I’m almost as surprised by the Saints’ win today as I was by Shannon Sharpe’s missing the final cut for the Hall of Fame. Happier about the former, though.

As disappointed as I am for Peyton Manning, it is impossible to be truly disappointed in the result.

Boo, on the other hand, to Audi for an ad that made me want to buy a Hummer. Or a Chris “Birdman” Anderson-mobile.

In reference to the Super Bowl half time show: lovely light show, but a boring performance from a band who hasn’t had a meaningful hit in longer than I can remember. Not that they didn’t play well and do their best to inject energy and excitement into their mini-concert/mash-up of some of their biggest hits. It’s just that the music sounds nothing close to relevant.

Was this really the best choice for keeping the audience in their seats instead of clicking over to the latest Danica Patrick “Too Hot for TV Internet Only” abomination at GoDaddy.com?

For longtime Broncos fans like me, today is a sad, sad day. Tim McKernan, probably the best known Broncos fan, passed away. It wasn’t a surprise--he had given interviews about a month ago and it was obvious that he was dying--but he was, by all accounts, a really good guy and a fixture in my Broncos related memories for about three decades.

Tim McKernan, better known to Denver Broncos fans and the nation as the Barrel Man, died of lung failure at his home in suburban Denver. He was 69.

McKernan began wearing a barrel, cowboy hat and little else to Broncos games in 1977 after a bet with his brother. The former United Airlines mechanic made a $10 bet that he could get on TV if he wore a barrel to the game. Guess what? He won the bet.

He quickly became a fan favorite and missed only four games from 1967 until this season. McKernan retired the barrel during 2007 as health issues caught up with him.

I’m hoping that the Broncos organization takes a big step and adds McKernan to the Broncos Ring of Fame not just for McKernan’s sake, but as a great symbol of the passion and dedication of all Broncos fans. I can’t think of anyone else who could possibly fill that role as well as the Barrel Man.

Sympathy goes out to the family and friends of Mr. McKernan, and big thanks for all of the memories. Rest.

Read the story. And more here.

Update: Drew Litton has a nice post for Barrel Man, too.

"Run, there’s a murderer chasing you!”

The above is a real quote from Darling Girl after Manning had just completed a pass to a receiver who was about to be tackled by Ray Lewis.

The NFL does business with all these folks:

1. Ricky Williams. He’s either a four- or a five-time loser in the NFL banned substances program. I’m a little foggy on the details.
2. Michael Vick. Which, yeah…
3. Ray Lewis. While some people might talk about his “tarnished image”, Lewis’ plea deal for obstruction of justice after first being charged with murder didn’t stop him from continuing his career. Payoffs to avoid lawsuits from the families of the murdered men did little to put the shine back on in my eyes, but in the NFL, tarnished = giant paycheck.
4. Sebastian Janikowski. Who...well, just read it. His history includes the date rape drug, too much drinking, violent confrontations, and a mildly hilarious acquittal for attempting to bribe a police officer.
5. Pacman Jones. His violent, stupid crimes didn’t lead to his exit from the league; it was marginal play. Jones bugs me more than most because his criminal record paints him as the worst kind of arrogant, useless thug. That’s not the bad part, though: the bad part is that he was allowed to be this guy from college on to the pros because he was talented enough of a player that people kept giving him a pass. Until one year where he wasn’t good enough and the free ride was over. I wonder if he ever really understood the deal he was making or how quickly it would end?
6. Tom Cable. The Raiders head coach allegedly (and, very believably) viciously attacked one of his own assistant coaches and broke the man’s jaw. Admittedly, the NFL may well kick this guy from the league if and when he is convicted of felony assault; but with the evidence already in place, the severity of the attack, and the NFL’s recent focus on good behavior, I still can’t believe that he hasn’t been suspended pending the outcome of the legal issues and any internal investigation that needs to take place. Hell, it might be to the benefit of the team to be without Cable.

But this one was bullied out of even the possibility:

1. Rush Limbaugh. Who is a loudmouth conservative with a drug conviction. Which, let’s be honest, one drug conviction seems pedestrian in the world of football. You need to have a few run-ins with the pee police before the NFL considers taking any real action.

That’s only a taste, of course, and I’ve excluded those players who were convicted of things like drunk driving that, honestly, certainly are crimes but don’t deserve the kind of coverage that our media manages to milk out of those wayward players. I only include Ricky Williams because I find his career so darned funny.

