by Michael DeLuca

It's a debate that's been had time and time again, but now there's a new name to add to the list of all-time greatest athletes, U.S. super swimmer Michael Phelps.  I'll count down from #10 to #1 my top ten athletes of all time...and no, I'm not going to count horses.

10.  John Elway- Elway may have been just as good of a baseball player as he was a football player.  While there are many who can play two sports, few choose the rigors of the NFL when another option is present.  Elway did and went on to play 16 seasons for the Denver Broncos, capping his career with consecutive Super Bowl victories!

9.  Lance Armstrong - This guy biked the crap out of a bunch of foreigners while battling cancer. 

8.  Gordie Howe- It's hard to consider hockey players great athletes because let's be honest...every good hockey player you know sucked at every other sport.  Howe, on the other hand, got the nod based upon adding durability (he retired at 52) and fighting to his scoring, skating, and passing repertoire.

7.  Wilt Chamberlain - Look, I've done the calculations and studied every angle...it's impossible to have slept with over 20,000 women.  Despite being a liar, Chamberlain was one of the greatest basketball players of all time and excelled at track and field well before his NBA days.

6.  Jackie Robinson - As a point guard for the UCLA Bruins, Robinson twice led the Pac 10 in scoring.  He was also an All-American running back.  He played a third sport as well that I hear he was pretty good at.

5.  Dave Winfield - Only athlete ever to be drafted in three professional sports; basketball, football, and baseball.  Not only was Winfield a rare combination of power and speed, but he was an extremely accomplished pitcher while in college at Minnesota as well.

4.  Edison Arantes do Nascimento- Alright I'm screwing with you.  You probably know him better as Pele.  Hands down greatest player in the history of soccer.  Only guy to ever win three World Cup titles.  The sport may be as boring as watching slugs mate, but these guys are incredible athletes.

3.  Jim Brown - In addition to football, Brown excelled at baseball, basketball, lacrosse, and boxing.  He could have played professionally in any of these sports.  He chose football and went on to be arguably the best running back in NFL history.  Oh yeah, he placed fifth in the 1956 decathlon championship.

2.  Michael Jordan- There's no other professional who ever dominated his sport quite like MJ.  From his electrifying dunks to his clutch jumpers, #23 was simply the man on the basketball court.  Jordan, at 31 years of age, played minor league baseball and is also an accomplished golfer.

1.  Bo Jackson - No other athlete has dominated two professional sports the way Bo Jackson did.  And while many will name athlete after athlete who could have performed at a high level in two sports but chose to focus on one, the proof is in the pudding.  In his rookie season, 1987, Bo averaged 6.8 yard per carry.  In 1989, Bo hit 32 home runs and stole 26 bases.

Hey, notice something.  That's right...no Phelps.  C'mon now, the guy swims for Pete's sake.  Granted what he's doing is impressive, but all of this "greatest athlete" crap is purely media driven.  Sure if I extended this list out a bit, he'd poke his head in.  But it's more fun to leave him out while everybody else is busy swinging from his sack.

2.  Ashton Kutcher has a fraternal brother Michael.  At birth Michael was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.  Ashton has been quoted as saying that he always looked out for his bro.  You can read more about the brothers relationship in the recent feature by Details magazine (online version includes video).

3.  Kiefer Sutherland has a twin sister Rachel who has also worked in the biz.  The pair are offspring from the well know actor Donald Sutherland.

4.  John Elway, retired NFL quarterback, had a twin sister, Jana, who "always kept him out of trouble."  A non-smoker, she contracted lung cancer and died at the age of 42 in the summer of 2002.

5.  Justin Timberlake had a twin sister, Laura Katherine, who died minutes after birth.  He still thinks about his sister and mentions her in a few vintage 'N Sync songs.

6.  Surprisingly,  Scarlett Johansson has a twin brother named Hunter who is apparently also an actor.  Shame only one lucked out and hit the big time.

