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Mike
10-09-2007, 10:24 AM
Leaders nowhere to be found
By Mark Kiszla
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/09/2007 01:05:41 AM MDT

With more bad news on his doorstep, the real revelation was how Mike Shanahan reacted Monday to a devastating injury to center Tom Nalen heaped on the insult of the most embarrassing loss in the coach's successful NFL career.

For the first time in more than a dozen seasons as the team's master and commander, Shanahan seemed at a loss, with something dangerously close to resignation creeping into his famously cocksure eyes.

"To lose a guy like Tom Nalen hurts. He's not only a great player, but a great leader. His toughness is second to none," said Shanahan, obviously bummed to learn the anchor of Denver's offensive line and the fiercest competitor on the roster would be lost for the season, while healing from a biceps muscle torn during a deflating 41-3 home loss to San Diego.

Unable to score efficiently, unable to stop the run and unable to find enough players who share his burning desire to win, never has Shanahan looked more frustrated, more bruised and more stumped.

Where can the coach turn now for help?

There is a crisis of leadership in the Denver locker room.

Too many knuckleheads, not enough warriors.

The trouble begins here: The Broncos have lost eight of their past 12 games, dating to last season. Even worse: Now absent from the field are Nalen, receiver Rod Smith and linebacker Al Wilson. All captains.

All injured. All gone.

Have the Broncos lost their heart, their soul and their passion?

Shanahan will fight to get the mojo back. With 11 dates remaining on the schedule and only Oakland ahead of Denver in the AFC West standings, it's way too early for the coach to surrender.

But on a team whose personnel has so dramatically changed from a year ago, when Shanahan looks in his locker room, he sees so many Denver players still learning to trust each other that it's impossible to predict who is ready to lead and how far they can take the Broncos.

"You always have those questions with every team," Shanahan said. "There are some guys who definitely need to step up and play at a certain level. But I think we have those guys who will do it."

Denver veterans John Lynch and Champ Bailey are strong personalities who lead by example. But they are not big enough to cover every square inch of the team's Dove Valley headquarters in a time of need.

Talent is not the No. 1 problem with the Broncos. But winning in the here-today, gone-tomorrow era of free-agent football requires strength in establishing a team's identity almost as much as productivity in the red zone.

And, frankly, these Broncos too often seem clueless about who they are or what kind of team they want to be.

Quarterback Jay Cutler must cram so hard to master the game plan that nobody can yet reasonably expect him to walk into a meeting among discouraged teammates with the swagger of John Elway.

While running back Travis Henry waits for the smoke to clear from his marijuana dispute with the NFL, he's too busy to worry about more than saving his own hide.

Defensive tackle Sam Adams has appeared so old and slow that he has folks crying in their beer. The Denver linebackers are so lost that following them could make anyone dizzy. Receiver Javon Walker continues to pull himself together physically and emotionally, battling a sore knee and the haunting memory of Darrent Williams' murder.

Before the Broncos can even think about making a playoff run, they need to stand up and be counted.

Pointing a finger of blame at the most loyal fans in the NFL does not cut it.

"If you're going to be a Broncos fan, be a Broncos fan. Don't boo us when we're down. That's bandwagon. When we start winning, then what?" receiver Brandon Marshall said Sunday, sounding like a knucklehead for ripping spectators who bolted the stadium in disgust as San Diego made Denver quit.

Not to pick on Marshall, who was speaking from the same emotion that rubbed raw everyone in a town angered by the rout, but he demonstrates how the entitlement of rich athletes now goes so far as to create the expectation fans will subsidize outrageous salaries and also happily get soaked in the rain of a 41-3 defeat.

Perhaps what's wrong with these newbie Broncos is too many of them fail to appreciate that if Coloradans built the franchise a stadium with our own tax dollars, then fans have every emotional right to take ownership of each bit of happiness and sadness that falls on the franchise at an extremely personal level.

Was it sinful for Broncomaniacs to turn their backs on an embarrassing performance by Denver?

"I would've left, too," Shanahan said.

Before they can win back the hearts of Broncos Nation, many of these players have to prove wearing a Denver uniform means something more to them than a big, fat paycheck.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_7122076

Medford Bronco
10-09-2007, 10:39 AM
Leaders nowhere to be found
By Mark Kiszla
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/09/2007 01:05:41 AM MDT

With more bad news on his doorstep, the real revelation was how Mike Shanahan reacted Monday to a devastating injury to center Tom Nalen heaped on the insult of the most embarrassing loss in the coach's successful NFL career.

For the first time in more than a dozen seasons as the team's master and commander, Shanahan seemed at a loss, with something dangerously close to resignation creeping into his famously cocksure eyes.