And I don’t feel any strong need to carry any water for Rush. I don’t listen to Limbaugh. I tried to read one of his book years ago and got bored with his amazing ability to pat his own back--which doesn’t make him evil, it just means he’s not to my taste. Somehow, I don’t think that this should disqualify him to be minority owner of a football franchise that could use a little help.

But what do I know? I’m just the guy who buys the NFL product week after week, doing my bit to help pay the bloated salaries of the players, coaches, and owners in the league.

Just sayin’.

Just a few weeks ago, someone predicted this. Well, at least half of this.

While Broncos fans are, mostly, pleasantly surprised by the team (and the rational fans are worried about how much tougher the schedule gets), KC Chiefs fans can’t be anything but horribly disappointed in their team. So much movement in the off-season, so many strategic acquisitions, and so little change in results. Rough stuff, Chiefs fans.

Drew Litton has a pair of cartoons that capture the Broncos win rather well. Check them out here and here.

The Broncos weren’t as horrible as some of us might have expected, but that doesn’t mean that they were anything like good.

Originally, I was going to note that the Broncos defense looked to be pretty good today right up until it really counted. Nursing a hard-fought 6 point lead near the end of the game, the Broncos defense, which had harassed, sacked, and out-worked a Bengals offense through a good bit of the game, let the Bengals put together a great, touchdown scoring drive. In fact, the defense hardly put up a fight in those last few minutes, never pressured Carson Palmer, and left receivers open in the flat with tons of room to run.

It was one of just a couple of really good scoring opportunities that the Broncos defense gave up all day. It didn’t hurt that through much of the rest, the Bengals were working hard against their own success--whether it was a bobbled snap on a chip-shot field goal or dropped passes by Coles, the Bengals were inconsistent and bumbling, giving the Broncos D the chance to work through their early mistakes and put together some really good plays. Certainly there were too many long third down conversions and some ugly play, especially in the secondary. But it looked better than through most of last year--the sacks, the interception, and some good upfront play by the defensive line kept the game manageable.

Right up until when it counted most. Which is where I thought it would end.

The Broncos offense simply wasn’t good throughout the day. Knowing the Broncos quarterback, Kyle Orton, who isn’t known for his accuracy on the long ball in the best of times, was still nursing an injury, the Bengals defense put pressure on from the beginning. There was very little respect for the long pass and a smart focus on dominating the line. The Broncos running game was mediocre and the passing game was mostly ineffective. Like the Bengals, the Broncos were burdened by their own bad decisions. In particular, dropped passes (Brandon Marshall’s miss on a well-thrown long pass from Orton was particularly galling as Marshall spent much of the game looking completely unprepared for regular season play--and that’s a purely dumb self-inflicted wound from a guy who thinks he’s worth the really big money) and ugly penalties made most of the Broncos drives short and ugly.

So, losing by one point with less than a minute left on the clock, only one time out, and bad field position, it looked like the Broncos day was over and that they would be on the losing end of a truly ugly opening game. That probably should have been the end.

But the Bengals had one really good mistake in reserve. With the Broncos trying to work the sidelines on a long pass, hoping to get Prater (who hit field goals from 48 and 50 today) in position for a last-second kick, Orton aimed at a well-covered Marshall. Three Bengals defenders converged, one of them tipped the ball, and the ball popped up and over to an attentive Brandon Stokely. Stokely, smart player that he is, turned on the burners (okay, that’s probably overstating it--but he got every ounce of speed left in his body moving down the sideline and leaving defenders chasing him and desperately hoping that he would stumble or fumble or something. Which he didn’t. In fact, he smartly turned right at the goal line and burned off seconds while waiting for the defense to catch up.

Let me say this in big, bold letters: BRANDON STOKELY IS ONE SMART PLAYER. Not only does he put himself in position to make a play (in an interview after the game, he said that he was watching carefully so that he could make a block if Marshall had caught the ball or to make a catch if the ball was tipped), but he had the clarity of mind to burn off a little extra time to make it harder on Palmer, who has a big arm and a good receiving corps.

When the Bengals got the ball back, there were only five seconds left on the clock, which proved to be just enough time to throw a very long interception.

