Caption this - lloyd/orton

When I visited Bronco training camp this summer I noticed Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd talking to each other a lot during warmups. What do you think they were saying?

I posted this question to a couple of bronco fan bulletin boards and got these responses:

"Kyle, don't look yet. See that number 15 and number 9 out there to my left?
I ain't catching no balls from those dudes."

"Richard Quinn can't even follow directions to stretch, $5 says he gets cut."

Brandon Lloyd: "Ok Kyle.. so what you are telling me is that if I rip Tebow in the media before the season starts it will help you get the starter job... but what if you suck again and Tebow ends up being the starter by the BYE week? Then where does that leave me with a pissed off Tebow who will feed the ball to every receiver but me?"
Neckbeard: "Me lose? c'mon man.. that'll never happen.. I'm a born winner. You've seen me practice..."

Lloyd to Orton, "no, he's not looking at you now, but don't look, keep pretending like you're talking to me.

Orton: "don't worry man I don't care if someone else is open, I'm locked on to you, only you"

What do you think Orton and Lloyd were talking about?

A Visit to Avalanche Training Camp

I visited the Colorado Avalanche training camp for the first hour of practice today (at the Family Sports Center in Englewood). I've never been to training camp in the 17 years the Avalanche have been in Denver so I wanted to see what it was like.

I've been to football training camps a few times (Broncos and CU). In comparison the Avs camp is almost all scrimmage and live game action. I liked that. I saw on a 2nd rink some teaching going on but the main rink was pretty much all scrimmage after the warmups.

I arrived 15 minutes early and all the seats were full. I stood in a corner and watched the action below me. There are not a lot of seats so if you visit training camp arrive early.



I was very close to the ice; this faceoff was right in front of me:



New Avalanche Goalie Semyon Varlamov will be a key to the team's chances this year. In this scrimmage he looked OK to me (with a quick glove hand). I'm anxious to see him vs the Red Wings on opening night (a game I will be at!)

It's going to be a long season (broncos)

Some quick thoughts about the Broncos/Raiders game last night after a short night of sleep (got home after 1 a.m., up at 5:30 am for a Tuesday morning meeting):

Pictured to the left is our Raider fan "friend" who was sitting in our section last night, reminding us often of how great his Raiders were and how bad our Broncos looked (this shot was after Sebastian Janakowski's record tying 63 yard field goal). I'm afraid Mr Raider fan is right.

Last week I made my annual bronco predictions based on the outcome of the 1st game. I wrote I'd be looking for these things in the first game:

"The Bronco pass rush has no doubt improved with Elvis Dumervil back and rookie Von Miller on the other side. How will this duo perform in "real" NFL action against an offense game planning against them, instead of the basic offensive schemes they faced in the preseason?"

The verdict: Oakland did an excellent job of scouting the Broncos defensive weaknesses. The answer to a strong outside pass rush? Run draws up the middle to the heart of the soft Bronco defense. After a big gain on a draw early in the game the outside pass rush of the Broncos wasn't as effective.

"Is the Bronco run defense improved? Last year the Raiders ran for 328 yards and 5 td's in their blowout 59-14 win at Denver. Monday night will be a good test for the Bronco defense."

The verdict: Not really. The Raiders Darren McFadden ran for 150 yards (a 6.8 yards per carry average). In the game's concluding drive, when the Broncos only needed a stop to give their offense a chance only down by 3 points, Denver could not stop the Raiders rushing attack.

"Will Bronco rookie right tackle Orlando Franklin hold up against the Raider pass rush? Franklin looked good in the run game in the preseason, but struggled in pass protection at times."

The verdict: Franklin did OK for a rookie. He was called for holding a couple of times but generally held his own in pass protection. Franklin was the least of the Bronco worries on offense last night.

The game really wasn't as close as the 23-20 final. The Raiders dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Kyle Orton, despite 304 passing yards, had one of his worst games as a Bronco (the "lowlight" being dropping the ball and turning it over to the Raiders when he had tight end Fells open for what could have been the go ahead score in the 4th quarter). The Broncos again showed a lack of a running game and had problems scoring in the red zone.

It wasn't all bad. Eric Decker had an amazing 90 yard punt return td and several good receptions. I wondered why the Broncos weren't throwing to Decker more (Eric only had 3 catches) with his teammates having trouble holding on to the ball. Decker's punt return style reminded me of Bronco great Billy Thompson in Thompson's rookie year. Thompson, not the fastest returner, would catch the ball and run it right down the field (with no "knowshon" dancing around). Decker showed that same style on his big return.

Still the Broncos looked bad Monday night. I suspect my two year streak of picking the final bronco won-loss record based on the results of the first game might end this year. I picked 5-11 if the Broncos lost to Oakland. As our Raider friend above would agree, 5 wins may be too much for this bunch.

