Solid Gold: D-Mac’s Super Bowl 50
Every day (more or less), D-Mac will offer an insider’s look on what’s happening at Super Bowl 50, including memorable media sessions, guest appearances, run-ins with NFL executives and more, plus plenty of insight on the Denver Broncos and where to eat in San Francisco.
Day 7 – Sunday, Feb. 7
Marshall Manning peeked his head over the small sign hung on a rail that protected his dad from the throng of media. His brown tussled hair, forehead and little wonderous eyes took in the bizarre sights and sounds around him. He looked like a prarie dog peeking up to make sure the coast was clear. His dad smiled gently at his son as he did what he has done year after year: Patiently and elegantly answering questions from an insatiated group of media hounds. I shouted out the question everyone was thinking, “Was this your last game in the NFL?” There was no real polite way to ask Peyton Manning this question after the Super Bowl win. The media was stacked ten deep around his postgame press riser. I felt like I was in Cincinatti trying to see The Who. Manning knew the question was coming – of course. It may as well come from the one local media guy in Denver who he may have thought was his harshest critic. Manning, as always, answered by telling a great story about talking the night before with Tony Dungy. He obviously was seeking counsel on how to next move forward. The fact that Manning still said he needed to process everything and make his mind up later tells you many things. First, he will control the message when and if it’s delivered. Second, he has another year left on his contract worth $20 million. Guess what Broncos, he’s gonna be back at work. Do you really want to cut the QB who just led your team to a Super Bowl victory, John Elway? Third, the crazy part is Manning is as healthy as he’s been since the neck surgeries. A balanced year with specific rest and yep, he’s right back in the playoffs next year.
I say, let’s do it! The coaches don’t love Brock. If they did, he would’ve played in the Super Bowl. I mean there were some putrid moments for this offense in Santa Clara. They are the only team to not put up 200 yards of offense and win! The Broncos and for that matter the Seahawks proved what a world-class defense and a slightly above average running game can do for you. Let Brock go. Talk Manning into a deeper paycut with bonuses. If you didn’t notice, Manning got all his money back ($2 million for the AFC Championship Game, $2 Million for the Super Bowl win). The Broncos will happily have the 32nd pick in the draft. Take the best player on the board. Then in the second round, take the best offensive lineman (sorry Michael Schofield – that’s a wrap), then most importantly – draft Kevin Hogan. Trevor Siemian can play football. I promise you that. The Broncos don’t need to go undefeated to win the Super Bowl. But, they need an all-time great healthy in the playoffs. It wasn’t pretty, but Manning limited his turnovers and made more smart decisions than dumb.
Being a dad really changes your life. Manning’s twins are under five years old. He is old as a football player, but young as a dad. He is learning what it’s like to be unselfish and think of the welfare of others. I know that sounds simple, but when you live a narcissistic life, it can be mind-opening. Manning revealed an openess late in the season that wasn’t there in training camp.
Do you remember James Casey?
Casey was a free agent pick up by the Broncos in the off season. During training camp Casey took 90 percent of the snaps as a Dallas Clark type fullback/H-back. When he wasn’t in there, the iron headed Joe Don Duncan was pounding away at suckers. Joe Don wouldn’t make it through camp and Casey wouldn’t make it through the first three weeks of the season. Manning bucked at Kubiak’s game plan. Seriously? We are gonna run how many plays from under center? I knew this play was in jeopardy when early in the season during practice I watched Manning off to himself practicing the footwork to make a hand off from under center. He was trying to figure out how to do it, not just get in more shadow reps. Well, we don’t need James Casey if we aren’t running Kubiak’s system, so they cut him and Manning immeadiately went into the gun and the pistol. The Broncos won games, but boy it wasn’t pretty. After Week 4, I questioned whether or not Brock should play just to spark something. You would’ve thought I suggested that I run Kubiak’s dog over with a cement truck. (Ah I love cement trucks!) “Peyton’s doing just fine,” was the response from Kubiak. But, you see, Manning wasn’t doing just fine. In fact, he was really struggling. His body was exhausted, his mind was way messed up learning this new offense, Manning was a wreck.
Peyton needed some rest, and most importantly he needed the support of his Broncos family. Manning’s son Marshall wasn’t the only kid in the postgame press conference. Chris Harris brought up his daughter. Danny Trevathan brought up his daughter. Aqib Talib brought up three little Talibs. The Broncos spoke about the bond they shared as a family time after time. If the national media had done their work, they would’ve noticed a unique bond between this group of men that didn’t exist two years ago. But, no, they were fascinated by the Star Wars, or should I say Superman, stats of the Panthers. Hadn’t we learned this lesson two years ago? Has anyone told anybody that works in the East Coast media, defense wins championships? Apparently not. This wasn’t your Paris Lenon defense. DeMarcus Ware is the emotional vice grip and Von Miller is the ultimate hammer. In training camp, Von made a one-on-one move against a long departed offensive lineman that was so good, the big oaf didn’t even touch Von on his way to the fake QB. Do you understand this??? It was a one-on-one drill. It was two guys lined up a foot from each other! Von made a move, then dipped inside so fast, the big fella looked like a matador without the cape – olé! Von whooped and hollered and literally ran off the field into the locker room – this was a football mic drop. This team was special from the get and the go. Von put his Hangover 4 movie past behnd him and is fresh as a daisy. J.J. Watt may have won the defensive player of the year, but ain’t nobody better at defense this year than Von Miller.
Von is the goofy middle brother, stirring the pot, smiling and having fun. Demarcus Ware is the big brother. He is responsible, but trust me, he likes to have fun. They are all lead by the big gregarious uncle in Wade “Hank Hill” Phillips. Standing on his podium, Wade hollered “WE DID IT” as he threw his hand up with his number one index finger raised high. There was a chair for Wade to sit on, but no need when you are floating. Phillips is a legend, but he was out of football for a full year. He wasn’t even supposed to get the Denver job. That position was targeted for Vance Joseph of Cincinnati! One of the best breaks in Broncos history came when Marvin Lewis did not allow Joseph to interview for the DC position. Wade came in making fun of himself. He acknowledged that he wasn’t the first second or probably third choice for this position. But he has proven to be, by far, the best choice.