7.  Actor Joseph Fiennes has an identical twin brother Jacob.  The twins are younger brothers to another famous actor Ralph Fiennes.  Jacob is not an actor but instead chose the country life.  He lives in a 100-year-old cottage with his wife, Mel (a veterinary technician) and their daughter.

8.  Jon Heder, famed for his role as Napoleon Dynamite, has an identical twin brother, Daniel.  Daniel Heder is an American producer and filmmaker and has worked with his brother including an episode of Punk’d where Jon was the target and Daniel was a collaborator.

9.  Actress Linda Hamilton made a name for herself in the Terminator movies alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Linda's identical twin sister Leslie Hamilton Gearren later played the "T-1000 Sarah" in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

10.  Vin Diesel (hunka.licio.us! Am I right?!?) has a twin brother Paul Vincent who is a film editor.  Sorry ladies, they’re fraternal :( .  Paul reportedly has bright red curly hair but I haven’t been able to locate any pics.   Please comment below if you’ve seen one.  (And, no, he doesn't moonlight as Ronald McDonald.  I know you were thinkin' it.)

Jay Cutler has been the face of the Broncos since he was drafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. Everything has revolved around him even when he was not starting. Everything Broncos has his name, face, or number on it. He is one of Denver's celebrities even if he does not play well. 

Though that comfort is about to end as he reaches his next NFL season. The magic Shanahan 3rd season where all QB's are supposed to bloom. Even Brian Griese had a good season in his 3rd with Mike Shanahan. Others such as Steve Young, Jake Plummer, and John Elway have blossomed into some of the best players in the NFL.

Jay Cutler has to now follow them in his success. See the Broncos as much as we hate to admit it, have had a lot of turmoil over the off-season. We lost Brandon Marshall to a suspension, John Lynch to free agency, and Jason Elam to the Falcons. So our success lies in the hands of the one leader left. That is Jay Cutler. 

No matter how much people will deny it. You can not do well without a good QB. Name me one team in the playoffs that did not have a decent QB  at worst. Even *gulp* Phillip Rivers can sometimes perform when he needs to. Even though I hate him with every fiber of being! 

Our team would be nothing without Jay Cutler's success. If he plays average, we will be an average team. If he plays great, we will be a great team! If he plays badly, then we will be a terrible team. The stats show it. Last season when he was not playing during the Lions game we lost. When he played at a Peyton Manning level against the Chiefs, we destroyed. Rewind to 2006, the final game of the season when Jake Plummer started via Jay Cutler's injury we lost. 

The facts are right there. We need him to play well to win. Say what you will about there being no I in team, but for the Broncos right now we are mixing up spelling rules with Jay Cutler. If we did not think that Cutler was the key to winning we wouldn't have built our team around him. The Broncos are relying on him especially early in the season. 

Brandon Marshall will be gone which means we lose a big playmaker on the offense. So for the first two games, we need Jay Cutler to step up. The first against the Raiders may seem easier but without Marshall you never know. San Diego is one where we might suffer unless Jay Cutler plays well. 

So yes, we need Jay Cutler right now. He is the key to the 2008 season. I believe he will impress so I am not worried but he better or else we will be stuck in a deep hole. 

Of course not!

For those who didn't figure it out by themselves, from left to right that's noted acquited murder suspect and Buffalo Bills icon OJ Simpson as a 49er, Patrick "I guarantee but have no rings" Ewing as one of the Orlando Magic and finally the Jets' own Joe Willie Namath as a Los Angeles Ram.

The ending in sports is rarely pretty.  Few careers wrap up as John Elway's did with back to back Super Bowl wins (thank you, Terrell Davis) and a ride off into the sunset.  Most end with a former star athlete taking one too many punches or falling down in center field while chasing a ball he might have easily caught in his prime.

Brett Favre is destined to go out the same way.  In fact, he kind of already did.  Last season, in what was supposed to be his last game ever, he threw a game clinching interception to the delight of Giants' fans everywhere.  Maybe that's part of the reason Favre is so determined to come back.  Of course, we know we'll never really know.