It wasn’t pretty, but it’s nice to see the Broncos get their first win under Josh McDaniels. It also showed that the Broncos aren’t working from absolutely nothing; there is some talent on this team and they might well be able to surprise a few people this year. The defense truly does look better and, while quarterback will continue to be a big question for the team, there is enough running, receiving, and blocking talent on the team that they should be able to put together a credible offense.

They have a long way to go to being good, though, and some of the decisions made by McDaniels are confusing. For example, how does Payton Hillis get so few looks in a game like this? Throughout the pre-season, Hillis proved himself to be tenacious, punishing, and efficient in running and catching the ball. On his one catch today, he caught the ball for what looked like very little gain, put a little move on the defender, and then bulled forward for 6 yards. The play ended up looking good, but it had more to do with Hillis than it did with the play call. When your offense is having a tough time putting up the yards, how do you leave this guy on the sideline for so much of the game?

It was better to watch a win than it would have been to watch a loss, but hope and change don’t build winning teams. It takes folks doing their jobs and coaches tapping into their players’ talents, two things that were largely lacking this week for the Broncos.

Update: Amen, brother Combs, amen.

Surprising news from Raider-land.

Five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour did not report to the Oakland Raiders on Monday, a day after being acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots.

Raiders coach Tom Cable said after practice that Seymour had to resolve some things with the Patriots before the deal for a first-round pick in 2011 could be finalized.

Seymour is probably just afraid that Cable will beat him up.

Which falls under the heading of “rational fear.”

Just sayin’.

Read the rest.

So, a guy named Brandstater outplayed a couple guys named Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart tonight. Which, given that it’s the fourth pre-season game of what will probably be remembered as the Broncos’ Great Lost Season, probably means not too much at all. Still, a 19-0 win keeps the Broncos from having a completely winless pre-season. In years like these, you take what you can get.

The Broncos looked pretty good in the first half (especially the first quarter), but the second half, filled mostly with the extra-scrubbed scrubs, was slow and filled with mistakes.  Not that there was a tremendous amount of name recognition in the first half (Champ Bailey played a grand total of four plays, for example), but we saw a few players who will likely make the final roster, and Brandstater certainly solidified his position as back-up to the back-up. For that matter, another guy named Walker made a reasonable case for being the Broncos’ fifth running back, and Prater reminded the faithful of why we spent half a season thinking that letting Jason Elam escape the team wasn’t a mistake.

Who knows if Prater will manage to keep us in that blissful state through an entire season this time.

Other good--if a little bit illusory--news: the defense looked good in chasing Card’s scrubs around the field for that first half. With a four man rush, they managed to get pressure on almost every play.

But when so many of the players in the game won’t ever see another game as Broncos (and many will never see another pro game again), it doesn’t tell us much about how the team will perform in the regular season. It’s one giant head fake.

You can almost count on someone trying to start a quarterback controversy, though. Someone will try to sell the idea that Brandstater should be the starting quarterback, especially given his longer throws. One of the big knocks on Orton in the pre-season is that every throw has been short- or medium-range. It’s a fair hit, and Brandstater certainly showed a little arm tonight, but Brandstater also made some big rookie mistakes in reads and decisions. He very well may be a starter in the league some day, but throwing him in right now wouldn’t be doing him, Orton, or Broncos fans much of a favor.

The real season starts soon, Broncos fans. I hope that this doesn’t turn out to be the high point of the year.

Firstly, no. Just no. Brett, what the hell are you doing?

Secondly, yes, Brandon Marshall deserves better. He’s been playing for a small, mid-draft contract while putting up the numbers of a high, first-round pick. I understand the questions about both his health and his off-field problems, but he’s unlikely to pull the kind of compensation that he’s worth in any kind of a trade and he really can be a big contributor on a team that needs him. There are a number of players on the defensive side of the ball that were rewarded with giant contracts and signing bonuses and who never managed to make any impact at all on the field (I’m talking to you, Moss, and to you, too, Crowder). Marshall, in contrast, contributed big, played out a few years of a highly underpaid contract, and just recently voiced his first bit of disgruntlement. My guess is that he finally realized that NFL players have short careers and that if he wanted to make the kind of money that will take care of him for the rest of his life, he needs to get a good contract before a career-ending injury robs him of the ability to make cuts or push upfield with the same strength that he has now.

