"Winning isn't everything, it's the only
thing." -Vince Lombardi.
It's fitting that the NFL's ultimate prize, the
Lombardi Trophy, memorializes an individual who set the standard for
"greatness" in professional sports. Each NFL season, only one team
can be immortalized within Lombardi's timeless legacy. Football is war - one
winner, one loser - and "effort" awards are not given to teams who
play hard, but fall short.
Thus,
if the Denver Broncos fail to return the Lombardi Trophy to the Mile High city,
should the season be considered a disappointment?
Absolutely. John Elway is revered as a Mile High legend
for his Super Bowl victories, and his unwillingness to lay down his pads until
he achieved that ultimate victory. Elway’s dedication to perfection solidified
the Broncos franchise within the rich tradition of Denver’s community. Today, Broncomania establishes the Mile High
City as one of the NFL’s most elite fan bases, on par with historic teams
including Green Bay and Chicago.
As one of the NFL’s most impassioned
competitors, expect Peyton Manning to play at a Mile High level throughout the
playoffs. Are the 2012-2013 Denver Broncos capable of duplicating the Super Bowl
success of this franchise in the late 1990s? One thing is certain, Manning will
be more prepared than his opponents on this potential “Revenge Tour.” The 5280
faithful can count on that fact during the upcoming week of playoff purgatory.
Denver, more than just a city – The 5280 Ethos.
The analytic-based reasoning for the conservative running plays and kneeldown won't make a devastated fan base feel any better, especially not after watching Atlanta quickly move into field goal range and win their divisional game in the final seconds Sunday.Elway was the quarterback on a Denver team that lost at home in the second round of the playoffs in 1996 to the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars. That loss was widely considered the most painful in team history before Saturday. Elway sees similarities, though he said that at the time, he felt his window to win a title was shorter than the current window is for Manning.
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