First, I'd like to say farewell to Doug and Emmett. They have been and still are good friends. I wish them the best and hope to see them lurking around daily.
On a personal note, I have not been writing as much due to a heavy schedule of work, night school, and a newborn baby. I am also finished doing historical biography posts of past players. That kind of post takes enormous amounts of research, spanning many years, even decades, to put together an informative post. I simply do not have that kind of time right now, though I may again in the future.
For now, I will stick to the history I know and the opinions I hold.
With the Hall of Fame vote upon us, I think now is a good time to reflect on the two Bronco greats now facing possible enshrinement.
Floyd Little
What to say about Floyd? His impact on the NFL is seen directly in how history has unfolded for the Denver Broncos. He was a great player on a horrible team and largely because of him, the Broncos remained in Denver.
The question voters must ask themselves this wekeend is 'How would NFL history have changed if the Broncos moved to Birmingham, then to Nashville, then folded entirely?' Six Super Bowls, The Drive, Broncomania, The Barrel Man; the list goes on.
The impact Little had on NFL History is simply immeasurable.
It is safe to say that MHR's Hall of Fame Committee, led by studbucket, is entirely responsible for getting Floyd Little on the ballot. The rapport they developed with the Senior Committee, the work they did compiling Little's accomplishments to present to the Senior Voters was the singular reason behind Floyd Little's advancement to the final vote.
Never, not in my wildest dreams, did I think this committee would have had so much success in its first year of existence. Initially founded to get Randy Gradishar and Shannon Sharpe in, we quickly realized that Floyd Little deserved our full attention - even over lobbying for Shannon Sharpe. This tact succeeded.
MHR's Hall of Fame Committee may have even set a dangerous precident. Fans of other teams may have taken notice and next year the influencing power of this committee may be diluted by dozens of other fan based committees. It is my hope that they won't catch on or follow a very successful game plan until we at least get Randy Gradishar through the Senior Committee.
Ultimately, the men with the real power are those who have actual votes. The fact of the matter is, Floyd Little got through the Senior Committe because we simply brought him to the attention of those who have the votes. They decided for themselves that Little was Hall of Fame worthy. It is my hope they will find Randy Gradishar worthy as well.
Shannon Sharpe
That Sharpe isn't a first ballot Hall of Famer is a huge insult. Not just to Bronco fans, but to NFL history.
I have no doubt that Tony Gonzalez will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Yet where are his Super Bowl Titles? Where are his big time performances in the playoffs? He has the stats, I'll grant that, and regular season stats are great - but what of the really important stat? Like, uh, W-I-N-N-I-N-G.
Shannon Sharpe has three Super Bowl rings, finished his career with a 150-91 record, and a plethora of Pro Bowl appearances. Sharpe also finished with every meaningful record for a tight end when he retired. If that is not considered a first ballot kind of career then what is?
If the standard is that high, then I think Jerry Rice needs to wait a year or two. After all, he had three Super Bowl titles, big time performances in the playoffs, and held every meaningful record for a wide receiver when he retired. I'm only saying. If the bar is as high as it appears, then Jerry Rice does not qualify for a first ballot vote. According to the precedent set by the voters last year anyway!
How Shannon Sharpe is not a first ballot Hall of Famer perplexes me. No, it angers me. What is done is done, so now we shall see if he is appropriately honored on Saturday.
Random Tidbits
1. Brandon Marshall's comments after the Pro Bowl strike me as eerily similar to Jay Cutler's comments in January through March of last year. He loves being a Broncos, wants to be a Bronco, wants to retire a Bronco...blah blah blah. I'll believe it when I see it. My perspective leads me to react with skepticism and doubt regarding anything Brandon Marshall says. Would I like him to be a Broncos? Yes. Am I hinging my entire existence on whether he is a Bronco or not in 2010? Emphatically, NO!
UPDATE: In light of his new comments, I must admit that I'd rather have BMarsh the "beast" than some unknown, unproven 1st and 3rd round draft picks.
2. I can't decide if I am getting "Mock Fatigue" or if I just want the draft to get here already, but I am having trouble reading the entire mock draft posts. I find myself skimming to see who was selected where and moving on. I'm a bad Zappa.
Personally, I'd prefer to get McClain. We have missed Al Wilson ever since he went down mid-2006. I'd really like to get someone in there that can help rebuild the true character of the Broncos defense. Just my own personal need.
Super Bowl Limerick
TJ, thanks for introducing this kind of thing.
A Manning surged forth wanting some nookie
A great choke results from an oreo cookie
A Saint makes happy this old Donkey
To see Manning run around like a Monkey
Me thinks I need to go talk to my bookie
Crude, but effective. I am sure TJ has a limerick post on the way, if not, he should!
Interesting...To Me
January 25, 1998 - Broncos first Super Bowl win. January 25, 2000 - My oldest daughters brithday.
May 2, 1999 - John Elway retired. May 2, 1979 - My wife was born.