Tag Archives: Fan

Bronco Life

Posted by Peter Teixeira on

Being, from Boston and, a fan of the Denver Broncos has been a roller coaster ride. I have experienced moments of great elation, and instances of utter despair. “Why don’t you like Boston teams?” I love all of the teams from Boston! The Patriots are from some foreign land called New England. (If you read my post, ‘Why I Cry on The 4th of July,’ you know that I like old England!)

“Of all teams, why did you pick Denver?” It all started on the twenty sixth day of January in the year 1986; it was a cold windy day. The Chicago Bears were playing in the Super Bowl against the lowly Patriots from New England. I, along with my cousin “Dough”, cheered for the Bears. The Bears killed the Patriots and we celebrated like a young man who, after a week of confusion, just learned that his girlfriend received her period! (I have no idea if it was windy, but the Bears destroyed the Patsies, so I decided to pay homage to the victorious squad!)

Following the Super Bowl victory, I was a Bears fan…or so I thought! Dough quickly notified me that the Bears were his team. “How could he be so cruel?” I wondered. It was I who cheered louder than anyone for Walter Peyton, the Fridge, Ditka and the gang! I didn’t know what to do, until…

My cousin Kevin stepped in and offered a great suggestion. “You should choose the Broncos; they have John Elway!” He said. I have been a Broncos fan ever since!

For years, the Patriots were the laughing stock of the NFL. My favorite year was 1990, when the team finished with a 1-15 record! (What a wonderful time it was to be alive! When it comes to competitions, my friends and family members talk a lot of trash…the Patsies sucked and I GAVE THEM HELL!)

For those who don’t know much about NFL history, allow me break down how difficult it was to be a Broncos fan in the eighties and early nineties. In 1987, the very next season following the Bears victory, my new team, the Broncos, won the AFC title and played in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants. We lost the game 39-20. (I say we, because I am that kind of fan!) It was a tough loss, but I was happy that my squad was a dominant force. “We’ll win it next year!” I boasted.

John Elway, the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL, backed me up and led the Broncos to another Super Bowl appearance the very next year, against the Washington Redskins. I was extremely pleased. (I tortured Kevin! “Thanks for suggesting the Broncos…I owe it all to you!” I taunted.) The game started perfectly. John Elway hit Ricky Nattiel for a long touchdown pass and the Broncos put up a quick ten points. I was talking so much trash. I can remember the game like it was yesterday! The Redskins went on to score forty-two points; we lost 42-10. (It was not a pleasant year!) “How do you lose two Super Bowls in a row?” Why are you guys asking me? I didn’t play jackasses!

Two years later, my Broncos did it again. The great John Elway led the team to another Super Bowl appearance, against the San Francisco 49ers. I had no doubt we would win. Boy was I wrong! The 49ers embarrassed us! The final score was 55-10, and my phone rang with every touchdown! I will never forget one call, in particular. I picked up the phone, “Peter, your team stinks!” It was Dough’s father! (Super Bowl XXIV was one of the longest days of my life!)

That’s right folks; we appeared in Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV. We lost all three in a four year span. “The biggest chokers in the history of the NFL!” “Elway is a born loser!” The trash-talk was vicious and on-going. In a way, I deserved it because when my team was winning, I could dish out the vitriol with the best of them! (It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how horrible the next few years were for me!)

Thankfully, the Buffalo Bills existed. “Why do you say that?” Because the Bills, the quintessence of choke, appeared in an unprecedented four consecutive Super Bowls from 1991-1994; they lost all four! The Broncos were still considered “Big Chokers,” but the Bills were the undefeated Kings of Choke!

The only satisfaction that I had during this low period as a Broncos fan was the fact that the Patriots SUCKED! We were choke artists, but we were relevant. Everything changed in 1997. The Patriots shocked the world and won the AFC. They were In the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. I was scared out of my mind. I would never hear the end of it, if the Patsies won the Championship before the Broncos! Luckily, the Packers prevailed (35-21) and the Patsies returned to their rightful place in the league’s basement.