What we do know is that with a lifer like Favre it won't end pretty.  Whether it's later this season or next year or the year after, sooner or later, Brett Favre's skills will have deteriorated just enough to either get him benched for a much less accomplished QB or get him hurt.

Favre has a right to pursue his career as long as he wants.  There's no doubt after last season and despite the way he ended his team's playoff run with pick, that Favre still has something left in the tank.  Furthermore, with so much money on the line, there's a huge financial upside to Brett risking his legacy.  So clearly there is method and some kind of reasoning behind his madness.

What I'll never understand is why the Jets have any interest in Brett Favre.  Tampa, I get, they made the playoffs last year, their coach collects quarterbacks like others collect sports memorabilia, and maybe just maybe Favre with a lot of luck could put them over the top.

The Jets can NOT say the same thing.  Brett Favre is not going to take this team to the Super Bowl this year or next.  In fact, he may not be enough to take them to the playoffs.  So why jump in?

My only answer is tradition.

The Jets organization has been snake bitten for the most part since their amazing Super Bowl upset way back when I was too young to appreciate the magnitude of the moment.  Since then, of course, one bad decision has followed the other and fueled the team's desperation to again taste glory.  Half my lifetime later, the Jets are still searching to recapture that one magical moment.  Now, as their coach and GM face the critical third year of their rebuilding scheme, the organization is going all out to gamble their resources on a quarterback who is clearly on borrowed time.

Maybe they figure that karma owes them something what with Joe Namath going out a Ram and all.

Mark my words. 

They are about to find out karma is a b#tch...

During the mid 1980's when I was three years old when I lived in Colorado, I was emotionally attached to John Elway and Elway is considered one of my favorite athletes.  When Elway retired in 1999, Mr. Pat Bowlen the owner of the Denver Broncos let Elway retire on his own terms and with dignity and respect.  Bowlen has done that too with many great Broncos like Terell Davis, Rod Smith, and Gary Zimmerman who was just inducted into the Hall of Fame this past weekend.  Brett Favre can be considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but it shows from the attitude of Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson that the Packers are creating a major public relations crisis with its fan base by not being honest about the Brett Favre.  Truly, because Mike McCarthy does not want to answer the tough questions show there is a vendetta between Thompson and Favre, but we will know the real answer when the Packers could be below .500 at mid-season and another thought of 10 more losing seasons of Packers football could await.

Honestly, I have been more of a Broncos fan all my life because the Broncos have always made great decisions as management, only had four losing seasons in the past 31 years and that is amazing in the NFL, and always played aggressive football without making excuses or empty promises like the Packers have been.  The Packers in the last thirty-one years had nine losing seasons, 7 .500 seasons, and had only had fifteen winning seasons above .500  in the last thirty-one years.  This has been attributive to horrible management,  bad draft picks, poor PR, and only beneficial of Brett Favre that the Packers have enjoyed this run of great success.   Tonight, every Packers fan had a chance to know what the real anwser is on Brett Favre because of Thompson's and McCarthy's inablity to anwser the tough questions, Brett Favre was forced to retire by Thompson for Aaron Rodgers.  All I say, is may the Brett Favre sweepstakes begin and may the best team win. 

Today's press conference will prove that the Packers have created a massive public relations crisis and have caused irreparable damage that could last forever between Packers fans and Packers management.  Still, I am a Broncos fan, and will root hard for whatever NFL team Taylor Mehlhaff my friend from the Badgers football team will play next on.

Pigs are flying! Well, pigskins to be more accurate. At Dove Valley, the heart of Denver Broncos Country, preparation for the season is underway and, as always, the talk isn’t just about the playoffs it’s about the Super Bowl. Despite last season’s record (7-9), expectations are high.