"To lose a guy like Tom Nalen hurts. He's not only a great player, but a great leader. His toughness is second to none," said Shanahan, obviously bummed to learn the anchor of Denver's offensive line and the fiercest competitor on the roster would be lost for the season, while healing from a biceps muscle torn during a deflating 41-3 home loss to San Diego.

Unable to score efficiently, unable to stop the run and unable to find enough players who share his burning desire to win, never has Shanahan looked more frustrated, more bruised and more stumped.

Where can the coach turn now for help?

There is a crisis of leadership in the Denver locker room.

Too many knuckleheads, not enough warriors.

The trouble begins here: The Broncos have lost eight of their past 12 games, dating to last season. Even worse: Now absent from the field are Nalen, receiver Rod Smith and linebacker Al Wilson. All captains.

All injured. All gone.

Have the Broncos lost their heart, their soul and their passion?

Shanahan will fight to get the mojo back. With 11 dates remaining on the schedule and only Oakland ahead of Denver in the AFC West standings, it's way too early for the coach to surrender.

But on a team whose personnel has so dramatically changed from a year ago, when Shanahan looks in his locker room, he sees so many Denver players still learning to trust each other that it's impossible to predict who is ready to lead and how far they can take the Broncos.

"You always have those questions with every team," Shanahan said. "There are some guys who definitely need to step up and play at a certain level. But I think we have those guys who will do it."

Denver veterans John Lynch and Champ Bailey are strong personalities who lead by example. But they are not big enough to cover every square inch of the team's Dove Valley headquarters in a time of need.

Talent is not the No. 1 problem with the Broncos. But winning in the here-today, gone-tomorrow era of free-agent football requires strength in establishing a team's identity almost as much as productivity in the red zone.

And, frankly, these Broncos too often seem clueless about who they are or what kind of team they want to be.

Quarterback Jay Cutler must cram so hard to master the game plan that nobody can yet reasonably expect him to walk into a meeting among discouraged teammates with the swagger of John Elway.

While running back Travis Henry waits for the smoke to clear from his marijuana dispute with the NFL, he's too busy to worry about more than saving his own hide.

Defensive tackle Sam Adams has appeared so old and slow that he has folks crying in their beer. The Denver linebackers are so lost that following them could make anyone dizzy. Receiver Javon Walker continues to pull himself together physically and emotionally, battling a sore knee and the haunting memory of Darrent Williams' murder.

Before the Broncos can even think about making a playoff run, they need to stand up and be counted.

Pointing a finger of blame at the most loyal fans in the NFL does not cut it.

"If you're going to be a Broncos fan, be a Broncos fan. Don't boo us when we're down. That's bandwagon. When we start winning, then what?" receiver Brandon Marshall said Sunday, sounding like a knucklehead for ripping spectators who bolted the stadium in disgust as San Diego made Denver quit.

Not to pick on Marshall, who was speaking from the same emotion that rubbed raw everyone in a town angered by the rout, but he demonstrates how the entitlement of rich athletes now goes so far as to create the expectation fans will subsidize outrageous salaries and also happily get soaked in the rain of a 41-3 defeat.

Perhaps what's wrong with these newbie Broncos is too many of them fail to appreciate that if Coloradans built the franchise a stadium with our own tax dollars, then fans have every emotional right to take ownership of each bit of happiness and sadness that falls on the franchise at an extremely personal level.

Was it sinful for Broncomaniacs to turn their backs on an embarrassing performance by Denver?

"I would've left, too," Shanahan said.

Before they can win back the hearts of Broncos Nation, many of these players have to prove wearing a Denver uniform means something more to them than a big, fat paycheck.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_7122076

Great article LDB thanks for posting

Kizla is spot on here IMO

SR
10-09-2007, 10:46 AM
Good article, and sadly, I agree with Kiszla. Like I said before, when he writes a good article, it's a gem...

Denver Native (Carol)
10-09-2007, 10:51 AM
Thanks for posting LDB - and what more can be said - Kizla has DEFINITELY hit the nail on the head!!!!

Den21vsBal19
10-09-2007, 11:17 AM
Thanks for the read, and unfortunately I don't think there's a lot of holes that can be picked in it :sad:

underrated29
10-09-2007, 12:02 PM
that is a great article. i hope some of the broncos read this, because they are not unified. Msybe this would help them bring it all together. we need someone to step up like he said, and let everyone rally behind. Who is it going to be???

i hope its jay.

Crush05
10-09-2007, 12:24 PM
I agree with this article for the most part. But I think Cutler is becoming a leader and is trying to fill that roll. I f you watched the whole game like I did he was in other players faces and yelling and trying to get them all fired up. He is our leader, but when he has no protection and his receivers drop the ball what can he do? He is not on defense.....hmmmmm never mind lol. Like I said I agree with the article to thie point of Cutler is trying to be a leader and there is only so much one player can do. Look back when Elway was young, same situation. No Cutler is not Elway, but he has heart and is doing his best to get what he can get done!!!