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Spiritguy
02-05-2009, 12:27 PM
Updating with each day as Jay's stuff gets posted. Currently Days 1-4

Jay Cutler's Pro Bowl Journal: Day 1

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8823

Editor's Note: Throughout this week, Jay Cutler will share his experiences at his first Pro Bowl.

MONDAY, FEB. 2 - DAY 1

KO OLINA, HAWAII - Even though our first AFC team meeting for the Pro Bowl wasn't until Monday night, I arrived in Hawaii on Saturday night to get better adjusted to the time change and get settled in a bit before hitting the field again.

The Ravens' staff will be coaching the AFC team, so I'll be working a lot with Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh. I'm looking forward to the experience and being around guys like Peyton Manning, seeing how he is in the meeting room and on the field, and I'm going to try to soak up everything I can from him. A lot of the players have jokingly called him "The Mayor" around here - I guess that's what happens when you make the Pro Bowl nine times in a row.

Our schedule for the week is pretty light - We have a team meeting each morning and then we bus to Kapolei High School for practice. Tuesday's team meeting is at 8 a.m. and then our first practice starts at 9 a.m. After practices, I'll try to check out the beaches and other sites, get some golf in, and just enjoy being here. Saturday morning, we have a walk-through at Aloha Stadium, which is where the game will be played. Come Sunday, Casey, B-Marshand myself will be ready to go. All three of us are making our first Pro Bowl appearance, so we'll be extra hungry to prove we belong out here. I'm especially happy for Casey finally getting invited to the game after so many years as a first alternate. He deserves it and is playing some of the best football of his career.

It has to be hard for players on the Steelers and Cardinals who flew here on Monday right after playing in the Super Bowl, but any of us would trade places with them in a second. What a game. I watched the Super Bowl from the hotel with Casey (Ihilani Resort in Ko Olina) and up until the final minute it looked my prediction of a Cardinals upset victory was right on. But Big Ben was unbelievable on that last drive. I'm happy for those guys but can't wait for our turn on the big stage.

I got a first-hand look at what a circus Super Bowl week is when I was down in Tampa on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday getting the word out about the "Inspired by Diabetes" campaign I am a part of through Eli Lilly. You can check it out at InspiredbyDiabetes.com - Basically, it is an essay/art contest that provides summer camp scholarships for diabetic kids. Juvenile diabetes is a cause I've been pretty involved in through my foundation since I was diagnosed last year, and I am excited to be a part of this program.

After Wednesday's practice, I am going to spend time with 15 kids with Type I diabetes from the Hawaiian Juvenile Diabetes Group. Their ages range from 5-14. It should be fun. We've got them guest passes to watch our practice, and I'll spend time with them afterwards. Hearing about their struggles is something I can obviously relate to because we're fighting the same battle.

Just getting the taste of how big the Super Bowl is from my time down in Tampa last week is going to help me be prepared for that week when we make it there. Brandon also was down there doing some interviews, so it was a positive for us to be able to see how many distractions there are around the game. You've got to be ready to handle it, and I know it's going to help us when it's our time.

I did a lot of interviews in Tampa and talked quite a bit about the Broncos. It's an exciting time for us. After talking with Coach McDaniels a few days after he was hired, I was fired up and saw why Mr. Bowlen and the front office were so high on him as a coach. I was impressed from the start and texted a few of the guys right after I got off the phone with him. He is a football guy, cares about the game and is high-energy. Players will relate to him and play for him. We'll use a little bit of a different terminology on offense and they'll be pressure on me to make plays, but I like that. He stressed the importance of the coach-quarterback relationship, so I'm definitely looking forward to spending time with him in Denver when I get back from the Pro Bowl.

Spiritguy
02-05-2009, 12:29 PM
TUESDAY, FEB. 3 - DAY 2

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8824 (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8824)

KO OLINA, HAWAII - My first day of practice began with an omelet and a playbook.

They have an unbelievable and expensive breakfast buffet at the hotel we are staying at, so I grabbed an omelet and some juice and sat with Casey (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8565) around 7:30. The table we were at was on a deck overlooking a pond with small hammerhead sharks swimming around. Just unbelievable. We started flipping through the playbook to see what kinds of things we are going to be doing on Sunday. I guess some of the plays are similar to what the Ravens do but obviously scaled down. It’s going to be fun, and we’ll open things up a bit.

We changed into our practice uniforms at this makeshift locker room, really just a ballroom, at the hotel, and bused about 15 minutes to the high school for practice. I felt like I was back in high school riding over dressed for practice – It was fun. There were probably 50 fans or so waiting by the gates when our buses pulled in, so the natives were ready to go. I thought about how someone told me the Pro Bowl TV ratings are better than most other sports’ big regular season and playoff ratings, and I absolutely can see why. Even in a place like this, with so many other things to do, people still love their football.