While Marshall will make about $2.2 million this years, most of that money comes in the form of incentives. His base salary is closer to half a million while other top wide receivers earn significantly more and Marshall was a top 10 receiver in almost every category last year, easily outpacing TO and Randy Moss, both of whom have much larger contracts. There is little reason to believe he couldn’t hit something like 100 catches and 1300 yards again this season, and that’s the kind of guy who Orton (or Simms) will appreciate down the stretch. That’s no knock against Stokley or Royal, but just an acknowledgement that Marshall’s size, speed, talent, and competitive nature.

Yes, he needs to clean up his private life, but he’s not a lost cause. Give him another chance, give him a better contract, and get one of the most talented young receivers back on the field for the Broncos.

Speaking of second chances, I’m happy as hell that Michael Vick landed with a team and a quarterback who could give him the ultimate second chance. I was a big fan when he came out of college, a bit disappointed the further he got into his career, and mad as hell when he was found to be hip-deep in a dog fighting scandal. But I do believe in second chances and I trust Tony Dungy’s judgement when it comes to players. The man served his time in prison and now has an opportunity to fix the things that he did wrong; how he comports himself from now on will define just how deserving he is of that second chance.

The belief in the potential for redemption--on just about every level of a life--is deeply ingrained in Western, Judeo-Christian culture which is one of the reasons that there most definitely are second acts in American lives. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

So, the Broncos defense looks like they’re picking up right from where they left off last year.

Which is sad for me.

On the plus side, Brandon Marshall was found not guilty, so he can get right back to the crucial business of trying to get out of Denver.

Which is sad for me.

On the plus-er side, the offense is showing some promise. Not huge plays, but efficient plays, and Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley look like they’re ready to play.

Which is, well, actually it’s nice for me.

For the record, early in an exceptionally meaningless first quarter of a first pre-season game, Orton is looking pretty good. His arm strength is nowhere near Cutler’s and he works much harder to give the ball some heat, but his accuracy has been good, his field vision has been good...and, damnit, he just threw an interception. And it was entirely his fault.

Which gets us back to sadness.

The second interception (to Dre Bly, former Bronco) is even more painful. But the third is almost funny.

No it’s not.

Consider this, unquestionably, a critique. Consider it, too, a series of predictions (of a sort).

Good. Good athlete, good skills, good pick, good guy.

Too expensive. Decent player, potential starter, but not worth trading a first round pick next year to pick up a roll of the dice in the second round this year.

Promising. Potentially a very good player. While there is a lot to pick over this time through, I’m going to give this one some time to grow on me.

I just don’t get it. Why Knowshon Moreno? Last year the Broncos ended up with a surprisingly decent rushing attack considering all of the injuries that they sustained. What was amazing was how productive many of those rushers were when they played--and the kind of injury plague that they had last season isn’t likely to strike again. Aside from that, the Broncos brought in four expensive running backs in the offseason to compete with those guys from last season. So, heading into the draft, the Broncos had JJ Arrington, Correll Buckhalter, Andre Hall, Peyton Hillis, LaMont Jordan, Andrew Pinnock, Ryan Torain, and Selvin Young on the roster. They let PJ Pope and Michael Pittman go in the offseason and Tatum Bell hasn’t been re-signed after stepping in as a last-minute (and damned decent considering the lack of time to prepare for his role) fill-in for all of the injured backs last season.

There is a lot of talent on that list. The Broncos weren’t a team in search of an offense (although a little more scoring and a little less of the red-zone give-aways would have helped); this was a team that was near the bottom in pretty much every defensive category. It wasn’t just bad coaching, either. There was a serious lack of talent on that side of the ball. Every Broncos fan who wasn’t saying a prayer for a trade up to get Sanchez was probably sitting back and hoping that the first few rounds went to shore up that defense. Using a first rounder on a running back--even one who sounds as talented as this--just wasn’t what we were hoping for.

Don’t imagine that I think Moreno will be a bust because I’m guessing he’s going to be a heck of a player. I just think that the team had much bigger needs that could have been addressed with this pick and that their current talent is more talented than McDaniels seems to believe. The comments at the link above are significantly more positive than mine, but I just don’t see it.