This is a tough family with a deep, ugly dark side. Their offense is terrible. Demaryius Thomas disappeared – strange to say the least. There is talent with Emanuel Sanders and heart with C.J. Anderson, but the rest of em? Whew – yikes, not pretty. This can be improved upon next year. There will be an entirely new offensive line. Jeff Heuerman will give them a dynamic impact player at tight end. Vernon Davis may as well just stay behind in San Francisco and move back into his old apartment. Ryan Harris will have fanciful tales to tell his grandchildren that yes grandpa Harris really did start and win a Super Bowl as a left tackle. Ryan Clady is willing to restructure to come back. We are most likely done with Evan Mathis and Louis Vasquez. Despite taking every snap at center, do you really think Matt Paradis will return as the starting center? Maybe, but he remains the underdogs underdog. Michael Schofield – well, we talked about him already.
Yes, this offense has more warts than the Wicked Witch of the West on a bad acne day. But does it really matter? The formula isn’t complicated, it’s just hard to pull off. Get the best defense and hope your punter can do his job. Britton Colquitt took a paycut himself and boy did that pay off. Brandon McManus was nails all season and when Gano, the kicker for the Panthers, boinked one, you wanted to hug our star from Temple for his incredible consistency.
The national media were largely a group of ill-informed fools. They didn’t spend enough time with a team that wasn’t even close to being afraid. They were as confident as confident could be. It was the Panthers who were walking around with big eyes in the spotlight. Cam Newton acted like a petchulant child while his defenders blamed race for any criticism. This is like telling my kid I’m biased against all teenagers because he won’t take out the garbage. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Cam stomped off his podium after the game. I hope his mommy had a juice box ready to go.
As Chris Harris walked off his podium, holding his precious daughter. He turned to what was basically a local media contingent. I’m sure fist-bumping a world champion athlete isn’t taught in Unbiased Media 101 at Syracuse, but then again, I flunked out of that school. Chris took a moment and said, “Hey, thank all you guys, seriously for all the good things and the bad things you’ve written. We appreciate it all – thank you.” This is the family that is the Broncos and the media is part of that formula too as the conduit to the fans. There is a bond and respect not only within the players, but amongst those in the Broncos that deal with the media and the media itself. As John Elway proudly held up the Vince Lombardi trophy and triumphantly declared, “This one’s for Pat!” those in the know are aware of how dire Mr. Bowlen’s condition is. The fact he was alive while this moment happened is a celebatory miracle itself. For more than two years, the local press kept it’s collective mouth shut even though Mr. Bowlen’s condition was the worst kept secret in town. This is what a family does for each other. They address their problems and don’t shy away from negative issues while retaining respect for what needs to be respected.
When it was all said and done, Gary Kubiak pulled all the right strings even when there were many different directions this football Geppetto could’ve gone. There is no second-guessing when you win. When you win, you are right. As gold and black confetti rained down on the victorious Denver Broncos, all things were right. Marshall Manning hopped off the stage and was led away by his dad, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and now, again, Super Bowl Champion.
Days 6 & 7 – Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 6 & 7
Hundreds of Broncos fans gathered at Mayes at Mayes Oyster House on Polk Street in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco on Friday night. They were geared up with Orange clothes, hats, fatheads, beads and probably a G string or two. The libations were flowing liberally amongst this prideful group of fans. I was lucky enough to be besides my radio partner Alfred Williams as he got Rod Smith, Mark Schlereth, Maa Tanuvasaa, Ray Crockett and Steve Atwater to drop by. These fellas are larger than life and they were swarmed for autographs and pictures. The raucous crowd hooted and hollered as we did our cheerleading best to bring the crowd into a furious froth befitting the importance of a Super Bowl championship. We were ready. The Fans were ready. We all hope the players are ready. WE READY!!!
Then why did I get the same question over and over when I’ve been pulled aside?
“D-Mac, seriously,” said in an almost whisper, “can they really win, or are you just saying it?”
I’ve had that question in private chats on Twitter and Facebook. I’ve had that same question texted to me at least a hundred times. I have close friends who have called me asking that same question. I’ve had drunk people spit it out to my face. I’ve been asked the question by security guards at the airport an Uber drivers leaving the airport. A dude the other night asked me to roll my window down at a stoplight, screamed at me that he was listening to me right now (a replay of my radio show) and “CAN THEY REALLY WIN????”
I’ve told everybody the same thing.
Yes!
However, my answer comes with some conditions. YES. If Manning doesn’t commit more than one turnover and the Broncos get at least two. YES. If Manning is failing, Kubiak pulls him to put in the better quarterback and yes the better quarterback is Brock. Osweiler clearly isn’t the best leader, but he’s got better feet and a stronger arm and that’s what will work against an average Panthers secondary. YES. If Manning can at least drive the team to where Colquitt can punt the ball inside the 15 yeard line. This is critical. Starting field position and the incredible ability to convert in the red zone has been the key factor in success for the Panthers’ dynamic offense. YES. YES. YES.
The Broncos will probably need either a defensive score or a turnover in the Carolina red zone. In the end, it most likely come down to the last minute and a field goal. Brandon McManus has been lights out all year and the weather will be 70 degrees with little wind.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Broncos fans easily outnumber Panthers fans. It ain’t even close. The Broncos allowed injured players to travel with the team. Malik jackson told me how important it was for him to have Omar Bolden around. There was no wierd hotel switch so the players could stay settled with their friends and families. Things couldn’t be more different while at the same final destination. I love my man John Fox, but he freaked out and did a lousy job thinking through the process. Kudos to Kubiak once again.
