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06-27-2010 06:50 PM |
Oh shiiii
Quote:
http://www.denverpost.com/broncoshea...mpaign=twitter
By Woody Paige
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/27/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
John Elway and Josh McDaniels loathe losing more than bare-knuckle champion Jim Corbett detested solar plexus punches and ancient Athenians hated solar eclipses.
Josh & John lost bad the other day.
As teammates for the first time, El and McD were beaten in a golf match at Cherry Hills Country Club by a pair of gadflies — Joe Ellis, Broncos chief operating officer, and Mark Thewes, the coach's assistant. "We lost by one," McDaniels said.
But the game was a win-win for the Broncos, McDaniels and Elway in a new partnership.
Ellis said Saturday: "I think the 4½ hours John and Josh spent together was great for them and the franchise."
McDaniels said: "I've really enjoyed being around John. He means so much to the Broncos, Denver and the NFL. We've had fun, and I look forward to John having a relationship with the Broncos, Pat Bowlen and me well into the future."
Elway said: "I've gotten to know Josh, and I'd like to get to know him even better and assist him and the Broncos whatever way I can. Josh knows what he wants and how to get there."
Elway, who engineered more comebacks than any other quarterback in NFL history, wants one more comeback with the Broncos.
The Broncos want John to come back.
The Broncos and Elway have agreed that the Hall of Fame quarterback will be an asset with the team's business operations in "marketing initiatives," particularly in advance of the team's game in London, and will observe practices and consult with McDaniels on football matters.
This is a super development. It was too long coming. Lamentably, the Broncos and Elway have been estranged since he retired 11 years ago.
Elway will be a half-century old on Monday. He joined the Broncos more than a quarter-century ago. He was, and remains, the face of the franchise.
In our conversation about his 50th birthday, Elway was emphatic about "getting involved" with the Broncos again "and see where it goes from there."
Ellis said the Broncos and Elway have "low-keyed" his return, but Bowlen "is happy about John's interest. After all, John not only raised the Broncos to a championship level, but he was one of the few players responsible for raising the entire level of attention for the NFL.
"Of course, we want him involved with the Broncos. We want John coming to our headquarters, talking football and helping us in many different areas."
Echoing Elway's words, Ellis said: "We'll see where it leads."
McDaniels opens door
The Hall of Fame quarterback attended a recent minicamp workout (closed to the media, so it went unreported). McDaniels told me Saturday that Elway is "welcome any time to Dove Valley. I look forward to that as head coach. He is the greatest Bronco of all time and someone all our players should know and respect. We can benefit from John's knowledge, presence and experience."
John wasn't as welcomed before.
There was a breakdown between Elway and Mike Shana- han.
"Honestly, some things went on between Mike and me," said Elway, who wouldn't elaborate.
In 1984, Shanahan was brought in by Dan Reeves as a 32-year-old assistant (same age as McDaniels when he took the Broncos' head coaching job) to work specifically with Elway. The two became virtually inseparable, especially when Shanahan was elevated to offensive coordinator. Shanahan left in '87 to become head coach of the Raiders.
When Shanahan was fired abruptly in '89, Bowlen ordered Reeves to rehire him. But Reeves believed Shanahan and Elway secretly scripted plays behind his back. Shana- han was fired in 1991. In '95, he returned as head coach and reunited with Elway.
Elway said: "I told Mike I understood the relationship between head coach and player. My father (Jack) was a coach. I told him I wouldn't cross the line, but he made sure I didn't."
However, even after Shana- han and Elway won two Super Bowls (after losing three together) and John retired, the abyss widened, because Bowlen had shouted "this one's for John" after the first title, Shanahan didn't want Elway in an executive role, and if the coach won without Elway, that one would be for Shanahan.
So, John was persona non grata at Dove Valley until Mc- Daniels reached out to Elway.
"Don't need a job title"
At the end of Elway's career, Bowlen offered to sell him up to 20 percent of the ownership, and Elway eventually would become COO. Elway declined; he didn't want then to be a minority shareholder.
That proposed deal prompted former owner Edgar Kaiser, who had maneuvered the Elway acquisition, to file a lawsuit, claiming he had first right-of-refusal. Litigation dragged through federal and state courts for years before a final ruling in Bowlen's favor in 2007.
Elway would be willing if Bowlen made the offer again. They were owners (with Stan Kroenke) of the defunct Colorado Crush arena football team. "I did that because I wanted to be in football again," Elway said. "I got the experience on the ownership and personnel side, and I was ready for the NFL . . . Would I like to be part owner of the Broncos? Yes."
Bowlen repeatedly has said he will not sell the franchise.
With a new regime, Elway was enthused about ending the split.
"It's easier to be involved now. I don't need a job title. I don't want to call shots. It's not necessarily day-to-day, but if I can help Josh, Pat and Joe get this franchise back on track, that's important. It's just a matter of being the guy there who if you wanted a different point of view, I can give it."
Would he want to coach? "Oh, yeah. Being off to the side and working it that way . . . spending time with the quarterbacks and the offense."
Elway has been impressed with McDaniels. "He's considered too young at 34, and I was considered too old at 34. The players, I can tell you, don't give a rat's (behind) if he's 34 or 64. You want a man who can motivate, teach you, coach you to a championship. Josh can do that."
John also has linked up with Tim Tebow. "He texted me when he got to Denver. I watched him practice. I've talked to him. I like him a whole lot. People say he doesn't have the perfect release, but I didn't have a perfect release. You can fix that.
"When Tim came to my (birthday party), we had a long talk. What I told him is that in pro football, the window of accuracy is this small (he spreads his hands 18 inches), not this big (3 feet). Those complete passes in college are incompletions and interceptions in the NFL. You don't get better at accuracy in the weight room. You throw thousands of passes. He's got the natural talent and the smarts. But he's got to throw, throw, throw."
John threw for 56,439 yards (regular season and postseason) and set the record for quarterback victories.
Legendary No. 7 strives to come back to help the Broncos get back.
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