Practice started around 9 a.m. and went about an hour. It was windy but I think I threw pretty well. I was a little rusty – dropped a snap and had a lot of guys give me a hard time about it – but I definitely wasn’t the only one who struggled. It was amazing to line up and see the talent we have out here. It’s pretty easy to blend right in, and that’s fine with me. There are some positions, like the offensive line, where guys are playing on a different side than they did with their teams during the year. Kris Dielman of the Chargers joked with me that our line could be in trouble because there are so many left guards and no true right guards, but I don’t buy it at all. The pass protection with players of this caliber will be just fine. Cam (Cameron) pretty much ran our whole practice offensively. About 15 minutes until it, the kids from the high school got a little break from school and filled out the stands. Not a bad deal for them.

When we got back to the hotel, we just got some lunch and took it easy and hung out by the pool for the day. Very low key. I thought about going to North Shore to check out the beach, but Shane Lechler suggested we go Wednesday because there are going to be better waves. It should be fun, so I’ll keep you updated.

I hung out a lot with the offensive linemen, Kris Dielman with the Chargers and Nick Mangold, a center for the Jets. Great guys and obviously unbelievable football players. Nick and I were both drafted together in 2006 – He was taken 29th and I went 11th. We talked about a lot of the guys from our draft class and how they’ve done in the league. It was a pretty good draft class for the guys from Ohio State, like Nick, and they had a few players taken in the first round that year, including A.J. Hawk. I was joking with Nick that they look exactly like each other. Also spent time swapping stories with Steve Hutchinson of the Vikings. Peyton (Manning) must have seen me talking to the linemen and came in and asked those guys if their quarterbacks took care of them at the end of the year with gifts. You gotta take care of your linemen for taking care of you. Told him my guys back in Denver had nothing to worry about – Proud to tell him that I brought in a tailor right to the facility and had them fitted for suits this year. Not sure what I’ll do next year to show my appreciation for everything they do. Maybe real nice overcoats for those Denver winters.

I knew something was up when Dielman and Nick asked me for my phone when we were standing by the pool. I didn’t think anything of it, foolishly, and being a Pro Bowl rookie, I gave it to them. As soon as they got it, they pushed me right into the pool, shirt and sunglasses and everything. They had a pretty good time with it. Rookie initiation. Thanks guys.

After I changed, I got to spend some time with little Wes Welker of the Patriots. We had a good time joking around. He had (quarterback) Kliff Kingsbury with him as a guest - Kliff was his quarterback at Texas Tech and had a brief stint with the Broncos a few years ago before I got there (2005). I busted Wes’ chops a lot for running the same type of routes during the season, but he must be doing something right to have over 100 catches for the second year in a row. He’s a lot like Eddie (Royal). Kliff and I talked a little about how well we think Jeremy Bates is going to do at USC as offensive coordinator. Batesy also was his position coach when he played for the Jets.

Also got to meet Archie Manning for the first time on Tuesday. That was pretty cool. Talk about a quarterback family. At one point, it was Archie, Peyton, Eli and myself talking. All SEC guys.

Wednesday is going to be a big day. We’ve got the diabetes kids coming out to practice, and I’m looking forward to visiting with them after. A lot of guys are doing good things in the community out here during the day. B-Marsh (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5909) went over to this military facility for a few hours on Tuesday. Rumor has it, he crashed a flight simulator, but you didn’t hear that from me. Either way, I know he had a great time over there.

claymore
02-05-2009, 12:53 PM
Cutler is so immature, and such a bad guy. I hope he grows up. :tsk:

broncofaninfla
02-05-2009, 01:15 PM
Thanks for posting! Pretty cool hearing about the pro bowl experince from Jay

Fan in Exile
02-05-2009, 01:16 PM
I like the fact that he didn't even mention that his blood sugar testing thingy got fried when he was pushed into the pool. That shows a certain amount of class, IMHO.

TXBRONC
02-05-2009, 01:27 PM
Jay Cutler's Pro Bowl Journal: Day 1

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8823

Editor's Note: Throughout this week, Jay Cutler will share his experiences at his first Pro Bowl.

MONDAY, FEB. 2 - DAY 1

KO OLINA, HAWAII - Even though our first AFC team meeting for the Pro Bowl wasn't until Monday night, I arrived in Hawaii on Saturday night to get better adjusted to the time change and get settled in a bit before hitting the field again.

The Ravens' staff will be coaching the AFC team, so I'll be working a lot with Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh. I'm looking forward to the experience and being around guys like Peyton Manning, seeing how he is in the meeting room and on the field, and I'm going to try to soak up everything I can from him. A lot of the players have jokingly called him "The Mayor" around here - I guess that's what happens when you make the Pro Bowl nine times in a row.