Colorado Buffs just miss an upset over the Cal Bears

I attended my first Colorado home game in five years on Saturday and it was a great one! Colorado lost to Cal 36-33 in overtime in a very entertaining game. Here are some of the pictures and videos I took.

Our seats were high in the South End Zone, section 209.



Though we were only 10 rows from the top of the stadium we had a great view of the field on a beautiful September day in Boulder.



The Colorado band entering the stadium.




And playing the Colorado Fight Song before the game.



The highlight of the pregame festivities is the run by Ralphie the Buffalo leading the home team on the field.



We had a great view of the action, especially when the action was near the South End Zone.



The CU students dressed in gold stood for the entire game.



The rest of the stadium was packed, too.



The Buffs tied the game in the final minute to force overtime. Here's the view of that field goal attempt from our seats.



But the Buffs lost in overtime 36-33. Though disappointed with the ending, this was a great day of college football in Boulder.

Going for the three-peat: my 2011 bronco predictions

This year I again will be predicting the Broncos final win-loss record based on the results of the first game.

Two years ago I wrote this:

"If the Broncos beat the Bengals ...

It'll be a huge boost in the team's confidence. All the critics of the offseason changes and disappointing preseason will be quieted. If the Broncos can beat a good Bengals team on the road, I predict they start out 4-0. The schedule then gets much tougher, and they'll finish with an 8-8 record. Matching last year's win total with all the offseason turmoil and changes in personel will be a good season in my book. A few weeks ago I said that this bronco season reminds me of the miracle 1977 season. I still say that, but the only chance for a surprise season this year is to win the opener."

The Broncos did beat the Bengals, did start out 4-0, and did finish 8-8.

Then last year I wrote:

"If the Broncos lose to Jacksonville, it could start an early season tailspin that the team will not recover from. I still expect a win against Seattle at home the next week (1-1), followed by losses to Indianapolis, at Tennessee, at Baltimore, and to the Jets at home to start out 1-5. The losing will affect the morale of the team, and the seemingly easy games of the schedule (Oakland home and away, KC home and away, etc) won't look so easy. The team scratches out a few wins on the way to a disappointing 4-12 record."

The Broncos did lose to Jacksonville, won at Tennessee, but in the end the team did finish with a 4-12 record as I predicted. At the time that was seen as a very pessimistic prediction.

Now I am not claiming to be Nostradamus - I could easily have missed on that 2009 prediction if it weren't for that miracle finish in Cincinnati - but I do think the first game tells a lot about what type of team the Broncos will have for the current season. Things I'll be looking at for that opening Monday night game against the Raiders:

The Bronco pass rush has no doubt improved with Elvis Dumervil back and rookie Von Miller on the other side. How will this duo perform in "real" NFL action against an offense game planning against them, instead of the basic offensive schemes they faced in the preseason?

Is the Bronco run defense improved? Last year the Raiders ran for 328 yards and 5 td's in their blowout 59-14 win at Denver. Monday night will be a good test for the Bronco defense.

Will Bronco rookie right tackle Orlando Franklin hold up against the Raider pass rush? Franklin looked good in the run game in the preseason, but struggled in pass protection at times.

On to the predictions ...

If the Broncos beat the Raiders Monday night, they'll get off to a surprising 4-1 start before finishing the season with 8 wins and 8 losses. I'm calling for early season upset wins at Tennessee and against San Diego at home. The long season will wear on the Broncos shallow depth, however, and much like 2009 they won't finish the season as strong.

If the Broncos lose to the Raiders Monday night, they'll only improve slightly from last year's 4 win total, finishing with 5 wins and 11 losses. The Broncos have everything going for them Monday night - first home opener in years, sellout crowd against their most hated rivals, and a new coaching staff to put the nightmare McDaniels years behind them. If that is not enough to beat the Raiders, it will be another long season. I do think even if the team does finish with just 5 wins the future looks bright. The 2011 college draft looks better than the previous two years under McDaniels. John Elway and the new management team just needs a few years to rebuild the roster.

South Standers Welcome Back "Half A Loaf" Lou in a Bills/Broncos 1973 Preseason Game

As I look forward to attending the Bills/Broncos preseason game Saturday night I think back to a memorable moment in a Bills/Broncos preseason game in 1973.

On a Saturday night ex-Bronco coach Lou Saban returned to Denver for the first time as Buffalo's coach after 4 1/2 years of losing seasons as the head man in Denver. I grew up going to games in the South Stands, and on this night the South Standers had a special "welcome back" surprise for Coach Saban.

The game Lou Saban was most known for in his Denver tenure was a 10-10 tie with the Miami Dolphins during the 1971 season's opening weekend. In that game the Broncos got the ball with less than 2 minutes to go on their own 20 with the score tied. Rather than try to win the game, Saban called three plays on the ground to run out the clock. I heard the boos all around me in the South Stands as the fans were not happy with Saban's conservative play calling. After the game Saban was asked why the Broncos did not try to win the game. "Half a loaf is better than none," was Lou's reply, satisfied with the tie.