This is probably it for Manning and I want to applaud him for everything. However, believe it or not, I want him back to finish his contract. We see that with rest, Manning is effective and a tremendous spark. I would love to see him take a large paycut, down to about 9 million. I would love to see him job share with Trevor Siemian in a serious way to give him the most rest including games that he wouldn’t play in at all. I would love to see Kevin Hogan drafted in the third round. He is the perfect type of game managing QB for Kubiak and the Elway-Stanford ties don’t hurt. Saving as much money as possible, the Broncos could sign Malik Jackson and Von Miller. They could wrap up their linebackers Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall. They could reduce Ryan Clady’s salary and get Ware to give ’em a discount. If the Broncos buy in to the idea of “team first” and bring back this amazing defense, I can’t think of a better person to lead this team – in a very different role – than Peyton Manning.
I know these are radical subversive Bernie Sanders-like thoughts, but I know it would work, just as I knew months and months ago rest for Manning would make him a better QB in the postseason just as it had for Elway in John’s final year when Bubby Brister was Brock Osweiler. People say I’m carzy, wastin’ my life away. I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round. I really love to watch em roll. No longer riding on the merry go round. I just had to let it go.
I left San Francisco Saturday morning to fly back to watch my oldest son perform in the Colorado All-State Men’s Choir at the Bellco Theater in the convention center. It wasn’t a hard choice. The performance was beautiful and I had a steady stream of prideful tears. The guest conductor revealed to the packed house of about two thousand that he was originally from Boston. He said it had been a rough week. However, he said he recently had had an awakening. With that he pulled his tuxedo shirt back – Superman style not Cam Newton style – to unveil an Orange Broncos shirt. This was the equivalent of Van Halen screaming, “WHAT’s UP DENVER!” at a sold out show at Red Rocks. It’s a smart move in any town, but trust me, it really worked well Saturday night.
I woke up Sunday morning and I am on a plane back to the bay. I am surrounded by anxious Broncos fans doing the Super Bowl on a budget. There are beards painted orange. Shirts and hats dot the majority of folks on this Frontier flight. The stewardess is wearing a Broncos scarf. The guy right next to me just saw I was writing this blog. Without saying anything else, he raised his eyebrows as if to say, “Well?????”
Broncos win 20-17 – See Ya at the Parade!
Day 5 – Friday, Feb. 5
I suppose when I asked the commissioner of the NFL if he should fire himself last year, I shouldn’t have expected to be able to ask him a question this year. I asked him a pretty good weed question two years ago in New York. Jeff Legwold followed up on my question two years later – timing is everything. But it didn’t cut as close to the vest as asking Roger Goodell if he should go on unemployment.
I did everything I’ve always done in the past to ask a question. I wore a suit – same exact suit as last year – I thought he would appreciate that. I told the NFL microphone boy I wanted to ask a question 45 minutes before the press conference started. I told him my name and affiliation, he promptly radioed that info back to the king lord overseer of all commissioner questions. Then I raised my hand for an hour straight. I made eye contact with a couple of microphone buys. There were people all around me asking questions. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the NFL blackballed me this year. For crying out loud, I was the only person from Denver trying to ask a question. Jeff Legowold lives now in the ESPN universe. I have been ratted out and tagged as a challenger to the throne. I don’t get to give the commissioner a question because I apparently ask them too directly.
I somehow toughed out the hour straight of raising my hand without needing to ice my arm afterwards. I was asked by several people after the press conference what I was going to ask the commissioner. Vic Lombardi, who is bodldy entering the non-mainstream media filmed the whole thing and posted it on Viclombardi.com. Mile High Sports had a reporter there to get the story that became a bit of a more interesting story because I didn’t get to ask the question. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to directly ask the the commissioner an unbiased query. I mean, let’s face it – Friday with Roger was a joke.
A Reporter from Mexico asked a question about the NFL playing in Mexico – shocker – they will next year.
A Boston reporter asked a bitter question about DeflateGate – non-anser to a non-story everywhere excpet bitter New England – why didn’t you throw the two point conversion to Gronk would’ve been a better question.
Ian Rapoport asked a question about the Pro Bowl. Great, an employee got to ask his boss a question where his boss explained he’s been trying to change things for three years.
Sam Farmer from the L.A. Times got to ask a question about the new L.A. Rams – I thought that issue had been decided.
A reporter from St. Louis cried about no longer having a team. Tough luck, we will see. Build a new stadium.
A 10-year-old girl who plays tackle football got to gush about how awesome it is to play tackle football. Gee, I wondered how she was able to get that one in? She asked if she worked real hard if she could play in the NFL? Goodell lied to her and said maybe. Uh the anser is no – have you met Von Miller?
There were softball questions around concussions and Goodell had a ton of numbers to back up what the NFL is now doing about the issue.
Then before it even started, it was over. Rachael Nichols’ straight-forward questioning wasn’t allowed never mind my cow town perspective.
I have been banned by the NFL.
So what was the question going to be?
Actually, as the press conference was going on, I was feeling more angry at Goodell. We are being lied to about his perspective on head injuries. He has said repeatedly that if he had a son, he would let him play football Well, that’s easy to say when you have twin daughters. I mean, if I was 6-foot-6 I would be like Rob Gronkowski. It’s easy to speculate about things that will never happen.
The commissioner is doing kids and parents a disservice by saying silly things that just will never happen. If you really mean what you say Roger, then adopt a young boy or two and stick them in tackle football at age 9. You make over 32 million dollars a year. It should be pretty easy to adopt, right? There are real parents out there with real kids. They are letting their kids be coached by dads who may or may not know what they are doing. However, where the NFL goes should lead others.
