposition. It could be said that the healthy team has the advantage or that the team with significant injuries is at a disadvantage. Either way, when a teams key player(s) goes down, so can the Win column.

The next six teams on Denvers schedule all have impact players that went down with injuries in week one. I hope to cause some discussion on this thread about the impact it can have in Denvers favor - barring any Bronco injuries. These injuries are all known prior to the official injury report that Teams must release later on in the week.

Week 2 / San Diego

We all know that Shawn Merriman is out for the season. No doubt this will hurt the Chargers pass rush. Antonio Gates was injured (thigh) and LT jammed his toe on his last run before he left the game. These two injuries may not make a difference this Sunday, but the absence of Merriman is huge.

Week 3 / New Orleans

Marques Colston is out 4-6 weeks with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Colston is the #1 go to wide receiver for the Saints. This must certainly help the Broncos in the secondary having not to deal with him.

Week 4 / @ Kansas City

It looks like Brodie Coyle is out for at least several weeks with a separated shoulder. Can he return within 18 days to play Denver? This injury may not have as much impact with Damon Huard at the stern, but he is their starting QB, and that will always impact a team.

Week 5 / Tampa Bay

While this seems significant right now, it may not effect the play of Garcia with a sprained ankle come 25 days from now. The Garcia injury is minor, but Derrick Brooks the Defensive Leader may be out due to an ongoing hamstring issue. We'll have to wait and see how he recovers within the next three weeks.

Week 6 / Jacksonville

What can I say? The Jags came in and beat Denver last year with a tough running game, but this weekend they looked bad against the Titans defense. As it turns out, they are missing all but one starter on the Offensive Line. Two more starters are out for the season. The Tackles are so beat up, that the Jags are trying to find help anywhere they can. They aren't just missing talent, they need bodies too. This will dampen their running game, quite possible the whole season. I predicted the Jags to make the playoffs, but now - all bets are off. Don't expect the same team you saw here last year.

Week 7 / @ New England

By now everybody knows that Tom Brady is out for the Season. This bodes well for any team that plays them. People have said "yes, but they are so talented, it won't matter that much" (Wanna bet?) Superman Brady is by far the biggest reason for this teams success. The defense is old and the players rally around Brady, and in some cases over-achieved. Brady could make things happen that can't be duplicated by Cassel. As far as Denver is concerned, they have always had the Pats number, and without Brady, I believe New England will be heading South. Don't bet on New England come Oct 20th.

via www.latimes.com

The Associated Press is reporting that New Orleans Star Wide Receiver Marques Colston will be out 4-6 weeks for recovery of surgery on his thumb.

Colston tore a ligament during the game with Tampa Bay. The Saints have not officially released their injury report, but a close source to the team leaked the news.

Denver plays New Orleans in less than 2 weeks. This is definately a blow to New Orleans. Colston is their go to guy and top playmaker at Wide Receiver. This is good news for Denver's Secondary, and could change the matchup that we were previously expecting.

The first day of Training Camp used to be the start of my Football Season as a Fan. This year has been different for me because I have followed the Broncos daily since the end of last season. Thanks to MHR, I feel more informed than in years past. Draft day was always the one big attention getter, but now here we are at the start of camp. Following Training Camp on a daily basis has been an annual ritual in my house. Like most of you, I just simply want to know. But another thing happens a week after camp opens, and that is the Hall of Fame Game in Canton.

As much as I like to see the acceptance speeches and the new inductees with their Bronze Busts, I also love watching the game on the field. Of course it's more like a scrimmage game, but it's the first game of the season, and that was always cause for a celebration.  Preparation for the Canton game is always important. Being the middle of Summer, the beer needs to be extra cold. I prefer a few brats on the grill and of course my homemade world famous potato salad. If need be, send the wife shopping or loan the kids to a relative, but by all means, make sure the remote has batteries and the cable bill is paid.

Okay, now we're set!  But wait........ Now I know that some of you don't share my exuberance for a boring scrimmage game and long drawn out speeches, but this year, something different is in the air.