In 1998, an aging John Elway’s career was reinvigorated by a great young talent, running back Terrell Davis. The Broncos won the AFC and appeared in the Super Bowl against the defending Champions,the Green Bay Packers. Would 1998 finally be the year? The Broncos led by seven with a few seconds remaining on the clock. Brett Favre threw a fourth down pass which was knocked to the ground by Denver linebacker John Mobley. WE DID IT!!! The score was 31-24; I was finally a Champion. Team owner Pat Bowlen, held up the Lombardi Trophy and said the famous words, “This one’s for John!” I rarely get to the point of tears, but on that day, my eyes were watery! (What a wonderful time to be a Broncos fan!) I’ll never forget sitting in my dining room and simply enjoying the moment. I didn’t make any phone calls, I just enjoyed the moment! I felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. (The phone rang; it was Kevin. He was the first person to congratulate me!)

The Broncos were no longer losers. The team won for all of the great players of the past. Steve Atwater was still playing safety and knocking players out. Dennis Smith, Karl Mecklenburg, Bobby Humphries, the three amigos—Vance Johnson, Ricky Nattiel, and Mark Jackson, and all the rest!

Unbelievably, the Broncos, led by the great John Elway, returned to the Super Bowl and killed the over-matched Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34-19. (This game was personal for Elway. He had a turbulent relationship with former coach Dan Reeves, who was then coach of the Falcons!) After the game, Pat Bowlen lifted the Lombardi Trophy high in the air and said, “This one’s for you!” (He was talking to the fans…Specifically, ME!) The great John Elway retired after the season. I was crushed, but he left the game on his own terms!

Although I was a die-hard Broncos fan, I was forced to tell friends at Seton Hall University that I liked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because I didn’t want to seem like a bandwagon hopper! (My friends and family suffered a great deal during this period! I remembered the three Super Bowl losses and I relished in the moment. I still talk about the back-to-back Championships! WE ARE STILL NASTY!)

In the NFL, there are the top teams and the scrubs. I’ll take it back to Married with Children and separate the greats from the scrubs by using the terms, Upper Uncton and lower Uncton. Denver belongs in the Upper Uncton and teams such as the pitiful San Diego Chargers are members of the lower Uncton.

The lower Uncton teams are the ones without any Super Bowl victories. Their players suffer through depressing seasons, until finally escaping, via a trade or through free agency. Some of the lower Uncton players are fortunate enough to sign with great teams and have opportunities to win the Super Bowl. San Diego produced Rodney Harrison and Junior Seau. Harrison was fortunate enough to leave in time to become a champion, but Seau remained in San Diego too long. Super Bowl victory eluded him, and Seau retired a loser!

People often ask me why I don’t switch teams and support the Patriots. Maybe after reading this post, they will understand! The Denver Broncos, still under the ownership of Pat Bowlen, have hired the great John Elway to run the team as the Executive Vice president of Football Operations. The team selected Tim Tebow in the NFL draft last year. With the greatest player in college football history and the greatest NFL quarterback of all-time, our future looks bright!

I love the Broncos, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what makes me happier; the Broncos winning the Super Bowl, or the Patriots losing one! (One of my favorite seasons is 2007. The Patsies won 18 games in a row, but lost the Super Bowl! THAT HAS TO SUCK!!!)

When it comes to football, I’m ORANGE AND BLUE for life!

@PeteTeix617

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Sportswriters Can Be Wrong (Why I Watch)

Posted by Peter Teixeira on

Competing at the highest level is not an easy task. When it comes to soccer, there is no bigger stage than the World Cup. Women from all over the globe fine-tune their skills over a period of four years to prepare for the rigors of the WWC. This painstaking process is similar to the Olympics. When the Games are held, I try my best to follow as many events as possible, and I honestly mean that. I can’t remember how many times in my life, I have cheered on the United States in lesser known sports such as curling and equestrian.