When Goodell expressed frustration that the Pro Bowl was embarrassing, he was putting the blame on the players. Listen, the Pro Bowl is awful because the players are smarter than ever! First, the best players know they shouldn’t take extra hits and they can afford a trip to Hawaii any time they want. Those back ups that did go probably will never get an invite the regular way and should enjoy the experience, but even they know that hitting each other is terrible for all those considered. The truth about football is that indeed contact shortens careers and life spans.
Most ex-NFL players will tell you they wouldn’t change a thing no matter what their condition is now. I believe that, but it doesn’t mean they would do things differently in preparing for games. The new CBA has told the true tale. Stop hitting so much. Have you seen a Broncos practice? Not only do they not hit, but they barely wear pads. Gary Kubiak has kept his team as fresh as possible and now they are in the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning rested his foot for sure, but he was also able to rehab his entire body, including a dead arm. In the biggest game of the year, he is as physcially fit as ever.
A moron in the audience was allowed to ask Goodell a question about the deterioation of quality play because of the non-hitting rules. What a dope.The game is more exciting than ever. The NFL had a record amount of games decided by seven or less points. The players with improved training are bigger and faster than ever. Football has never been more popular and they make less contact with each other than ever before.
I saw the movie Concussion with my 13 year old 8th Grader, Dylan. After the movie I asked him if he wanted to play high school football. He looked up at me as he put on his seat belt, “No way Dad, (click) I don’t want my head to get all messed up.” Dylan is a tough kid. He is a wrestler. He played lacrosse. He’s a catcher in baseball. I bet you anything he can beat up most kids his same size (for the record, I can’t beat up anybody). He loves football. But, he’s not stupid and luckily, financially, he doesn’t need to play football to get into college or make money. He doesn’t want his head to be messed up. Smart kid. What we need to come to grips with as a society is that until the NFL does something radical, kids like Dylan won’t want to play football. It has nothing to do if I will let him play. When the commissioner of the NFL repeatedly says he would let his make-believe boys play football it’s the most disingenious thing he could say. He needs to stop that crap. It’s not about letting the kids do anything. It’s about creating a safe environment that they want to play.
Any activity has inherent danger. Goodell pointed out that sitting on a coach is dangerous. That is true. There is no magic pill to keep you completely safe. We aren’t looking to encase our kids in bubble wrap. But, we also shouldn’t want kids to think about football the way they do about boxing. No sane parent with financial means would ever let his kid box. Football is going down that same path. Maybe that’s okay. I’m sure there weren’t many fans in the stadium during gladiator days saying, “Man, I can’t wait to see my son become a slave and fight against those lions. However, save me a seat for the next gladiator festival!” The American public can’t get enough and we will see recod numbers watching on Sunday. Peyton Manning came from a family of means and he has played football all his life. Let me ask you – are there more players like Manning on the field or disposable players like Ronnie Hillman who grew pu in the Snoop Dogg league that is focused on poor, inner city kids. Hey I get it, if it wasn’t for football most NFL players would never have been able to attend college. However, most NFL players don’t graduate from college either. Do you think players on borrowed time really want to hit each other in the stupid Pro Bowl?
My question to the commissioner would’ve been this:
Commissioner, the Pro Bowl stinks because the players are smarter and logically don’t want to hit each other. When I left the movie Concussion my 8th grade son said he didn’t want to play football because he didn’t want to mess his head up. You continually say what you would do if you had a son. Well, you don’t so please do us a favor and stop saying things that will never happen and please tell us when will the NFL advocate a hitting ban on all organized football until kids are in high school?
Maybe that’s why I wasn’t allowed to ask a question.
Day 4 – Thursday, Feb. 4
Cam Newton is bored. He is tired of answering all the same questions. He just would rather be somewhere else. The way he is acting, you would think this was his 30th straight Super Bowl, not his first. He heaves deep sighs and slowly trudges around. My goodness, the weight of the world is apparently on his gifted shoulders. After posting a couple of photos of Newton on Twitter and suggesting that his act was a bit immature, I got blistered with responses accusing m of all sorts of mean, nasty, ugly things. Apparently, after making an observation, I was guilty of Micro Aggression. Huh? I was accused of being a racist. What? I was told that all white people will die too. ZOINKS! No wonder why Cam Newton shuffles with such a heavy gait. He has supporters who think he is something or represents something other than an extremely talented quarterback. The problem is that Cam isn’t more than an extremely talented quarterback. He may become something special, but right now he’s a 26-year-old kid who is coming into his own. All he should be asked to do is lead the Carolina Panthers as well as he can. Apparently, he’s doing excellent in that department. However, the burden of being more than he needs to be is heavy. Twitter is filled with fools and trolls. The instant exchange of opinions make the Twitterverse a fascinating place to live. I guess I should feel lucky to live in Denver where a football team is just a football team and not a political mandate. The big question is, will the growing ongoing pressure impact anything on the field?
Peyton Manning finished what may be his final large press conference of his playing days. The highlight came when Snoop Dogg asked him if he could get a discount on Papa John’s pizza when he comes to Colorado. Manning grinned and said sure. I’m sure Manning understood the munchie factor based in that question. Snoop then asked about Manning’s family being available to lean on. “Well Snoop,” Manning answered and then went on to describe his relationships with his brother and father. In all honesty, I couldn’t get past Manning uttering, “Well, Snoop.” I suppose this most absurd of all seasons ended appropriately with Manning being questioned by the D-O-double-G. If anybody was going to be bored by the same questions, it was gonna be number 18, but he was fine with it all. When you are walking the path for the last time, it’s appropriate to stop and smell the roses. Manning stood his ground all week and didn’t give in to any temptation to make this week more than what it is, a team effort to win a world championship. There’s no telling if he can wrap his last rodeo with a shiny new belt buckle. Speaking with Brock Osweiller reminded me that they may not have made the playoffs if they had to rely completely on Manning. Brock is a selfless professional himself and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s called upon. Brock seems to be at ease with his role. Perhaps thats actually the problem with Brock. Perhaps Brock needs to be a little more ticked off. Perhaps Brock needs to have a few more selfish moments. But, then again, that wouldn’t really be Brock would it.