Our schedule for the week is pretty light - We have a team meeting each morning and then we bus to Kapolei High School for practice. Tuesday's team meeting is at 8 a.m. and then our first practice starts at 9 a.m. After practices, I'll try to check out the beaches and other sites, get some golf in, and just enjoy being here. Saturday morning, we have a walk-through at Aloha Stadium, which is where the game will be played. Come Sunday, Casey, B-Marshand myself will be ready to go. All three of us are making our first Pro Bowl appearance, so we'll be extra hungry to prove we belong out here. I'm especially happy for Casey finally getting invited to the game after so many years as a first alternate. He deserves it and is playing some of the best football of his career.

It has to be hard for players on the Steelers and Cardinals who flew here on Monday right after playing in the Super Bowl, but any of us would trade places with them in a second. What a game. I watched the Super Bowl from the hotel with Casey (Ihilani Resort in Ko Olina) and up until the final minute it looked my prediction of a Cardinals upset victory was right on. But Big Ben was unbelievable on that last drive. I'm happy for those guys but can't wait for our turn on the big stage.

I got a first-hand look at what a circus Super Bowl week is when I was down in Tampa on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday getting the word out about the "Inspired by Diabetes" campaign I am a part of through Eli Lilly. You can check it out at InspiredbyDiabetes.com - Basically, it is an essay/art contest that provides summer camp scholarships for diabetic kids. Juvenile diabetes is a cause I've been pretty involved in through my foundation since I was diagnosed last year, and I am excited to be a part of this program.

After Wednesday's practice, I am going to spend time with 15 kids with Type I diabetes from the Hawaiian Juvenile Diabetes Group. Their ages range from 5-14. It should be fun. We've got them guest passes to watch our practice, and I'll spend time with them afterwards. Hearing about their struggles is something I can obviously relate to because we're fighting the same battle.

Just getting the taste of how big the Super Bowl is from my time down in Tampa last week is going to help me be prepared for that week when we make it there. Brandon also was down there doing some interviews, so it was a positive for us to be able to see how many distractions there are around the game. You've got to be ready to handle it, and I know it's going to help us when it's our time.

I did a lot of interviews in Tampa and talked quite a bit about the Broncos. It's an exciting time for us. After talking with Coach McDaniels a few days after he was hired, I was fired up and saw why Mr. Bowlen and the front office were so high on him as a coach. I was impressed from the start and texted a few of the guys right after I got off the phone with him. He is a football guy, cares about the game and is high-energy. Players will relate to him and play for him. We'll use a little bit of a different terminology on offense and they'll be pressure on me to make plays, but I like that. He stressed the importance of the coach-quarterback relationship, so I'm definitely looking forward to spending time with him in Denver when I get back from the Pro Bowl.

Once again I think this shows that the moniker of immature is inaccurate.

TXBRONC
02-05-2009, 01:27 PM
I like the fact that he didn't even mention that his blood sugar testing thingy got fried when he was pushed into the pool. That shows a certain amount of class, IMHO.

It shows maturity in my opinion.

Grover
02-05-2009, 01:53 PM
If anyone thinks that went straight from Cutler's keyboard to the webpage, then I've got this swampland in Florida that's for sale.

It's nice that Cutler is doing a blog and sharing his thoughts. But I'd venture a guess that it's gone through some serious editing before being published. I'd certainly expect that from an organization that is trying to remake its image after some mediocre seasons and a new coaching staff in place.

honz
02-05-2009, 02:38 PM
If anyone thinks that went straight from Cutler's keyboard to the webpage, then I've got this swampland in Florida that's for sale.

It's nice that Cutler is doing a blog and sharing his thoughts. But I'd venture a guess that it's gone through some serious editing before being published. I'd certainly expect that from an organization that is trying to remake its image after some mediocre seasons and a new coaching staff in place.

That person should be fired then, because there were several grammar mistakes...

drewloc
02-05-2009, 02:41 PM
If anyone thinks that went straight from Cutler's keyboard to the webpage, then I've got this swampland in Florida that's for sale.

It's nice that Cutler is doing a blog and sharing his thoughts. But I'd venture a guess that it's gone through some serious editing before being published. I'd certainly expect that from an organization that is trying to remake its image after some mediocre seasons and a new coaching staff in place.

After all the things that Jay has been open with in the past, I have a hard time believing that he is all of the sudden being censored. He has never been one to hold back in his comments, and is always quite frank with them. Is it really that hard to believe that just maybe he is excited about the prospect of the new coach?

SR
02-05-2009, 06:52 PM
That was a really good read. Thanks for posting it.

Watchthemiddle
02-05-2009, 07:32 PM
I am so glad Jay gets to hang around guys like Payton Manning this week. Its only going to make him better and see how to act in the NFL.

I expect HUGE things out of Jay after this season. This week and bringing in McDaniels will do it. I am sure. Mark my words.

