Christmas homegating with the Denver Broncos

Ah, Christmas...

For those of us who celebrate, it is a day to be joyous, be with loved ones, enjoy good meals while watching others smile as gifts are exchanged.

This year, the Denver Broncos join in on the festivities, as they travel to take on the Los Angeles Rams at 4:30 p.m. ET, and if you’re like me and reside in that time zone, that’s when you’ll be watching.

Now, unfortunately for Broncos Country, the team led by Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett has been as kind to the fan base as a pre-three ghosts Ebenezer Scrooge to a collector for the poor.

Therefore, maybe the look on your face when you unwrap the Russell Wilson jersey your significant other bought for you back in the summer might cause an awkward moment. Regardless, this is a day that should be enjoyed, and there’s no reason to be a Grinch just because the Broncos crashed the party like Cousin Eddie in his RV.

Luckily, for those of us on the East Coast, we’ll be able to enjoy much of the day with our family, and those of us with kids will be able to enjoy them playing with their new toys, and for many of us, the game will coincide with a family get-together that evening.

And that may be just the gift we all need.

For most who celebrate the holidays, the official festivities begin Christmas Eve (potentially sooner) with a party with families and/or friends. My family alternates between my side of the family and my in-laws, but this year, we will be spending time with my side on Dec. 23 and my in-laws on Christmas Eve.

That’s basically 48 hours of cooking, stressing, getting our three kids ready while maintaining a social demeanor among people who approach you with the jolliness of old St. Nick himself. In several cases, we’ll have the same conversation with different people throughout the night as we make sure our kids aren’t on such a sugar high that the ones Santa tosses in his mouth won’t be the only cookies tossing.

For us, because my son was born on Christmas Eve (which he’ll surely hate us for in due time), between parties we will also have a mini-party for him.

Well past the kids’ normal bed time on Christmas Eve, they’re finally tucked away, and since Santa only has two hands, it’s up to mom and/or dad to help out with the gifts the man in red had too tight of a schedule to wrap or put together. We’re not sure he shares the same number of f-bombs we mutter at 1 a.m. while arguing with instructions for the Hot Wheels garage and track, but let’s just hope it isn’t so many as to get us on the immediate naughty list.

Christmas morning comes, and some of us may go to church first, some of us may go straight to presents, and some may do one or the other. Give or take, and given how early we can expect kids up on Christmas morning, it will probably be at least a three-hour ordeal and won’t even be 10:00 yet.

After a few more hours of clean up and, if we have yet another family event, likely more cooking and possible last minute gift wrapping.

By the time 4:30 p.m. rolls around, unless anyone has the energy of Buddy the Elf, you’re probably exhausted if you even have had a fraction of the festivities. And anyone you’ll be visiting with is likely in the same boat.

So rather than sit and try to force conversation for the evening, what better buffer is there than to sit back with a few holiday beverages and take in the Broncos at Rams game? The Broncos have prepared us for this all year by looking as energetic as a dead snail on the field, so at worst, the team will give us a reason to look un-enthused while we wrap up Christmas weekend.

But what about at best? It’s Christmas, after all, and it’s a time for redemption and forgiveness. For Broncos Country, the team has not treated us well, but just like Scrooge before he partnered with Marley, there were good times. Maybe this is a day we put aside our bitter feelings about the season and give the team a chance.

Scrooge redeemed himself, while the Grinch’s heart grew three times its size.

What if Russell Wilson, the QB the Broncos are tied to for several years, finds his game like the Grinch found his Christmas spirit?

We expected a hefty bonus of a team this year and instead got enrolled in the jelly-of-the-month club, and it has been the gift that has been giving every weekend of the fall. Perhaps Christmas will be the day the Broncos, like Frank Shirley, give Broncos Country what they had been expecting all season plus another 20%. What a nice way to conclude Christmas 2022, don’t you think?

And if not, and it’s more of the same, well, just try not to be a Grinch, as even the hairy green Who came to realize that “maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store (or team in this instance)...maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

So put aside any frustrations, any ill feelings, and welcome the Broncos to your Christmas party. Enjoy the meals, the gifts, the new Broncos apparel your significant other got you, and discuss the good times with your friends and family, Broncos-related or otherwise.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!