As an aside, and speaking of Broncos cast-offs, teams who are looking for quality back-ups might do well to consider picking up Tatum Bell. He played hard and smart last season. Behind a good line with the right scheme, Bell can still be a player in the NFL.

For that matter, Jamie Winborn should be playing somewhere, too. I was surprised when the Broncos let him this off season. He’s a high energy, big effort, smart linebacker who might not have the same physical skills as some of the top names in the league, but who makes a great back-up who showed a talent for big plays and getting himself into good position to make plays. And, not to be unkind, but he was far more productive than a few names on the Broncos current roster. Like Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, for instance.

In fact, Winborn had more tackles last year (99 with 74 solo) than both Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder had in the last two seasons. Combined.

Now, back to the draft…

This is out of order, but what the hell? Of all the moves and all the picks, this one puzzles and worries me the most.

First, the Broncos weren’t really in dire need of a new tight end. Second, they traded their third round picks to move up to the second round to pick this guy--and I think he would still have been on the board in the third if they had waited. In fact, he well have been available in the fourth round and (by his own admission) he was thinking he might have to go the free agency route to find a team. He wasn’t the only one surprised that he was picked so high.

He didn’t have a distinguished career, he doesn’t have a history of being much of a receiving threat, and, yes, he can block but so can every one else on the Broncos squad. One of the great things about Shanahan was how he preached that everyone blocks in the running game and blocks hard. This just wasn’t their biggest need and they gave up their two picks in the third to get him when they didn’t have to. Let me put this as plainly as I can, even if he is a great pick, they didn’t need to give anything away to get their guy--it was a royally bad decision that leaves them as spectators until the fourth round and watching talent slip away that could have helped with their real needs.

The silver lining is that McDaniels seems to have picked some good citizens, some high-effort guys, and all these guys could all be starters.

But he didn’t plug all the defensive holes that most fans and experts hoped to see filled. Is this a sign of arrogance, bad strategy, or some strange genius that the rest of us will catch onto slowly over the course of the next two seasons?

The Broncos-Cutler rift looks like it is going to be resolved with a trade. This is disappointing since Cutler is a talented young quarterback and it seems that there should have been some way for the Broncos and Cutler to bridge their gap--but I still leave most of the blame in Cutler’s corner for having taken word of a potential trade as being something personal rather than what it was: a business transaction. When he refused to return the phone calls of the team owner, he was making a really bad decision.

CBS4 has learned that disgruntled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler is no longer in Denver and is done negotiating with the team. Cutler will not be attending Monday’s voluntary team workout. Sources tell CBS4 he has told the Broncos to trade him.

Cutler and his agent met face-to-face with the Broncos Saturday where no progress was made between the quarterback and his new head coach.

I hope that wherever he lands he will be successful. By all accounts, he’s also a very good citizen who has given quite a bit to the Denver community--and he will be missed in many ways. But this ending was his choice. 

Read the story.

Update: And ESPN has a story that gives a much more sympathetic ear to the Cutler side of the story. Read it here. Doesn’t change my overall feelings, but it does give Cutler the opportunity to say his piece.

I would still hope that there is a chance to fix the situation--but these guys are suffering a serious communications issue. And here’s another take that brings Bill Belichick into the story.

Jay Cutler needs to grow up a little.

Football is a business and sometimes people get traded--especially when there are sweeping changes in coaching staff, systems, and personnel. Acting as if he’s untouchable, as if the world revolves around him and his still-uneven skills, is just another sign of the kind of immaturity that is unlikely to lead to a championship ring in the near future.

Cutler told The Post he feels his relationship with McDaniels has “taken a few steps backward.”

“I don’t know if the relationship is irreconcilably broken,” Cook said. “But I know that as much as he’s meant to the organization and that ballclub, if there were attempts to trade him, then I think Jay Cutler is 100 percent right to be more than just a little bit miffed.”

Cutler is 17-20 with no playoff appearances since supplanting Jake Plummer late in the 2006 season, and he’s known for his petulant, moody personality in his dealings with teammates and the media alike.

“There’s an awful lot of smoke for there not to be a fire,” Cook said. “If they were in fact trying to trade Jay Cutler, then I think that’s a situation that’s going to cause a very serious problem for the organization.

“If they weren’t, maybe he forgives and forgets. But if they were, that’s going to be a very difficult situation to repair.”