Initially, I don’t understand the rules, but the commentators are able to get me up to speed. The most important factor, to me, is the preparation and desire to win. There has never been a sport which doesn’t intrigue me. Even competitions that are not athletic events are interesting to me. Whether it is the national spelling bee, America’s Best Dance Crew, or log cutting during ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games. (Yeah, I said it; I’ve watched ABDC—Mario Lopez is the man. How can you not support A.C. SLATER!) The dedication and commitment required to succeed at the Olympic Games is unmatched. The heart-break is also unparalleled, one can lose by less than a tenth of a second. I could never imagine devoting years of mental and physical preparation, only to earn a silver medal by a fraction of a second; it doesn’t seem fair. Why do I watch? How can I not watch!

The consensus among sportswriters seems to be, “the U.S. women’s soccer team choked.” Bleacher Report columnist Kyle Vassalo wrote, ‘Huge Choke Job Sets Back Women’s American Soccer.’ (This is not a personal attack on Vassalo, I simply read the Bleacher Report because I am a follower of the Florida Gators, and I happened to come across his article.) ESPN’s Jemele Hill also got it wrong in her column, ‘The World Cup ‘C’ Word: Choke.’ Just because people called the US Men’s loss in the Gold Cup Final a choke, doesn’t mean they got it right! (Again, not an attack on Hill, I follow her on twitter because I have always respected her as a journalist, but she was inaccurate on this one.)

The term “Choke” is used far to often, but we need to examine all of the factors before forcing the title on an individual or team. We must be careful not to disregard the competitive nature of the opponent. Sometimes, the other side has a will to win that cannot be matched or understood by the prognosticators, or so called “experts.”

I can appreciate how someone could mistakenly categorize Sunday’s Women’s World Cup loss as a choke which sets back US women’s soccer, but nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, the final match between the US and Japan was one of the most inspiring sporting events of our time. There are millions of women around the world who will turn to soccer as a means to improve their lives. The Japanese victory, not only uplifted earthquake ravaged Japan but was an example of what hard work and a strong will can accomplish. If you understand the nature of competition, you will be hard-pressed to call the US loss a choke. There are always two sides in every competition. Understanding each story is paramount to evaluating the outcome.

The US team was not the overwhelming favorite coming into the WWC, regardless of the number one ranking. The distinction of most probable victor was reserved for two-time defending champion and host nation, Germany. Also, Brazil, Sweden and France were all capable challengers. The US team actually struggled to qualify. Furthermore, most of the commentary leading up to the tournament was about, IF the United States would be able to sneak by Brazil and, IF they did, how would they beat powerhouse Germany. Yes, the number one ranking has some merit, but coach Pia Sundhage’s talented squad was not playing like the best in the world prior to the tournament. The experts were discussing, how the rest of the world had closed the gap on the US women. Not to mention, the American team last won the title in 1999.

The Japanese victory, in the quarter finals over host Germany, was labeled one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Prior to the game, no one gave Japan a chance. Even during the match, it seemed as if the commentators were simply waiting for Germany to turn it on and win. The experts often predetermine a champion based on talent, usually failing to consider HEART. The German loss was branded a choke initially but, upon further review, we now understand that the Japanese team was just better than every other nation in the WWC. The word choke is used because people often underestimate the “underdog.” There are too many instances in which a ranking turns out to be completely meaningless; it happens every year during March Madness.

The pre-season polls in college football are arguably the most erroneous rankings. Let me remind everyone that my Gators were ranked #4 in US Today and #3 in the AP polls; that didn’t quite work out for the team, which ended up in turmoil and unranked at season’s end. Why was Japan such an underdog? Because the prognosticators, who almost never know what they are talking about, said they were! What the perception of Japan was before the tournament didn’t matter. No one would be calling a US loss a choke if it came at the hands of the mighty Germans.