The common theme for the Broncos is that of family. They are a much tighter unit then two years ago. They have been bonded by battle-tested, close wins and many, many detractors. Gary Kubiak has spoken about player after player having to step up this year. Most teams don’t carry a quarterback to the Super Bowl. Most times its the other way around. But this team is different in a way that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. Let’s face it, nobody expected them to be here because you aren’t suppposed to win this way. Sure, maybe you can win a game or two, but seriously, you went 11-3 in games decided by 7 points or less??? Come on! Malik Jackson told me that there is a closer bond than two years ago. Jackson said there is a quickness in practice that belies the efficiency of this squad. Malik will be a free agent next year, but wants to be back with the team that drafted him. He is an unsung hero and you can make a legitimate argument his contribution in containing Cam and stopping the ferocious running game will have a greater impact than Peyton Manning. The national media just can’t see the bond this team actually has. When you talk to Broncos players that were part of the 1997 and ’98 championship teams, they will tell you they knew without any doubt they would beat Green Bay despite being 11-point underdogs. This Broncos team appears to be cut from the same cloth.
With their final media session done, the players ambled back to their rooms for a brief break before moving off to Stanford for their final preparations in what is traditionally their most physical practice of the week. Wednesday night, the 104.3 the Fan staff attended a delicious team bonding dinner at The Waterfront. It was a spectacular seafood dinner where Mark Schlereth, Alfred Williams and Chad Brown regaled us regular people with stories of Super Bowl success and failure. As they spun their engaging tales you could see the sparkle in their eyes. They know they’ve been part of something special. They are in a small club that has restricted membership. The rings that Mark and Al wear will forever define their past while the bitterness of not getting to that mountain top depsite a 15-year career haunts Chad. You can feel that the Broncos have a deeper appreciation for what getting that ring actually means.
Peyton Manning strode off the stage and ducked through a slight opening in the white media tent to step into the final chapter that will define his legacy while his teammates, through smiles, hugs and encouragement embark on etching the stories they will tell the rest of their lives.
That, my friends, is anything but boring.
Day 3 – Wednesday, Feb. 3
Okay, let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts of obtaining the services of a lady of the night, or in the case of the Murphy brothers late in the afternoon on a Tuesday. First of all DON’T DO IT! My goodness, how lonely could you possibly be? Ryan Murphy is a practice squad player on the Broncos. PRACTICE SQUAD! I mean, you are barely on the team. Dan Light was a practice squad guy who was cut after the Broncos WON the AFC championship. Nick Kasa was a practice squad guy who was added to the team after the AFC Championship. I mean the equipment guys are more valuable to operation of the team than guys on the practice squad (in fact they are MUCH more valuable). So, if you have the significance of lint, you may wanna keep your head low. But, Ryan Murphy apparantly has an idiot brother. These two grew up in the Oakland area – perhaps that explains everything. I’m sure it was awesome to see your brother dressed up in all that Super Bowl gear. It was so fantastic that they felt the need on an off day to hire a hooker.
Now this isn’t your ordinary street walker. Apparently she actually knows the brothers Murphy. Hey, maybe she went to school with them! I had no idea there was a sex sting operation going down in Santa Clara / San Jose. Looking around this mellow area it would seem like parking in handicapped spaces would be a bigger issue than the sex trade. That being said, the sting is on. The VICE squad busted Lady Marmalade at a Motel 6. She said she left some property in a car. Why the car was hanging around is anybody’s guess. That being said, she took the police right to the Murphy brothers where they were surrounded!!!! Santa Clara Cops!!! Sniffing out one horny Super Bowl participant at a time!!! Both the Murphy brothers were questioned. Ryan’s brother threw himself on the grenade, which is admirable. It was he that was looking for the action. Uh….sure….. That’s exactly what I would want to do. Tag along with my brother as he pays for love. Don’t all family members love doing that? The hooker and Ryan’s brother got a ticket and Ryan was let go. A local CBS TV affiliate was tipped off about the story. The Broncos knew it was about to become public. They had no choice but to send Ryan home – commercial. This is probably one of the dumbest moves by any fringe player in Super Bowl history.
I’ve been around the Broncos five days a week since late July and I wouldn’t know who Ryan Murphy was unless he came up to me wearing a t-shirt that said, “Hey D-Mac, I’M RYAN MURPHY.” Even then the back of the t-shirt better say, “I’m on the Broncos practice squad.” What can I tell you? It’s the Super Bowl. Even guys who start in the game are largely ignored by the mass media, never mind a borderline player with Bay Area roots. The question remains: Will the Broncos cut Murphy and add somebody in the next two days? We thought the Nick Kasa story was crazy; this could be a topper.
I would suggest the Broncos do something kind of nice. If Murphy ain’t gonna be here, there’s not much reason to have him on the team at all. It’s not like other teams are gonna be jumping all over his services. I mean, just think, there are Motel 6’s all over this country. Where would Murphy be safe???? Call up Dan Light whom you cut for Nick Kasa and get him to Santa Clara. Let’s face it, cutting a guy after the AFC Championship game that you actually won is a bit harsh. Dan has been on the practice squad longer than Ryan Murphy anyway. Do something nice. I’m sure you can find an extra sweat suit.
As far as the impact on the team? Head Coach Gary Kubiak was asked one question about it. He said they had dealt with it and had moved on. What else is there to say? Incredibly and ironically, Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera asked the team’s radio color analyst Eugene Robinson to speak to the squad. Robinson had been named the NFL Man of the Year and then the night before the Super Bowl against the Broncos he got busted with a prostitute. Mark Schlereth said this morning on The Fan Morning show that when it was announced in a Broncos team meeting he and Elway high-fived each other. Rod Smith got past Robinson for an 80-yard touchdown and the rest is hooker history. Robinson’s advice to the team. Don’t do what I did!