That remark was the beginning of the end for Lou Saban in Denver, who thereafter was always known as "half a loaf" Lou to the Denver fans. Saban resigned as Broncos head coach mid-season in 1971.

Back to that 1973 Bills/Broncos preseason game. South Standers tend to hold a grudge. When Lou Saban and the Bills took the field that Saturday night suddenly I saw half loaves of bread flying out of the South Stands from all around me onto the field. I'm not talking one or two loaves - it was hundreds! I did not get word of this mass South Stand protest myself, otherwise I would have invested $1 in a loaf and joined in the fun!

Sadly, I don't see the same spirit as those old South Standers had at Bronco games today. When I was at a Bronco QB Club meeting earlier this week the four retired Bronco vets commented how the team had lost its home field advantage moving from the old Mile High. The crowd noise and fan fervor just isn't the same at the new place.

I read this week that the Broncos home field is going to be renamed "Sports Authority Field At Mile High". As the Denver Post reports, one of the first interior changes will be to paint many of the interior pillars with:

"ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE RAIDERS SAY 'NEIGH.'"

Are you kidding me??!! I can imagine Al Davis and Raider Fans are laughing at what the once mighty Bronco home field advantage has become. This phrase sounds like something dreamed up by a marketing executive rather than a true Bronco fan.

While we can't throw stuff on the field anymore, like those 70's South Standers used to do, when the Raiders visit on opening weekend I say a loud "Boo!!!!!!" will suffice.

PS Those days when Lou Saban coached the Broncos weren't all bad. Read about the top 5 Bronco wins I remember from the Saban days in a blog post I wrote a couple of years ago.

PSS Trivia question: Without looking it up, who scored the only touchdown for the Broncos in that 1971 Dolphins game? This player was later traded for one of the greatest Broncos of all time, a Ring of Famer.

A Visit With Four Bronco Old Timers

Who is the only Denver Bronco offensive lineman to catch a touchdown pass from Craig Morton and John Elway?

I discovered the answer to this question and more at a meeting of the Denver Bronco Quarterback Club on August 15, 2011.

Bronco veterans Dave Studdard, Haven Moses, Tyrone Braxton, and Ron Egloff (pictured left to right) spent one hour answering questions from the fans attending. My impression of each:

Dave Studdard: He is the answer to the trivia question! He told of catching a td pass from Craig Morton in the great comeback win over Seattle in 1979 (the Broncos came back to win that game after being down 34-10 in the 3rd quarter). Studdard was full of jokes throughout the night and seemed to be enjoying his retirement from pro football. A TV was showing the Texans/Jets preseason game and Dave said "my son is playing in that game!" When asked about Tim Tebow Studdard didn't think much of the young bronco qb. "There's a reason 31 of the 32 NFL teams passed on him," Studdard said.

Haven Moses: The oldest vet and one of the heroes of the 1977 Bronco Super Bowl team, Haven gave a number of interesting observations on his playing career and the game today. He praised the fans and said the 77 team's relationship with the fans was an important part of the Broncos success that year. He said players back in his day were much more involved in the community than today's players (and that today's players make a lot more money!). He said the 1977 Broncos really put team goals ahead of individual accomplishments. He was asked about the recently completed collective bargaining agreement. He said not much attention was given to the older players in the negotiations but he does hear their pension may go up from $200/month to $1000/month. Moses was another old Bronco that didn't think Tebow deserved to start over Kyle Orton, and he thought the Broncos didn't treat Orton well in benching Kyle for Tim late last season.

Tyrone Braxton: Tyrone also had praise for the Bronco fans, "without the fans there would be no football". Tyrone currently works for the State of Colorado at the Gilliam Youth Dentition Center. He is actively involved in mentoring the youth at the Center, and recently organized a football "training camp" at the Center along with ex-Bronco Tom Nalen. On Tebow Tyrone likes Tim's heart and said Tim's commitment to training reminded him of John Elway. Elway led offseason workouts in Tyrone's day. When Tyrone played a year with the Dolphins he noticed Dan Marino wasn't near as dedicated to workouts as Elway was.

Ron Egloff: Ron is very involved in the Broncos alumni, organizing basketball, golf, and charity appearances. Egloff commented how Haven Moses torched the Raiders for two touchdowns on a frozen field in the 77 AFC Championship game (a special memory).

Overall it was an entertaining meeting to reminisce about better days with these old Bronco vets. As I was leaving I shook Haven Moses' hand and said "thanks for 77" (as a 21 year old I sat in the South Stands that year for the AFC Championship and other home games). Haven replied, "we'll get back there." He is still a Bronco at heart.