This year, Jay Cutler enters his third go-round as starting QB. This is the magic year coach Mike Shanahan marks as the time his quarterbacks bloom. Cutler seems poised to breakout and join the ranks of the NFL’s elite young quarterbacks. He’s also the only other Bronco’s quarterback - besides the legendary John Elway - to be available as a Fathead. Cutler has a new focus brought on by the fact that he must balance football and his diabetes that was uncovered in the off-season. I don’t see it as a distraction; it is the kind of challenge that should keep his head in the game on many different levels.

The Broncos also have no less than five running backs in camp with Shanahan looking for any combination of a star or a platoon to scratch out an average of 5 yards per carry. Given the long list of 1,000-yard carriers in Denver, following the running back derby is always interesting. The starter so far? Selvin Young (140 carries, 729 yards and a 5.2 yard per carry average in 2007), but look for veterans Michael Pittman and Andre Hall or rookies Ryan Torain and Anthony Alridge to impress Shanahan and get game day reps. If wide-out Brandon Marshall manages to dodge trouble with the league office, he should be a potent weapon for Cutler.
The Broncos need to improve the defensive line after a terrible year that saw the team 30th against the run. Help will hopefully come from the return of Ebenezer Ekuban, free agent Dewayne Robertson and two-sophomore defensive ends with something to prove, Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder. And the Bailey brothers, Boss and Champ, will hopefully find a rhythm and spark the defense.

On special teams, Jason Elam will be sorely missed, especially at the end of games - where he was consistent for years.

All in all, it’s a great time of year to be a Broncos fan (but maybe not so good a time to be a pig!).

Apparently when Baker originally took the job, he intented to do so for only one year - which turned into twelve.

Has the AFL been around that long? It seems like just last year I started seeing them on ESPN.

"I've been thinking about it for a while. I never thought I would do this for the rest of my life," Baker told The Associated Press. "The league has never been stronger ... it gives me the opportunity to look into doing other things."

"There's a lot of great opportunities for this league." Baker said. "So this is a good time for me. If I didn't go now, there would be no other career for David Baker.

"Like my good friend John Elway, I am going out on top."

So...does this mean the AFL is still going to be around for another 15 years? New Commissioner Ed Policy should be able to answer that question for us. Until then, keep watching the NFL - real football.

So I can not remember a time I was cheering for the Broncos without Rod Smith. He was never even really my favorite player. But he was always there. You loved him and now that he is gone you feel like you are missing something. This abides by the statement that you never know what you have until it is gone. I don't think anyone appreciated him this much no matter how much you loved him until now we are playing without him.

Smith played 13 seasons and since he technically was on last years roster, he played 14. It feels like it has been a lot longer. Rod in his career totaled 849 receptions, 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns. Not bad. Not bad at all. 8 of those seasons he had 1,000 yards or more. He was no joke when it came to yardage.

Rod was blessed with one of the greatest QB's ever. John Elway he only played with two seasons. But until Rod Smith started at WR we had never won a Super Bowl. The first year he played we won and the second year we won again. There is reasoning to believe that Rod Smith was the key addition we needed to win the Super Bowl finally. It was until John Elway retired that he did not win a Super Bowl.

Even with Brian Griese he had 1,000 yard seasons every year. With a player like Griese that is harder than it may seem. He did it with Jake Plummer multiple seasons as well. Though he never did have one with Jay Cutler at QB. Instead for those years he was a leader.

Rod Smith was a leader and an influence. He would work with players in camp despite his injuries. He would give them direction with their careers. He has worked with Javon Walker, Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley etc. They have all had amazing seasons with him as a mentor. Smith worked with them with life skills and playing skills. Both important in the NFL.

Rod Smith is a player who will live in the hearts of Broncos fans forever and ever. Yesterday he announced his retirement but along with that he went into a meeting with Brandon Marshall and Roger Goodell. It will be about Marshall's future in the NFL. The reason Smith was in it was not known. Maybe it will give us one last way to remember him. We already have many reasons.

