Horse Tracks: What was your defining moment as a young Denver Broncos fan?

Every year at about this time, I go through little trips down memory lane when it comes to my beloved Denver Broncos. I grew up as a kid in the mid-80s and early 90s, so most of my reminiscing pre-Super Bowl championships was during John Elway's apex of athletic greatness.

I've shared my story a dozens times on Mile High Report since 2007, but like I said, it's about that time again. So my story begins at a time when I lived in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The date was January 11, 1987. The day I became a Broncomaniac. I was a casual Broncos fan up until then, but that was the exact date my eight year old self became a raving orange and blue maniac.

Honestly, I barely watched most of that AFC Championship game between the Broncos and Cleveland Browns. The house party of adults were all into it, but I had G.I. Joe's or He-Men (can't remember which) to play with. I did sit down and watch the final drive, since I was told I would not get my meal until after the game and I was told "it was almost over".

By the time it was over, I was still hungry, but I didn't care. I was jumping for joy with everyone else and the rest was - as you say - history.

Fast forward to January 4, 1992. I was 13 and living in the heart of Oakland Raiders territory in the far north of California. I had just watched the Broncos destroy a huge deficit in the second half of the AFC Divisional playoffs against the Houston Oilers. With no timeouts, down by a point and on their own two yard line, Elway would engineer the greatest comeback of my childhood.

For you younger fans, it was pure awesomesauce. Elway converted two fourth downs and drove the team 80+ yards in less than two minutes for the winning field goal. A field goal that was nearly blown if one Gary Kubiak hadn't deftly saved the bad snap in the final split second before David Treadwell booted it through.

The NFL remembers the Super Bowls those Broncos teams lost in the 80s, but I remember the sheer will to win and the competitive spirit those teams had when fighting for AFC supremacy. Good times.

What are some of your defining moments as a young fan?

Horse Tracks

Nate Irving leaves Broncos for 3-year deal with Indianapolis Colts - Denver Post
Nate Irving, the Broncos' starting middle linebacker last season until he suffered a knee injury in the eighth game at New England, has agreed to terms on a contract with the Indianapolis Colts.

C.J. Anderson surprises grandmother with new car | Denver Post
Anyone who knows Broncos running back C.J. Anderson understands his grandmother deserved the precious gift.

Broncos have history in NCAA Tournament | DenverBroncos.com
A couple former Broncos and one current Broncos scout have history playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Don't Sleep on the 2015 Denver Broncos - Mile High Huddle
Despite the upheaval in the coaching staff and losing four starters in free agency, MHH Lead Analyst Chad Jensen sees big things on the 2015 horizon for the Broncos. A Peyton Manning with a chip on his shoulder is a good thing for Broncos Country.

Jake's Take: Relax, Broncos Country - Mile High Huddle
John Elway is finally building a roster to last. He’s asking his young talent to step up. And, on his behalf, MHH Analyst Jake Marsing is asking all of Broncos Country to relax.

NFP 2015 Mock Draft 2.0 | National Football Post
Now that we have gotten through the first phase of free agency, it’s easier to try and project a mock draft. Still, it’s like throwing darts at a board and hoping some stick. As we get closer to the draft we will, of course, update and look for at least one or two more mocks this year.

NFL Draft: Best and worst of the last decade | National Football Post
Typically, a draft review is set in the context of a comparison of years or by round. In this analysis we will take a slightly different approach and compare how players and teams fared within the Draft Ranges described in “Breaking Down the NFL Draft”.

Silva's Pre-Draft Top 150 - Yahoo Sports
With coaching staffs locked in and free agent landing spots largely settled, we can begin to develop rough 2015 fantasy football outlooks. The forthcoming draft will certainly shake things up and add talent to the player pool.