Sage.
Again, this incident will have ZERO impact on the team. In fact, it may even help as a warning sign to mind your own business. Guess when it will be an awesome time to break the law? NEXT WEEK! It’s hard to ignore that the Broncos have had more disturbances off the field than the Panthers. Monday was the idiot driver bus accident. Tuesday was the practice squad player prostitute. I was with the team all morning on Wednesday and well, everything looked fine, but hey – the day is young!
Peyton Manning and Cam Newton could not be more different. Manning, with his football jersey tucked into his jeans, calmly strode up to the press podium and answered every question patiently and professionally. There were a bunch of quetions about his impending future. There were a bunch of questions that I’m sure he’s been asked before. It didn’t matter to Manning. He was respectful and deferential, propping up the defense time and time again. I asked him about the defining characteristic of the season. He said he couldn’t name just one because there had been so many gritty wins this year. Manning is right. The Broncos were 11-3 in games decided by seven or less points. Gary Kubiak told me in camp that we were “fixin’ to find out” what the identity of the offensive line was. I brought that up to him this morning and in the end it’s a group of “grinders” most specifically defined by Matt Paradis who took every single offensive snap this season. Nobody in life is more of a grinder than Paradis. Matt was a late round draft pick who never saw the light of day last year. He was ignored coming out of high school and has had to constantly prove himself on every level. Compare him to the Panthers starting center Ryan Kalil who may be the best center in the league and has been a number one type of guy his whole life. Ryan Harris said that you have to be confident in yourself and believe you belong in the NFL. That’s something a guy says who knows he’s on thin ice. It’s absoluely admirable, but it’s a Stuart Smalley “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone it, People like me,” moment.
Now let’s turn to the Panthers.
Cam Newton is physically awesome, but he loves to use words that aren’t really words. When I worked in Buffalo, Bruce Smith use to do this all the time. I mean we always knew what he meant, but his effort to impress people with his vast vocabulary made us wonder, “Who exactly is Bruce trying to impress?” It’s as if Newton is actually a little insecure, which is bizarre to say about somebody who appears so confident. It is a slight chink in the armour or in Newton’s case, armoire. But, there is no debating his physical skills and presence. He just isn’t human. Nobody is supposed to look like Newton. Tall and strong, Newton is gifted with not only an incredible arm, but amazing speed and power. There just has never been anybody like him. He has a trillion-watt smile and oozes leadership. He has a coach who is more than willing to let Cam be Cam and boy is it working. The only weird part is that Cam is showing the world this week that he is mentally weak. He’s slouching around as if he shouldn’t have to do everything he’s being asked to do. He’s acting as if he’s doing us all a favor. He’s assuming everybody knows everything about him and his team. Hey here’s a newsflash, there is NO Panthers nation. You are in one of the smallest NFL markets. If your job was turning left for a living, well then you may be a big deal to that part of the country. Panthers fans are barely jumping on the bandwagon. Your coach was on the verge of being fired last year. I’m not going to argue that your team isn’t legit – it is. But, this is hardly some kind of dynasty. This is a really, really good year. Cam is being asked to sacrifice his body for the greater good. There is no doubt this will shorten his career, so honeslty, this may be the only time we see this Adonis on the NFL’s biggest stage. Slow and steady wins the race and Peyton Manning has 4 Super Bowl appearances, 5 MVPs and 18 NFL seasons to prove it. What we will see on Sunday as we saw today will be the ultimate test of Brawn vs. Brains. Experience vs. Exuberance. Grinders vs. Versace.
The Last Rodeo vs. the Fashion Catwalk will play itself out by the City by the Bay.
Day 2 – Tuesday, Feb. 2
I guess people in California can’t drive. An idiot driver got in-between some of the Broncos buses in a police escort yesterday. A cop got behind the driver and lit her up. Despite being in the far left hand lane, the driver slammed on her brakes instead of simply pulling over to the side. WHAT?!?!?! A cop had to lay his motorcycle down and the Broncos three buses carrying players hit each other. SCREECH – BAM – BAM. UNREAL. I suppose a bus accident on Monday is better than a trainwreck on Sunday. Mike Klis told me and Al that a couple of players were actually a bit more banged up than orignially reported but wouldn’t reveal who they were. Gary Kubiak confirmed that Broncos trainer Steve Antonopolous had to check out everybody on the bus. Yikes.
This morning, on the ardous 70-minute trip from San Francisco to Santa Clara, another idiot driver got in between the first two buses. AMAZING. The motorcycle cops – Ponch and Jon – in a driving rain storm, furiously waved the daft motorist to the side. I mean this is insanity out here! The traffic was brutal all over town. Our hotel is 1.8 miles from the media center; it took 45 minutes to get back to the hotel after the show. Ah well…. It’s not all glory and rock star moments in San Francisco.
The Broncos had the day off. In this new Super Bowl tradition, only about a dozen players actually had to speak to the media. The rest of the guys had a pure day off. There was brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures in lovely Santa Clara, California. The Marriot where the players are staying is a Hail Mary pass from Levi’s Stadium, home of Super Bowl 50. The players have an easy 50 foot walk from the side entrance of the hotel into a large media tent. This is as easy and as comfortable as you could possibly get. Peyton Manning led the party bus in boozin’ it up and karayoke on Monday night. Social media ratted out the fellas. However, sluggin back some brews and having somebody else drive is a long way from closing down a strip club. I can’t imagine what a Santa Clara strip club even looks like. Maybe there’s a dark part of town in San Jose? Either way, the Broncos seem to be having the right type of fun. The players at the podium were a tad bleary eyed, but hardly distracted from the task at hand. Let’s face it, the game plan goes in on Wednesday, not Monday night. Heck, who knows what happens in these guys lives on Monday night with a day off Tuesday. Dan Reeves told us on the air that Eugene “Man of the Year” Robinson getting busted with a prostitute the night before the Falcons/Broncos Super Bowl was the most disturbing distraction he ever had to go through. Compared to that unfortunate or fortunate moment, the Broncos passed with flying colors.