It's been referenced, quite often, the non-mythical, "Third year," in a Mike Shanahan offense. Well, lights out folks, it's here and it's Jay Cutler's year. However, let's go back in time a little bit, 1986- Mike Shanahan is in his third year as a professional coach, joining the Broncos after serving time with the Florida Gators in the college ranks as an Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach. 1986, John Elway carried the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1978.

However, Mike Shanahan at that point in 1986 had only been the Broncos Offensive Coordinator for two seasons (serving his first as the Wide Receivers Coach). So I'm going to jump forward to 1987 to take a look at Elway, because this is Elway's (first) third year in the Shanahan system.

John Elway (1987):
224 of 410 attempts for a 54.6% completion, 3198 yards, 19 tds, 12 ints, 83.4 QB Rating.
* Elway wins the league MVP, yet only played in 12 games due to the 24-day league strike.

Mike Shanahan leaves Denver to join the Oakland Raiders as their Head Coach. He will return to Denver in 1989 (four games into the season as a Quarterback Coach), Shanahan takes back over as Offensive Coordinator in 1991.

John Elway (1991):
242 of 451 attempts for a 53.7% completion, 3,253 yards, 13 tds, 12 ints, 75.4 QB Rating.
* Elway is invited to the Pro Bowl, the Broncos make their third Super Bowl in four seasons.

Mike Shanahan is fired by then Head Coach Dan Reeves. At the time it was stated that Mike Shanahan was in the middle of a controversy involving Elway and Reeves. Shanahan is quickly snatched up as the Offensive Coordinator by the San Francisco 49ers (the team that had just whooped the Broncos in the previous years Super Bowl).

In San Francisco Shanahan is at the offensive helm of arguably the most potent offense in NFL history, led by Steve Young. 1994 is Shanahan's third-year with San Francisco.

Steve Young (1994):
324 of 461 attempts, for a 70.3% completion, 3969 yards, 35 tds, 10 ints, 112.8 QB Rating.
* Young has a career year for completion percentage and QB rating and makes the Pro Bowl for his third year in a row.

In 1994, Shanahan finally accepted Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen's pleas that he take over as Head Coach for the Denver Broncos.

As even new Bronco fans know, 1997 was one of the greatest years in Denver Bronco history.

John Elway (1997):
280 of 502 attempts, for a 55.8% completion, 3,635 yards, 27 tds, 11 ints, 87.5 QB Rating.
* Elway/Denver wins first Super Bowl (in five trips), Elway makes his eighth trip to Honolulu.

John Elway of course retired after the 1998 season, prior to that season the Broncos drafted quarterback Brian Griese. Let us fast forward to Griese's third year as a Bronco, in 2000.

Brian Griese (2000):
216 of 336 attempts, for a 64.3% completion, 2,688 yards, 19 tds, 4 ints, 102.9 QB Rating.
* Griese makes his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl despite only playing in 10 games.

In 2003 Denver would pick up Jake Plummer in Free Agency and in 2005 he would have a career year.

Jake Plummer (2005):
277 of 456 attempts, for a 60.7% completion, 3,366 yards, 18 tds, 7 ints, 90.2 QB Rating.
* Plummer makes his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl, leading Denver to the AFC Championship Game.

Denver drafted Jay Cutler in 2006, his 2008 stats are up for debate as of now, but are they really? Shanahan is six for six so far and a quarterback in his third season under Shanahan has yet to not make the ProBowl. Granted the list contains Hall of Famers John Elway and Steve Young, it also includes Brian Griese and Jake Plummer who made their only trip to Hawaii while playing their third year for Coach Shanahan.

Of course there are no guarantees, but it's safe enough to guess for young Jay Cutler. This article is partly in response to those that are reading the "Top 25" quarterback lists, that every magazine and online site seems to be pumping out over the last couple of weeks. Most of Cutler ranked around number 11, which is fair, but don't stress faithful... As the saying goes, "The writing is on the wall."

Want a prediction?

Too bad, I don't want to jinx him.

Ian Henson is a member of Bronco Madness, you can catch his blog at Broncos Denver Broncos.