He’s a quarterback with tremendous potential, but he really needs to understand his role in the organization--that of a highly skilled, important, and valued employee who can either be a leader of men or a petulant boy when things don’t go his way--so that he can become a more productive member. I love watching him play and I still think he has the skill to bring the Broncos to a championship some day, but more and more I find myself wondering if he’s really just a Jeff George-like figure that will be mostly forgotten when his career has ended.

NFL careers are short. Even the long tenures don’t often have more than a few close brushes with national championships (which is one of the reasons I still marvel at John Elway’s five Super Bowl starts), and if Cutler can’t find a way to start leading his team to playoffs, the truth is that the team might be better off with someone who shows less physical talent and more leadership ability.

Just sayin’.

Read the story.

The Dorito’s “Crystal Ball” commercial was week. Undoubtedly cool on paper, it was too obvious, too obnoxious, and poorly presented.

That was a waste of a few million bucks.

Update: Bud Light and Conan O’Brien was mildly cute, though. Which is probably the nicest thing I’ve ever had to say about anything involving O’Brien.

Does anyone else get the feeling that the Steelers are going to spend the day bullying the Cards in brutal fashion? I’d love to see Warner walk away with the win, but I just don’t think that Arizona has the talent to win this one.

Update: Bridgestone Mr & Mrs. Potato(e) Head ad was really cute. And I was glad to see her lips fall down the mountain, too. On the other hand, the Castrol Edge King of the Monkeys ad fell flat to me. Not as bad as the new The Fast and the Furious movie, but pretty horrible.

The second Doritos ad--I shall call it “Wish Fulfillment"--was pretty weak, too, although it’s badness was overshadowed by yet another idiotic GoDaddy.com spot. I’m not a stickler for good taste, but the GoDaddy ads are so ridiculously juvenile and obvious in intent. Wish they’d spend some of that ad money on trying to fix their dismal user interface.

Just sayin’.

Update: Cars.com David Abernathy ad had a strong Wes Anderson vibe. I’m torn--it got my attention, which is good, but it had almost no payoff in the end, which is bad. Dunno.

Update: Hate the eTrade babies. Hate hate hate. Which is okay because I liked (liked liked liked) the Bud Light sketching guy ad. Because I’m a sucker for humor involving potentially major injuries. And for Chester Cheetah--I used to do a killer impression of the mutant love child of Chester Cheetah and Freddy Krueger.

For some reason.

Update: Okay, I have to send a special love note to the Heroes v/ NFL greats ad--having Elway fly in like Superman was an inspired touch.

And, yes, I’m ridiculously biased on the subject.

Update: Okay, I really like both the Priceline Negotiator ad with Shatner coaching a husband on how to convince his wife that they can afford a vacation. Shatner’s continued willingness to laugh at himself has made him one of the most likable (and, yes, cheesy) stars in Hollywood. I also liked the 1st Bank identity protection ad--funny, effective, creative, and timely.

Last Update (Probably): And now I’m bored by both the game and the ads. I’m moving on to a baked potato swimming in tasty chicken chipotle chili. Yum!

Firstly, I am appalled. Whatever message was intended, whatever he wanted to say with the “drunken negro cookies” in honor (?!) of our President, it not only defies sense, but it is in hideously bad taste. He deserves the boycott that is sure to come.

Secondly, I am disappointed. Not gravely, but enough that it brought to mind one of those bits of Kipling that springs up in my mind from time to time:

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-’alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!

For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.

Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.

Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy how’s yer soul?”
But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.

You can read the rest here, if so inclined. I read it first, if memory serves, in Heinlein’s Starship Troopers--a love letter to the bloody infantry--and it’s always stuck with me.

I am saddened by the death of Shane Dronett. It’s hard to say precisely why because I never knew him, don’t know if he was a great guy or not, and know nothing about him other than the fact that he left behind a wife and two children, that he was a pretty good player, and that his teammates seemed to like him quite a bit. Maybe it’s just because I know that a guy has to be feeling pretty low to want to kill himself--and, yes, I know and even agree with the idea that it’s a selfish act especially in light of the family that he left behind. But it’s still sad.

Thank goodness there’s a little happiness on this list, too.

