By Dave Bruning
The Denver Broncos are preparing to begin training camp for the 2010 football season. It is a time ripe with optimism. It is also a time to be disillusioned. I guess you could say I am optimistically disillusioned.
I am optimistic head coach Josh McDaniels will improve all aspects of his coaching in his second season leading the Broncos. I am disillusioned over the way the Broncos finished 2009.
I am optimistic Tim Tebow is the quarterback Denver has been looking for since John Elway retired. If not Tebow, perhaps Brady Quinn or Kyle Orton will step forward. I am disillusioned because I don’t believe any of these quarterbacks can lead Denver back to the Super Bowl.
I am optimistic the Broncos play in the AFC West. This is perhaps the weakest division in the NFL. I am disillusioned because I don’t think Denver is good enough to win the division, and the wild card spots are not coming out of this division.
I am optimistic the draft picks of McDaniels will develop into the new nucleus the Broncos can build around. I am disillusioned because four #1 draft picks in two years have yielded Knowshon Moreno, Robert Ayers, Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas. Certainly not the equivalent of baseball’s murderer’s row, and I’m not sure the group is talented enough to warrant being Denver’s future core.
I am optimistic the Broncos can reclaim the old Mile High magic and once again dominate their opponents at altitude. I am disillusioned by what has basically been a .500 home record since the state of the art Invesco Field at Mile High opened. The reverberating sound of South stand fans pounding their feet on aluminum bleachers is a distant echo.
It’s training camp time. Everybody is 0-0 with the goal of winning the Super Bowl. Optimism is certainly warranted. Disillusion hangs sadly like a dark cloud. I guess I’m just a fan at heart.
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Off the Field Injuries: Impact and Accountability
By Dave Bruning
Injuries are a fact of life in sports. Hell, they’re a fact of life in the real world as well.
The ability of a football team to withstand or avoid injuries during the course of a season has a huge impact on the overall success of a team. Denver Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady’s tear of his left patellar tendon in his knee while playing basketball in the offseason is simply a foolish injury with far reaching ramifications. Optimistic projections have Clady out for three months although six months is more realistic.
Clady is/was the anchor of the Broncos offensive line. He had established himself as an elite left tackle and was only the 11th tackle to earn Pro Bowl honors in his second season. This was in addition to allowing the fewest sacks among tackles as a rookie out of Boise State in 2008. The timing of the injury is terrible, with the Broncos breaking in newcomers Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn. Sadly, the injury did not have to occur.
Most teams have clauses in player contracts prohibiting the players from participating in offseason activities deemed dangerous. Basketball would qualify. My gut feeling is many players ignore these clauses in their contracts.
Ben Roethlisberger and Kellen Winslow Jr. injured themselves in motorcycle accidents. Winslow’s accident sidelined him for the entire 2005 season. Roethlisberger’s accident in 2006 left him with multiple facial injuries and quite frankly lucky to be alive. He missed part of the following season and certainly did not play to his potential. Winslow was an inexperienced rider and Roethlisberger was riding without a helmet. Poor judgment certainly, and Roethlisberger’s keeps getting worse with recent sexual misconduct allegations.
Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors is another example. He injured his ankle in a moped accident just after signing a $66 million contract extension. He initially lied about how he hurt himself, but subsequently came clean. Ellis was suspended for 30 games as punishment.
These examples clearly show these young men engage in potentially dangerous off the field activities. I think they should be allowed to pursue recreation in the offseason. However, if injury occurs, they should be financially liable to their respective teams. A quality commitment to public relations and community service activities should also fill their recovery time. Their off the field choices can have a direct impact on their respective teams on the field performance. These athletes are paid way too much to not be accountable.
Ryan Clady should be in the midst of regular workouts with two new quarterbacks. It remains to be seen if the Denver Broncos best offensive player will even play a down this year. I hear he has a pretty sweet jump shot though.
Injuries are a fact of life in sports. Hell, they’re a fact of life in the real world as well.
The ability of a football team to withstand or avoid injuries during the course of a season has a huge impact on the overall success of a team. Denver Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady’s tear of his left patellar tendon in his knee while playing basketball in the offseason is simply a foolish injury with far reaching ramifications. Optimistic projections have Clady out for three months although six months is more realistic.
Clady is/was the anchor of the Broncos offensive line. He had established himself as an elite left tackle and was only the 11th tackle to earn Pro Bowl honors in his second season. This was in addition to allowing the fewest sacks among tackles as a rookie out of Boise State in 2008. The timing of the injury is terrible, with the Broncos breaking in newcomers Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn. Sadly, the injury did not have to occur.
Most teams have clauses in player contracts prohibiting the players from participating in offseason activities deemed dangerous. Basketball would qualify. My gut feeling is many players ignore these clauses in their contracts.
Ben Roethlisberger and Kellen Winslow Jr. injured themselves in motorcycle accidents. Winslow’s accident sidelined him for the entire 2005 season. Roethlisberger’s accident in 2006 left him with multiple facial injuries and quite frankly lucky to be alive. He missed part of the following season and certainly did not play to his potential. Winslow was an inexperienced rider and Roethlisberger was riding without a helmet. Poor judgment certainly, and Roethlisberger’s keeps getting worse with recent sexual misconduct allegations.
Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors is another example. He injured his ankle in a moped accident just after signing a $66 million contract extension. He initially lied about how he hurt himself, but subsequently came clean. Ellis was suspended for 30 games as punishment.
These examples clearly show these young men engage in potentially dangerous off the field activities. I think they should be allowed to pursue recreation in the offseason. However, if injury occurs, they should be financially liable to their respective teams. A quality commitment to public relations and community service activities should also fill their recovery time. Their off the field choices can have a direct impact on their respective teams on the field performance. These athletes are paid way too much to not be accountable.
Ryan Clady should be in the midst of regular workouts with two new quarterbacks. It remains to be seen if the Denver Broncos best offensive player will even play a down this year. I hear he has a pretty sweet jump shot though.
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