This year, one of the Broncos own is getting inducted. Yes, that's right, Denver Bronco Gary Zimmerman is getting inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 2nd. This has not happened much in the History of Sports. In fact, as you know, it has only happened once before that a player went into the Hall of Fame as a Denver Bronco. This fact alone should have Bronco Fans glued to the TV next Saturday; And why wouldn't it? This is monumental for the Denver Broncos. We can all share in Gary Zimmerman's enshrinement, for it is an accomplishment not only for Zimm, but for all of Broncoland and Bronco Fans everywhere.

A few weeks ago, I made some comments here on MHR, that were somewhat negative about Zimmerman being a "True Bronco". Not that he didn't deserve the honor, but that I felt the HOF has snubbed many players that have played in Denver their entire career. While Zimm played more years in Minnesota than Denver, it is clear that he has chosen Denver, as the team he wants to be associated with. Kudos for that and a personal thanks to Gary for giving the orange and blue some recognition. The fact is: I'm pretty excited about Zimmerman's induction and now happier than ever that he's going in!

"So Diehard. why the new face?"     Well, I'm going to tell you.................

Something happened these past few weeks that has given me some personal insight to Gary Zimmerman, and perhaps where his mind is about the honor of Canton. Earlier this month on July 7th, I mailed a letter to Gary Zimmerman to his home in Oregon. The letter was a congratulatory letter about his enshrinement. I also wrote about my best memory when he retired and then came back to help us win Super Bowl XXXII.  That was a big deal and I wanted him to know how the fans appreciated it. I also decided to take a shot at getting his signatures on all three TOPPS trading cards that were made of him as a Bronco.

It was a dare to say the least, and at the time I believed that I may never see those cards again.  It was worth a shot, and best of all, I believed at least he would read my letter to add to the satisfaction of a great career.

So here's the best part: Last Monday on the 21st of July, my return envelope arrived in the mail with "G.Z" on the back. I knew it was Zimm, and rushed into the house to open it. There were all three of my cards, personalized to me from Gary Zimmerman with the script "HOF 08" below his signature! Along with the cards was a message thanking me for taking the time to write to him.

So how does this happen I asked? Zimm should have been packing his bags for Canton, but instead, he took the time to find a pen and answer my request. This being just a few weeks before one of the biggest days of his life, he took the time to answer ordinary fan mail. He probably gets dozens of requests a week now with his HOF status. I thought about this, and my personal feeling was that he was actually thanking me for being here, and being a Bronco Fan. I had the sense that Zimm was happy to sign those cards and mail them back. It was about me. I wasn't an inconvenience to him.

It's strange really, I felt honored to have him reply to me, especially with the timing, and yet, he seemed to be honored by my letter and that I will always remember him for his talent and play over the years.

Certainly this is not the action of a self-centered Football Superstar. I'm thinking now that I'm proud of Gary Zimmerman and proud that he was and always will be a Bronco. Get ready, the Hall of Fame Game and inductions are next Saturday.

Thank you Gary Zimmerman!

Earlier this week I had the privilege of sitting down and visiting with Jerry Sturm. Jerry played for the Broncos from 1961 - 1966. He has a restaurant in Englewood Colorado called "The South" Restaurant and Lounge.

I'd heard about him before, and his place in Englewood, though until recently I wasn't sure which player he was.  Jerry Sturm was originally from Indiana; A popular local athelete in HS Basketball & Football who could play every position on the O-line (6'3, 245). After High School, he played as a Guard at the University of Illinois for two years before signing in the CFL with the Calagary Stampeders. (Joe Capp was the QB there) Jerry played in Canada in 1959 and 1960. Gaining a reputation for speed, versatility and determination. Jerry was signed by the Broncos in 1961 and at 265 pounds, he played center, guard, tackle and linebacker. He was used occasionally as a fullback, averaging 3.9 yards a carry over his career. He was selected to play in the 1964 and 1966 Pro Bowls.

In 1967, the NFL expanded and the Broncos traded Jerry to the New Orlean Saints. Jerry was a four-year starter for the Saints. He then signed with the Houston Oilers in 1971 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1972. Surgery ended his career in 1973. He has two "titanium knees" as scars of his NFL career.

