NFL Networks episode of "32 Teams in 32 Days" featuring Denver, a Major Disappoinment

If you're like me you've been anticipating the episode for at least a couple weeks if not more. The only reason I have Direct TV is for NFL Network and Sunday Ticket, because they have the monopoly in my market and many other markets around the United States and I wouldn't even be able to see NFL Network without it. I can remember times last year when the weather was bad in New York during the season, knocking out Direct TV reception and having to SIMCast the game from some kind soul in Turkey or Italy... Resorting to illegally watch a game from someone outside of the United States, just because the weather was bad and the NFL agreed to a shitty monopolist contract years ago. So let's get past that, I am :)


Onto tonight, NFL Network, "32 Teams in 32 Days!" Day number 15, I believe, I could be mistaken. Clinton Portis is the guest host, this is cool, he's a fun guy, former Bronco, maybe he has something to say about Javon Walker or maybe even Champ Bailey... He's a great guy and had nothing but nice things to say about Denver, even explaining the intricacies of the stretch play that Denver has made famous during the Shanahan Era.

I've only seen a couple of these episodes from NFL Total Access, Houston being one of the ones that stick out in my mind. They had an Intro, an intro to their 32 Teams episode that was so good, that I swear if they weren't in the AFC they may have become my second favorite team that night. The Denver episode was so bad that if you would have awaken from a one-year coma today and watched this episode to catch up, you would have found out that: Denver won it's first two games, lost the third, Javon Walker, Travis Henry and Jason Elam no longer play for the team... Jump to week seven we won, week eight we lost, lost to Chicago, then Houston. Oh and Chad Johnson's spending his off time hanging out in his garage (which he always does, thank you Chad!) smoking cigars and listening to Frank Sinatra. Oh and Cinton Portis wants to let viewers decide his character for next season!

Also we have a player named Selvin Young, Jay Cutler started last season for the whole season, got hurt in Detroit and we may or may not have improved our Defense... We'll just have to wait until Oakland to find out, won't we Denver faithful!

:: Rant over ::

Thank God for places like BroncoTalk, Broncos Country Message Board, OrangeMane and a handful of other blogs (maybe even this one, if I want to be a dick about it) or Denver fans may not even be able to decipher who the Broncos even got in the draft. Waiting on the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News is reminiscent of The Pony Express. I've been all over the United States, I've been a New Yorker in Boston in 2006, I've been a Wyomingite at UCLA (that may be an odd reference, but Wyoming beat UCLA in a bowl game in 2005), but best of all, I've been a Bronco Fan for my entire life (yes, even in the mid-late '80's). I know the drill, I should be happy that we're being brushed over in literally every national media spotlight, because every time they do that we come out of nowhere and knock them in their mouth.

Here's to the 2008 season Broncos fan, we (the collective bloggers) will put you on our shoulders and we can carry you into the season until the National Media wants to talk about Jay Cutler (not his diabetes), Brandon Marshall (not his severed tendon), the Denver Running Game (not Travis Henry), the Denver Passing Game (not Javon Walker) and the Juggernaut Denver Defense (not the Defensive Line)!

Oh and did I mention, it's Smack Talk Week over at BroncoTalk and Kyle's doing well. If you really want some added value check out the comment section and the brave AFC West fans who are brave enough to speak up. Hell, even lay some smack down yourself, it's your team too!

Orange Crush #9 on NFL Network

Don't know if you caught it, but the Denver Broncos and their Orange Crush Linebackers were voted number 9 overall on NFL Networks top Linebacking Corps of All-time. Did you know that the Broncos were the first NFL defense to run a 3-4?

"Offenses did not know how to attack us," says Bob Swenson.

"After you played Denver, you wouldn't be sore physically, you'd be sore mentally," Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Fouts went on to explain.

Talk of Tom Jackson, Bob Swenson, Randy Gradishar and Joe Rizzo's reign over NFL offenses continued. Including some straight talk from former Denver Radio Analyst Larry Zimmer who states, "To me [Randy Gradishar's] just the epitome of a great linebacker, I think it is an absolute tragedy that he is not in the [football] Hall of Fame."

"I never saw anyone as quick as Tom [Jackson]," says Swenson.

"Joe Rizzo was the kind of guy you wanted to go into a bar with and if anything happened, you'd want him protecting your backside. That was Rizzo," Swenson went on to say.

"It's a special group in NFL history," Zimmer concluded.

Here's the rest of the list:

10) Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware, Darren Sharper (2000 Ravens)
9) Tom Jackson, Joe Rizzo, Randy Gradishar (Denver Broncos late '70's)
8) Matt Millen, Ted Hendricks, Rod Martin (Oakland Raiders early '80's)
7) Greg LLoyd, Kevin Greene, Levon Kirkland, Chad Brown (Steelers Mid 90's)
6) Ray Nitschke, Leroy Jaffey, Dave Robinson ( Packers Late '60's)
5) Mike Singletary, Wilbur Marshall, Otis Wilson (Bears Mid 80's)
4) Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Jim Lynch ( Chiefs Late 60's)
3) Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Carl Banks ( Giants Mid 80's)
2) Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Andy Russell ( Steelers 70's)
1) Pat Swilling, Ricky Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughn Johnson ( Saints Late 80's )

Check it out, it's airing all week!

Broncos on NFL Networks "32 Teams in 32 Weeks"

Just in case you were wondering when this episode will air (for the Broncos):

It looks like the first showing will be Tuesday, June 24th at 10:00 pm eastern time.

With replays on Wednesday, June 25th in the AM@: 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, noon. Eastern time.

Not sure on the other timezones, but at least you have dates.