I’m ridiculously proud of Mr. Lady’s nomination for the 2009 Bloggies as Best Candadian Blogger. You’ll have to scroll sideways to get to her category, though, which annoys the living hell out of me. Anyway, she may be a freakin’ lefty, but she’s our freakin’ lefty and I hope you’ll all help me stuff the ballot box on this one. The fact that she’s not actually a Canuckistanian by birth, on the other hand, I can’t help with.

I’m just as proud of my friend, Diane, for her cool elephant. No, really, check it out. She’s wonderfully talented and about as nice a woman as you’re ever likely to meet.

All I can say is, “Man up, ladies.”

I suppose a hunger strike is nice, but I’m not sure what good it’s going to do for the poor people who are hungry by political design instead of ridiculous choice.

It’s an entirely ‘nother culture, so I’m probably not allowed to comment on it; that would just be too judgmental.

Speaking of something else entirely, if I traded all my money for Zim dollars, I would totally be a billionaire.

Yet another stupidly early Christmas wish-list front-runner.

Pretty.

I was hoping that wouldn’t happen.

1. San Diego is better. First and foremost, it must be admitted that the 8-8 Chargers are better than the 8-8 Broncos, but you would have a hard time convincing me that either team deserves the playoffs over the New England Patriots. And you simply couldn’t convince me that either deserved to be hosting Indianapolis at home. While I understand the excitement on the part of the Chargers and their fans, the truth is that there just isn’t that much to be proud of in the AFC West this season.
2. The Broncos defense. The defense was, at best, mediocre this season; most of the time it was truly bad. Somewhere deep inside, though, I knew that they had a perfectly horrid game in them. In the biggest game of their year they managed to play their worst game of the year. There has to be a prize for that somewhere. Honestly, the level of talent on the defensive side of the ball is at its lowest in my memory.
3. Champ Bailey. While Broncos fans were happy to see him back, it was obvious that he wasn’t healthy.
4. Jay Cutler. While Cutler has thrown for a tremendous number of yards this season, it’s obvious that he isn’t really quite prime time yet. More on that later, but there is something lacking both in his leadership style and his personal decision making that resulted in far more turnovers this year than there should have been.
5. Mike Shanahan. Of course, more on his dismissal later, but while Shanahan actually cobbled together a good offense, his defensive personnel decisions have been mostly horrendous over the last few years--and that includes his revolving door at defensive coordinator. I love Shanahan and I admire the record that he earned as a head coach with the Broncos, but I wasn’t sad to hear that he had been dismissed. The only thing that I hope is that whoever fills that head coach position is someone up to the task. ‘09 could be pretty rough.
6. Inconsistent running game. Of course, this isn’t anyone’s fault--that the Broncos could continue to find bodies to fill the role of running back throughout the season was an amazing feat in and of itself. That many of those backs looked solid is a testament to the talent, depth, and scheme. That there were games where the Broncos couldn’t quite get the running game going in the right direction is singularly unsurprising.
7. Tackling. When the defense wasn’t out of position, it was missing tackles. I’d love to know how many times this season a Broncos defender found himself alone in the backfield with a running back or a wide receiver and then missed an open tackle.
8. Third down futility. Occasionally, the defense would manage to get opponents into third and long. Regularly, they let the opponent convert with big plays. Big runs, big passes, big penalties--they were always willing to do what it took to help the other team convert.
9. Jason Elam. While it isn’t his fault, the decision to let him go definitely haunted the Broncos a few times this year. That personnel decision may still turn out for the best, but the kicking game definitely suffered in the second half of the season. There were times that Matt Prater looked good, but his inconsistency on the mid-range kicks and his inability to put his kickoffs into the end zone really hurt.
   Special teams. Where the kicking game flailed aimlessly, the coverage on kickoffs was particularly bad. The special teams play this year was not as disastrous as the defensive play, but it had its horrific moments.
10. They obviously had something better to do. Instead of winning one of their last three games or bothering to show up against teams like the Raiders, the Broncos obviously had something better to do. Not sure what that might have been, but there were times where the effort simply wasn’t going into the game and I have to imagine it was going somewhere else instead.

The Broncos--a young team loaded with spectacular talent on offense--might want to remember the failure of this year so that they can address their own shortcomings next year. They failed to make the playoffs by just one game--a game that probably would have saved their coaches job, would have given them a platform to build on for next season. Instead, they ended ugly and they’ll have a new head coach next season.