But I thought I might share with you a football related event that made my day a bit brighter. Some people may not know, actually nobody on the blog knows that I am a huge card collector. I collect lots of Baseball cards but of course Football cards are my main love. 

So I go to Target which is my favorite place because they have all the new card sets, special box sets, and somewhat strange collections of cards to buy. I highly recommend it if you do not live anywhere near a specialty card store. 

I weave my way through the large collection of Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, Webkinz, and Shining Star cards and find myself at a tiny little section with football cards. (Society and it's commercialism sometimes scares me). ;) I see one of those card collections with all the old and new cards sitting right in front of me. 75 old and new cards for only $4.00.

I quickly grabbed the only one left before anyone else could. If you have ever seen these things, they show 4 or so cards that you will get which is how I make my decision on what to buy. There was on the front right side a Thomas Jones card from 2007. On the front left side a pack of cards from 2005 with Peyton Manning on the cover. Topps Total I think. On the back right is LaMont Jordan. At this point I am debating over whether to get this or just a $20.00 Topps 2008 Box Set. But finally on the bottom left is a Warren Moon card. SCORE!

I am a huge Warren Moon and think he is one of the greatest QB's ever. So I take the $4.00 risk and buy the pack. I thought that if all I got was a Warren Moon card I would still have a $50.00 card for only $4.00 with a couple more to spare. Besides the chances that out of 75 old cards I would only get one good one was pretty low. 

Though Fairfield (that is the company that collects these things) had served me well in the past. Once I got a rookie Michael Strahan, a John Elway, and Joe Montana all in one pack. So I sit down at home unload the cards, Windex, and bread I bought from Target and began to open my cards. I swear that plastic is stable and tough to get off and I was there 5 minutes trying to take off the plastic with my teeth, scissors. and a kitchen knife. Good thing I didn't damage any of my cards. 

I took out my Warren Moon card and put it in a place of honor with my other all time great QB's. Those include Joe Montana, John Elway, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Steve Young, and Len Dawson cards. Surprisingly I still have not ever gotten a Tom Brady card of any way, shape of form. 

I go through my first few cards and do not find much success. But I stumble upon a Warren Sapp Buccaneers card. I set it down relieved that I had found some more success. Though following that I found Broncos Ring of Famer Karl Mecklenburg. I was exited even more when I found a Pro Bowl Eric Allen Eagles card. For those of you unfamiliar with him, he was a five time Pro Bowler who totaled 54 Interceptions in his career.

My next partially fun card was Rich Gannon. Though he found success with the Raiders I still have some respect for Gannon as he played for the Vikings, the Chiefs, and the Redskins for years before his Super Bowl run. I then opened up one of the two packs in the case. There was not much in the Topps Total pack but I did find an Ed Reed and a Michael Turner/Darren Sproles card. For some reason I skipped over a Sammy Winder card for a little while. Sammy was a Denver Broncos in the 80's who held the teams rushing record for a few years.

I opened up the second. I felt the tin foil and was surprised to see it was an old Pacific card pack. I had had great times with this card pack when I was younger. It was a 1992 pack which brought back an even greater memory of the Glance for Griese contest where they had put a select few Bob Griese cards in their packs and left us to look for them. I never found one after opening about 60 packs of cards. I looked at the cover again and saw Glance For Griese. My eyes lit up. Maybe I would have a chance again. I looked at the first card, no Griese. Though I loved the smooth feel of the cards that only Pacific could bring. 

My second card was Bob Griese. "Well that took only 16 years," I said to myself. I quickly put it in a casing and threw it in my closet where the light could not get to it. Finally I found a nice Donavan McNabb card and yes a Ray Crockett card. You know the two time Super Bowl winning Bronco. Except on this card he is a Detroit Lion.

I began putting all my cards (besides Griese) in my book to show them off. It over all had been quite a successful outing. I had gotten about a $100.00 value for only $4.00. Wait until a couple of years from now when half of those players are in the Hall of Fame if they are not already. My legendary QB collection sure grew after that trip to Target.