When I arrived at "The South", the first thing apparent is the long hallway entrance. Lined on the wall on the right are Team Photos of the Broncos from 1960-90's. (Missing are some in the 70's I noticed) On the left side is a nearly complete 1966 AFL set of Topps trading cards nicely framed and matted. Straight ahead on the wall at the end of the hall is a large poster size photo of the 1961 Bronco Team. I was impressed already.

Turning to the right and into the restaurant, it had a very comfortable atmosphere like the way a lounge used to be in the 60's and 70's. I had my Topps card album with me and decided to sit at the bar. It was 3:00PM, and way past the allowable time for a tall rum and coke. The first thing you notice is the four old game worn helmets mounted above at the top of the bar shelves. Encased in clear plastic, there was a Houston, New Orlean, and Philly helmet. Right in the middle was a Bronco helmet from 62-65 with the white bronco - very cool. Along two back walls of the restaurant area were booths, and each had a wall lamp above the table. All the lamp shades were photos (in a sepia like color) of Jerry as a player and his Son Brett when he played football.

Looking around, I was ready to ask the bartender if Jerry was there, but just then from the kitchen came a tall man in his early 70's, "a very big guy". Here was my chance, I got up and met him in stride and introduced myself. I told him I had just been to the card shop on Broadway, and was told about his place. We started to talk Broncos and he had me come to his table and sit down. There was another man there with him, one of the locals and a friend of Jerry's.

At the time, off the top of my head, I knew he played for New Orleans, but not the other teams. I also didn't know about the CFL and he never mentioned it. He started by telling me about his pro career from Denver on. He didn't seem upset that Denver traded him to the Saints in 67, but he kept his home here in Colorado. Finally in 1973 he retired and started in the Restaurant Business in Englewood.

Fortunately, I have a pretty complete Topps card collection of the Broncos and am only missing a few from 1963 and 65; Otherwise, my early Fleer sets and Topps sets are complete from 1960-2007. The binder I had with me was 1960-1990.

Jerry was impressed with the card sets and started looking at all the names (after he had the Bar Girl get him his glasses)  He talked more about these guys and what they did after football, rather than game day or locker room stories. I was enjoying it so much, I can't remember exactly which comments were made about whom. Jerry would point a finger at a card and say "didn't know him, him neither, oh man he was wierd, and 'oh that dumb bastard" I was cracking up. He looked at all the 60's cards and as we got to each of his cards I pulled them out of the sleeves and he called the Bar girl to bring him a sharpie. I had his rookie from 1964, plus 1966, and 67. I did not have the tall boy card of him from 1965. He signed all three for me and I was very excited about it.  By this time, Jerry's friends beer was empty and we got a fresh round. We halfway toasted and went on talking Broncos (that was cool)

Jerry said that Bob Scarpitto was not doing to well in California. He retired from his Coors distributorship and didn't come to Denver much anymore. He said that John McCormick lived in Golden and was in poor health. McCormick was a Bronco QB from 63-68.

Coming to my senses, I finally realized "I gotta ask some questions" We talked about the 1962 helmet. His had the white horse. I mentioned that the history records said the first few games of 62, they had a brown horse on the orange helmet, then changed it to white. He didn't remember that, but he remembered the striped socks. I asked if he was at the burning party, and he said no, but he ended up keeping his. Jerry said he left them with his first wife and years after their divorce he called her to see if he could get them back. She said she threw them away years before - too bad.

I asked who he remembered the most and he said Donnnie Stone. He and Don were good friends. Don was the leading Bronco rusher in 61 & 62.  He also talked about another Lineman on the team. Jerry told about a player that became a Preacher after Football. Jerry laughed and said the future Preacher was the biggest boozer and skirt chaser on the team. ( I always thought it was the Goose) He mentioned Jerry Hopkins is still in the area and visits the Restaurant all the time, like a lot of Broncos do. I admit it's a great place.

Things were starting to get busy in the restaurant, so I thought I wouldn't take up more of his time. Before I left he called his Bartender Gal ( A real Doll) to come over and look at his rookie card. She flirted with him and said it was an imposter, he was never that young. A good laugh. Jerry had a knack for flirting with his employees; All pretty young girls and  lot's of them.  He has been happily married for many years and just seemed to be a great character, and a pleasure to meet. I asked Jerry if I could stop by again sometime for lunch and visit. Anytime he said.