Von Miller was in fine spirits as was Derek Wolfe. C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman seem to be handling the situation fine although I think they are bothered by the fact hardly anybody knows who they are. Sitting side-by-side on two different podiums were Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. It was a striking contrast. DT is shy by nature. The spotlight just isn’t for him. Meanwhile there is no spotlight too bright for Emmanuel. These guys are just built different. DT spent time admitting he had been letting himself and his team down with his poor play in the playoffs while Sanders did nothing but try and pump up his recieving co-star. The irony is that this game is set up to be one for the ages for Thomas. Will he be able to shoulder that burden? Body language today, with a steel terse expression on his face and his flat brimmed gold flavored Super Bowl hat pulled low to his brow, would indicate that the weight of the world is crushing Thomas. Sanders quick laugh and bright white smile indicate a decidely different flavor. The talent with both of these young guys is immense, the question is who will rise to the occassion.
Peyton Manning was calm, cool and collected. His hair was parted like a cartoon character from the ’50s. His Gosh Golly appearance was acccompanied by a deference to his opponent and his typical self-effacing manner. There are so many times where he just appears too good to be true. He’s not. He’s a smart, controlled character that has already figured out every move before his opponent has had a chance to go. Nothing happens in Manning’s world without careful consideration. He chooses to wear sweater vests. A hip-hop friendly sweatsuit fits Manning like a barbwire jock strap. Yet, there Manning faces the hundreds of media hounds hoping to get some tiny tangent of information. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Let’s face it, we all know this is truly the last rodeo. There is reflection in his speech patterns which is unique to a man who is about to turn a chapter in his life, not one who is writing a new novel. Manning is done. He’s been done for weeks. If not for Sanders fumbling the ball at the Chargers 5 yard line in Week 17, Brock Osweiller would be the starting QB. This isn’t Manning’s time. That has clearly come and gone. However, there he sits, with dripping sarcasm and humor, spinning tales of football glory one last time on the NFL’s biggest stage. Yes, he has the moment that every legendary player, heck every small kid in every small town, dreams about. It’s a humbling moment and Manning is handling the situation carefully. The bad snap for the hideous safety on the first play of Super Bowl XLVIII isn’t a distant memory to Manning. We joked in the Broncos media room last week, Manning should take a knee on the first play just to make sure the snap went well. Okay, 2nd and 11 – let’s go! The lessons learned from the most horrible of all Super Bowls has been burned into this organizations psyche. It simply won’t happen again. This is what the national media and the Panthers can’t possibly understand. The Broncos team this year knows what it means to be scarred and succeed. They are beyond battle-tested. This defense is the big bully on the block and Manning has had his lunch money stolen. The fight will be epic.
The media nerds will celebrate with each other tonight as they become the stars at the yearly media party. I can’t wait. A thousand dudes to every lovely lady. Free food and drink will entertain us all as we celebrate the glory that is Fisherman’s Wharf. I’m giving myself three and half hours to get there.
Day 1 – Monday, Feb. 1
Getting out of town was no easy task. There was an incoming storm and the roads were icy and slick. The snow began pelting the highway just as I was being driven to the airport. Travel was clearly treacherous. When the airplane lifted through the clouds through turbulent air, we were San Fran-bound. My foks were wandering hippies in their younger years. We had driven across the country in a puke brown 1976 Cougar. My brother and I were stacked in the backseat like sardines. The journey extended from Massachusetts to San Francisco. We spent a day putting our feet in the Pacific Ocean and eating at Fisherman’s Wharf. Well, at least that’s what I was told. My father once worked for Standard Oil in San Francisco in his younger years when he had just left the Army. What must of it been like to exist in San Fran in the mid-60s? I don’t think my dad has ever been completely honest about his time and experience in the city of Flower Power. I can only imagine what it must have been like. The city is clearly different now.
The high-tech companies have taken over. Block after block features new apartment building popping up like Eggos from a toaster. There needs to be a place for the nerds to live and nobody wants to stay in Santa Clara apparently. There is a weird convergence of the new obliterating the old. One of the ironies of the Super bowl is that game is really nowhere close to San Francisco. The Broncos play in the heart of their city. The 49ers play in the outer regions of the pinky toe. Candlestick was right in the city, right on the water and right in the middle of the worst wind pattern you would ever find. It’s incredible how good the Niners teams were considering the awful home field conditions. Progress came in the form of departure, thus this Super Bowl is spread out.
The traditional Tuesday media day cacophany has been replaced by Opening Night. While we broadcast from Radio Row in the Moscone Convention center, located in some sort of valley in the middle of San Fran, the Broncos were being feted in a hockey arena in San Jose. For the first time in years, we were nowhere near the action, however we were in the middle of it at the same time. Our producer Mike Coover and morning show producer Scott Dehuff made the 90-minute journey to San Jose and we got a unique taste of media day.
We gladly extended our show by 90 minutes and had a blast picking up the network feed for Peyton Manning, Von Miller and Demarcus Ware. We also were able to get Derek Wolfe on the phone (he was disappointed he didn’t have a podium), we spoke with Michael Schofield (he was counseled by Tyler Polumbus and Ryan Harris to get through a wicked tough stretch of poor play). We laughed with practice squad player and Legacy High and CU player Nick Kasa who had been signed to the Broncos after the AFC Championship game, in what can only be one of the most bizarre twists in Super Bowl history. The Colorado tight end bought tickets to the AFC Championship game on Stub Hub with some friends. He was a star in high school. He was a starter in college. He was a draft pick by the Raiders. However, he only had one catch in his NFL career – ironically, a TD vs. the Broncos two years ago. He suffered an injury and was cut. He has spent the better part of a year getting back into shape dreaming of an opportunity. But, nobody would think that it would come after the AFC championship. Kasa had a busted up phone that he ended up dropping on the ground at the AFC Championship Game. His clumsiness rendered the phone useless so he wasn’t aware that his agent was desperately trying to contact him to tell him the Broncos wanted to sign him. Again, this is a Colorado kid who went to Legacy High School. He was at the Broncos/Patriots game as a fan and the next day he was on the team. How in the world does this happen? Kasa went to his local Verizon store the next day and got his phone going, then he got his ass to Dove Valley for one of the most unique trips ever to the Super Bowl.