1995

WEEK 7- The pre-collapse overly confident Raiders march into Mile High with a 5-1 record to play the 3-3 Broncos. The Raiders are heavily favored. Raiders QB's are sacked three times and throw two interceptions. Elway throws for over 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns en route to a 27-0 victory over the Raiders. A sign of things to come

Week 17- Two proud franchises meet on the final game of the season with the only thing on the line being the right to not have a losing season as both teams are 7-8. Billy Joe Hobert and Vince Evans combine for 4 touchdown passes to lead Oakland to a 28-20 fourth quarter lead. However, they are playing John Elway. Who throws a late touchdown to Eddie McCaffrey and runs in the conversion himself. Later Jason Elam begins a long history of game-winning kicks to give Denver a 31-28 win and a season sweep. As a dichotomy for their season the Raiders fall apart late

1996

Week 10- The first of many Monday Night games for Shanahan vs. The Raiders. The Broncos were 7-1. The Raiders were 4-4 but were determined to win this game. The Raiders hung in there with the AFC's best team all night and managed two fourth quarter touchdowns to take a 21-16 lead late in the game. But once again Elway was able to lead his team on a fourth quarter touchdown drive hitting Rod Smth from 49 yards out to win 22-21.

Week 15- The 12-2 Broncos host the 6-8 Raiders. The Broncos score on their opening drive and never trail in the game. The Raiders fight back late but still fall 24-19 making Mike Shanahan 4-0 over his former team.

1997

Week 8- The 6-0 Broncos travel to the lowly 2-4 Raiders. And Lose. Yeah, this is probably one the Black Holes are proud of. It was a close game throughout but an 83 yard Napolean Kaufmann touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave Oakland a 28-17 lead. Elway led them down and hit Eddie for a 28 yard touchdown and the two point conversion left them within three. The onside kick failed however and the Raiders finally beat Shanahan. But they would still have to go to Denver. And oh yeah, The Broncos won the Super Bowl that year Raiders fans.

Week 13- The Broncos would look to avenge the loss on a Monday night in November. They were 9-2 hosting the 4-7 Raiders. This one quit being close early. John Elway threw for 280 yards, over half of them to Shannon Sharpe. Terrell Davis scored three touchdowns to lead Denver to a 31-3 win. And yes Raiders fans, Denver won the Super Bowl that year.

1998

Week 3- The defending champions were undefeated and hosting the 1-1 Raiders. Despite Elway being injured in the first half, The Broncos double up the Raiders and get a 34-17 win. Bubby freakin' Brister throws a pair of touchdowns. Terrell Davis goes for 108 yards.

Week 11- The 7-3 Raiders come into Denver with their sights set on ending the undefeated season of the Broncos. For 3 quarters the Raiders stay close in the biggest game between these two teams in several years. Then they give up 23 fourth quarter points and show their futility. John Elway throws three touchdowns and Terrell Davis rushes for over 160 yards. And oh Black Holes? Denver won the Super Bowl again that year. Yeah, I know the Raiders got three. Isn't it worth noting though that they haven't won one since before their current quarterback was born?

Come back later this week and we'll see if this rivalry gets more competitive.

So, Brett Favre has reportedly decided to un-retire.  Major shocker there.  However, the mixed reaction from some football fans, even Packers fans, got me thinking. If the tables were turned, would you want our Hall of Fame quarterback returning?  Would you welcome John Elway’s sudden return from retirement?

Without a doubt, in 1999, there wasn’t a single Broncos fan out there who wouldn’t give his right leg to see Ol’ Number 7 walk back out to the football field.  These days, Elway’s 10 years older, and without a doubt couldn’t do the same things he could back then.  My hunch is most fans would rather see Jay Cutler continue his development into a potential star rather than seeing a 48-year old Elway likely struggle out there.