There are those who may say, “Japan’s win was a fluke.” Those are the idiots! The Japanese equalizing goal in the game’s final minutes defines competition; if they weren’t supposed to score, the referee should have ended the game once the US regained the lead. The WWC is just another example of the experts being completely wrong, which is why the games are never played on paper.

How can you call a team working hard and persevering, a choke by the other team. No, the Miami Heat didn’t choke—the Mavericks were just a better team. Lebron James didn’t choke in the NBA Finals, he merely has yet to figure out the secrets to winning. Making it over the hump and finally becoming a champion is a skill that must be acquired. I am one of the most die-hard Red Sox fans and, in the past, I have called the 2004 comeback against the Yankees the biggest choke in History. I was mistaken; we all were. The Yankees didn’t choke. The Sox laid down during the first three games, before refocusing and playing like champions. The Yankees didn’t collapse—Boston barely won games four through six. The Yankees were simply out-competed. Going into the series, everyone believed the Sox had a chance, and every single Red Sox fan knew we were going to win, until the 0-3 deficit. As a matter of fact, we felt the Sox were the ones who choked when they were down three games to none.

I’m not suggesting the word choke can never apply. There are many instances in which players or teams succumb to the pressures of winning. Rory McIlroy’s performance at the 2011 Master’s comes to mind. In that instance, there were no rankings which predicted Rory as the expected champion. He performed amazingly, then fell apart in the end. You can categorize his loss as choking if you wish, but the WWC is completely different. Two teams earned the opportunity to play in the final game and one team prevailed in the end. The Japanese played the exact same game as they did against the Germans; they earned the victory!

As far as Mr. Vassalo calling the game a set back, he is dead wrong. The Associated Press has reported that the WWC set the new record for tweets-per-second, eclipsing the (British) Royal Wedding and the death of Osama Bin Laden. I watched the game in the living room with several male family members and we watched every minute, cheering on each scoring chance. The game did everything to legitimize women’s soccer as an exciting sport. There were three Brazil soccer fans in the room, and we only changed the channel, to watch the Brazil vs. Paraguay game, during halftime of the WWC. The level of competition rivaled any major men’s sporting event, and the American loss was equally frustrating. Anyone who chooses the term “choked” to describe a loss in the Championship game of a World Tournament, which only occurs every four years, must not appreciate how difficult it is to win in sports. Did Roberto Baggio choke in the 1998 World Cup Final against Brazil? No! The Brazilian team was great. Baggio over-kicked the ball; these instances happen in sports. Winning is never easy!

As much as I hoped to see the US bring home the gold, watching the Japanese players perform with the true hearts-of-champions was amazing. They stepped up in the clutch and did what was necessary to attain victory. The US did not choke; there were many missed first half opportunities, but Japan also had missed chances. A game-changing infraction happened in the first half when the referee mistakenly called Shinobu Ohno, who was onside with a full head of steam, offside. Hope Solo is a great goalie, but I doubt she could have prevented a goal. Women’s soccer in America is in good hands. Abby Wambach is the world’s premier scorer, and a new star has emerged, Alex Morgan.

I believe the WWC’s following will continue to grow, and the Olympics will be a great sporting event for women’s soccer. No Jemele, I am not lowering the expectations for the US team because they are women. I’m simply pointing out that they stepped on the field, played at a high level, and lost to a better team. As far as the penalty kicks are concerned, did anyone actually expect the US to win? I have always been under the impression that the team which fights to earn a tie, will usually out-perform the team who has to deal with the disappointment of losing a lead. Not to mention, Hope Solo didn’t have the luxury of studying previous Japanese PKs; this was Japan’s first ever. Advantage Blue Team. I didn’t witness any “choke,” Japan out-performed the US.

Hopefully the United States players forget about the accolades which come with being ranked number one, and prepare like champions. The reason I watch sports is because I know the outcome is never predetermined; no team or individual is supposed to win. Being a champion is something that is earned, not handed out by experts. Set Back? No, US women’s soccer has a new fan. Great job ladies…bring home Olympic Gold!

@PeteTeix617