the    sides

The Bronco Soap Opera
Has to be the biggest story of the offseason – Shanahan fired, McDaniels in, Cutler gone, Marshall in trouble with law…again, the questionable draft of the Broncos. Marshall not showing up for a mandatory camp was a stupid move by an immature player. Yes, he’s underpaid but there is no way any team is going to give him a larger contract right now with his track record with the law and his injuries. So his only real course of action right now is to shut up, show up, and grow up.

McDaniels as coach — I still don’t get it, honestly. I’m hopeful, just like the next fan but he’s got a lot to prove and he shortened his window to prove it in when the Cutler debacle went down. His draft wasn’t awesome either, neither was the offseason signings. Heck, one of the RB’s he signed didn’t even pass his physical. Trading a next year’s first for a this year’s second on an undersized CB…the list goes on but I also know that if Moreno turns out to be the next TD, everyone will forget the rest.

I’ll dance in the streets if the Broncos break .500 this year.

The Favre Chronicles
It could be argued that this is the number 1 story. I wouldn’t argue a whole lot. It’s just…it’s tiring. Just retire, 4. Look at how 7 did it and just quit. The Jet Experiment left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, going to the Vikings is just going to get worse. It would have been like Elway going to the Raiders. Unthinkable. Plus, the more he sticks around, the more he looks like a prima donna, the exact opposite of his legacy at Green Bay.

Brady Returns
I don’t fully understand the love affair with Tom Brady. He’s a great quarterback, don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see him in Blue and Orange given the options we’ve got. But Cassell took the team to 11-5. Not shabby. To be fair, Brady takes advantage of every mismatch ever on the field…due to coaching or talent or smarts – on one hand it doesn’t matter. He gets it done. On the other hand, I don’t think he’s the greatest ever, I don’t think the Patsies would be done if he got hurt or wasn’t there. Just saying…

Todd Haley at KC
Living in Topeka, I’m flooded with the Chefs info. It’s mildly irritating as they have little to no talent on this team. Their past drafts make Denver and Oakland look like geniuses…and that’s saying something. The biggest problem KC had was addressed this year – their GM and they got a great one. So over the next few years, I expect the Chefs to reach the level of annoyance that they traditionally have – having the ability to show up in your house and just hand it to you for 60 minutes. Making both the fans and the players that they’ve been in a car wreck when the game is over.

(As an aside – one of the most wicked hits I’ve ever seen was Dale Carter lighting up Elway on a roll out pass. It was a late hit, it got a yellow flag…but the entire stadium went silent waiting to see if 7 was getting up.)

But they’re not there yet. Most of the stories around here focus on Todd Haley – the fired up coach from Arizona. It’s been interesting to see the progression of him being a jerk, to just a tough guy, to a good guy who demands a lot from his players over the last few weeks on sports radio. Who knows what he’s really like, he’s in the same boat as McDaniels is in on one hand…but less pressure at this point, I think. Fans here are giving him the benefit of the doubt so far.

What’s been your favorite/least favorite moment of the offseason so far?