Uh, wow.
Those kind of stories make coming to a Super Bowl worth it – especially on a Monday. Alfred and I were thrilled to have things go so smoothly. Radio row is a reunion of good and bad. There are a zillion media friends from Denver who dropped by. We saw our old producer Kevin Sherrets who is now a Program Director in Sacramento. There are hugs and high fives all over the place as we’ve all aparanelty made an agreement to meet year after year at the Super Bowl. Seeing all your pals means that somehow you’ve survived another year in the media. Somehow you’ve secured “the greatest job in the world” according to all of your friends. Indeed, during Super Bowl week, you do feel extremely lucky because there are so many graveyards of disappointment in the business we have chosen.
Walking the streets of San Francisco, we had a typical Alfred Williams experience. Al wanted to go back to the hotel and then go out to eat. That was a horrible plan. It was already 6:30 p.m. There would be no way we would be eating before 9 p.m. if we followed Al’s lead. I insisted whatever we do, we eat and eat now no matter where the restaurant. Al threw out perhaps 6 different eating options as we ambled down the gentle wind swept sidewalk. There was a warm bay breeze that washed over us making our dizzingly decision more palpable. Al told us how incredible the food was a Mel’s Diner. Great let’s go there. Nah said Al, he ate there earlier and got into a fight with a waitress because he had lost his phone. I think Al thought she was a racist. Uh….okay. Next. We entered and sat down at a Pho Sushi spot. Great, we all love sushi! Al opened up the menu and then started squirming in his seat. I have been in this situation before. We were at a Waffle House in South Beach a few years ago and I was ready for some 2 a.m. breakfast. We had actually ordered when Al proclaimed this place is terrible and he wanted pizza. So, based on my lengthy Super Bowl experience with Al, I stood up and said, “let’s get out of here!” Sure enough we ended up in – c’mon now – guess where – that’s right – Mel’s Diner!!!! Al kept his head down as we entered because he didn’t want to give the racist waitress the satisfaction that he was back. Alfred is 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds. Him keeping his head down is like a grizzly bear hiding behind a pineapple shrub.
The dinner was terrific as we imbibed on the local Anchor Steam brew. I know it’s a San Fran thing, but I was sort of missing a cold Coors Light. The exhaustion of the day soon set in. We had had a terrific first day. We would find out later the Broncos had hired a party bus to make what will probably be the only excursion they will have to the city of San Francisco. There was some evicence left on Instagram, but none in the police blotter. It appears the Kubiak crew had the same jovial time as we did. It’s not outrageous but it’s evenly tempered. Alfred slumped in his side of the booth late in the evening, with his drowsy eyes half closed and declared, “Man, I think I gotta shut this down.” It was 9:05 p.m. This is our Super Bowl Monday and I couldn’t be happier. Tomorrow we see where the Broncos are staying. It’s nowhere near where we are staying.
The Nerd Super Bowl is throwing quite a party.
Prelude – Sunday, January 31st
When are you going to San Francisco? That was the most common question flying my way when I ran into friends on Sunday. I run a non-profit baseball organization with four youth teams (Colorado Flash Baseball). We had an indoor practice at Slammers, located a stone’s throw from the Broncos’ Dove Valley facility. There was a mixture of curiosity and jealousy with that question. Going to a Super Bowl is a fascinating experience. It can be absolutely enthralling and completly mundane. There is a sense of wonderment and drudgery with the details. There are wonderous parties and ponderous bus rides. I am equal parts excited and anxious every year we go. The good news is, we have gone year after year after year after year.
I brought AFC Championship confetti to the practice to inspire the kids. After practice, I stood by the exit asking kids if they wanted to feel like a champion. Have you ever had confetti fall on your heard. Would inpired kids take a strand of orange and blue confetti and tape it to something to remind them to play great? Well, that was the intention. However, it appears quite a few kids took my suggestion literally and just dumped confetti on either their own heads or a pal’s head near the bathroom as I found piles of the colored paper strewn on the floor. Ah well, perhaps 11-year-olds don’t appreciate the grandeur of what it takes to get to the Super Bowl.
The Broncos left Dove Valley in front a handful of fans to make their way to the airport. The send off was appropriate for team that has actually been to so many Super Bowls. This is nothing new. We’ve all been down this same path a couple of years ago. What is now so remarkable is how many things went so wrong in New York. They prepared wrong. They had the wrong game plan. They stayed in a horrible hotel. They partied too hard. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. So few of us actually get the second chance to get things right. It this isn’t the same Broncos team is it? Think about who wasn’t on that team bus headed for Santa Clara.
Champ Bailey – Gone. Paris Lennon – Gone. Wesley Woodyard – Gone. Knowshown Moreno – Gone. Tony Carter – Gone. Matt Prater – Gone. Robert Ayers – Gone. The gone list is long, but the good news is this team is so, so strong. Von Miller is on that bus. Chris Harris is on that bus. Derek Wolfe is on that bus. Those three not only didn’t play, they didn’t even get to travel last time.
The Broncos are on their way to the Super Bowl. They are better than two years ago. They have a defined leader in Demarcus Ware. They are more focused. Does this mean they will only ose by 20 not 35? Or is it their time. Hope rides on a bus.