So let’s use the year 2001 as our hypothetical… Brian Griese just completed a Pro Bowl season with a QB rating over 100, and John Elway suddenly announces his un-retirement.  He wants to play, and he wants to play for the Broncos or be traded.

A quick overview of the event may spark your appetite. The challenge involved teams of 4 from all of the major professional sports: Basketball, Baseball, Football, and Hockey. Each team chose a charity to benefit.  Operation Kids was chosen by the NFL team captain Drew Brees, as its benefiting charity.

The hockey team was the favored foursome going into the event because those guys can really golf! However, when you throw 16 professional athletes on a golf course, the competitive nature kicks in and after two days of play, the winner was not decided until the final hole.

Drew and the NFL guys faced some tough competition but hung on to a strong second place showing, earning Operation Kids $75,000. By way of full disclosure and good sportsmanship, the Baseball team took first earning $100,000 for their charity. Congrats!

We applaud the organizers of this event for making charitable giving a priority in the event’s first year. The men behind the event are just that kind of people and the charities that were involved are grateful.

The national broadcast on FSN was also a chance for Operation Kids to launch its new message to donors. If you have thirty-seconds, take a look at our new television spot.
Operation Kids will put our gift to work for the children of New Orleans. Thank you Drew, LaDainian, John and Michael. It was fun to watch and you helped a lot of deserving kids.

A college buddy of mine, majoring in business: "Uh, what can you do with a degree in philosophy?"

Me: "Well, anything, really. I read somewhere that John Elway and Jay Leno were philosophy majors."

Buddy: "Yeah, but you stink at football and aren't funny. [Long pause.] But hey, I bet you can fetch a premium in the marketplace because you have all these deep- and critical thinking abilities and skills."

Me: "Yeah! Good point."

Reality: "Uh, see the chart below of average starting salaries for college graduates, by major."

Me: "D'oh!"

Source: The NYT's Freakonomics blog.

Play, think...
J.R. Atwood

But the surprise was this – the tournament was truly exciting!

At this point we cannot reveal the winners until the event airs on Fox Sports. But to peak your interest, the professional hockey team opens the event as the favored team…and they are very good. But if you know your sports legends, you know that the MLB team and the NFL team, hosts some very, very good golfers; and NBA players can never be counted out of a tournament.
Whatever you may be doing on June 28-29, get some friends together, check your local Fox Sports listing, make your projections and tune in to this event. When you put 16 professional athletes on a golf course with a purse at stake, the competitive instincts kick in and you are in for a treat. I will leave it at that!

As in:

Several spectators turned away from John Elway's endzone celebration, disgusted at what appeared to be pure jactation. Sure, he did just win the most staggering victory in his career--117-6--but most felt that a Pee Wee football trophy didn't seem like that much to celebrate next to his Super Bowl rings.

The former California governor, movie actor and body builder is leading the rebel alliance, which is hiding out in a secret Hollywood Hills bunker as it plots an insurrection against Hillary Clinton and her robotic army.  Clinton seized control of the U.S. government last week in a violent coup.

Other members of the alliance include actors Rick Schroeder, Stephen Baldwin, Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis; former NFL quarterbacks Brett Favre, John Elway and Tim Hasselback; and NBA veteran Charles Barkley.

Most of the members are too old to take on the armed robots themselves, so they are recruiting young B-movie and TV actors, stunt doubles, third- and fourth-string athletes, and even their own children to carry out the rebellion. 

The celebrities are calling themselves the Macho-hideen, modeled after the mujahideen that fought the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Famous New York Giants Defensive End Michael Strahan decided to retire after fifteen straight seasons, seven of which were Pro Bowl seasons.  After winning his first Super Bowl title after being an important part of the Giant's victory over the New England Patriots.

I liked Michael Strahan.  He was a great player and had a sense of humor that translated well to advertising and public relations.  He was one of the few high-profile members of NY Giants who I actually liked.  Plus, like John Elway, he's decided to retire while on top, not after a series of failed seasons.  Ultimately, if you can do it, this way is the better way to go.

AP photo.