Superchop 7
02-05-2009, 08:11 PM
Nice of him/her/whoever to blog.

Being a professional and representing a community is a big responsibility.

A thirst for knowledge is what impressed me, he can truly learn alot from the Mannings.

He is carrying himself well, I tip my cap.

EastCoastBronco
02-05-2009, 08:44 PM
Once again I think this shows that the moniker of immature is inaccurate.


True enough...
You don't play 4 years for Vandy and come out of it immature. Losing that much teaches you a hell of a lot. I know. I played 3 years of high school ball and never won a game. Actually didn't get a win until the 4th game of my first university season. As cliche as it sounds, losing that much either makes you or breaks you. I'm pretty sure Jay is in the former category. I know I am...;-)

omac
02-05-2009, 08:45 PM
It's been rumored that Shanahan was so impressed by Peyton's work ethic and preparation when he coached him during the probowl that he wanted to get a quarterback who had the same work habits and preparation. Cutler will probably recognize the work habits and preparation from Peyton that he's always had too. :cheers:

TXBRONC
02-05-2009, 08:58 PM
It's been rumored that Shanahan was so impressed by Peyton's work ethic and preparation when he coached him during the probowl that he wanted to get a quarterback who had the same work habits and preparation. Cutler will probably recognize the work habits and preparation from Peyton that he's always had too. :cheers:

I'm not big fan of Manning but no one will ever be able to say he didn't have strong work ethic.

TXBRONC
02-05-2009, 09:01 PM
True enough...
You don't play 4 years for Vandy and come out of it immature. Losing that much teaches you a hell of a lot. I know. I played 3 years of high school ball and never won a game. Actually didn't get a win until the 4th game of my first university season. As cliche as it sounds, losing that much either makes you or breaks you. I'm pretty sure Jay is in the former category. I know I am...;-)

Ikes, that would be tough not win a game in three years of high school football. The teams I played in high school lost a lot of games but we never went O for.

omac
02-05-2009, 09:14 PM
I'm not big fan of Manning but know will ever be able say he didn't have strong work ethic.

How can you not like Manning, with all his cool commercials and the SNL skit? :D

TXBRONC
02-05-2009, 09:20 PM
How can you not like Manning, with all his cool commercials and the SNL skit? :D

His commercials have been ok and I only heard about SNL skit I never saw it.

WARHORSE
02-05-2009, 09:35 PM
If anyone thinks that went straight from Cutler's keyboard to the webpage, then I've got this swampland in Florida that's for sale.

It's nice that Cutler is doing a blog and sharing his thoughts. But I'd venture a guess that it's gone through some serious editing before being published. I'd certainly expect that from an organization that is trying to remake its image after some mediocre seasons and a new coaching staff in place.


Keep the swampland.


Cutler was at Vanderbilt remember? You dont go there if you aint smart.

Besides, everyone who has ever interacted with Cutler has mentioned his intelligence. Dont be fooled by blase interviews. I think Jay comes off that way cause hes bored with them.

That is not a lack of intelligence.

Tom Shaw, QB guru vouches the intelligence of Cutler, as well as the entire Broncos offense..............and Shanahan.

Spiritguy
02-05-2009, 10:26 PM
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4 - DAY 3

KO OLINA, HAWAII - I’ve got to start this update with a big thank you to Flip and the rest of the guys in the equipment department back in Denver. They sent a huge box of Broncos gear for me that was in my hotel room when I got in. I’ve talked to a few other players, and no one’s team sent them the amount of gear that I got from our equipment staff. So thanks for looking out for me, guys.

That’s one of the best things about the Pro Bowl –- all the free stuff. Bags from Reebok, Nike and the league –- which also gave us a pretty nice watch. I honestly don’t know how they are going to let me get on the plane home. I already had too many bags when I came out here because I traveled right from Tampa, and now this is getting out of control. The bag we got from Nike seriously had about 50 items in it, including almost every Tiger Woods shirt that was ever made.

Our hotel was much more crowded today with all of the players’ families getting into town. I met Casey’s parents, along with his wife’s parents, at breakfast in the morning. It seems like everyone has a travel story about getting out here. Hack (Darrell Hackney (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=6873)) is actually out here as a guest of Roddy White (Falcons wide receiver), who brought some of the guys who played with him at UAB. Hack’s flight came in from Dallas, where it was delayed six hours. Don’t feel sorry for him, though.

This place will be Broncos West later today. Clady (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8653), Eddie Royal (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8656) and Tony Scheffler (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5908) are all flying in. That’s six offensive starters here from Denver –- more than half of the starting offense. I’m excited for those guys and know that they will be as wide-eyed around here as I am. It will be a good thing for them to get a preview of the Pro Bowl for when they get voted into this game next year. Looking forward to hanging out with them, and it’s cool that they’re going to share the experience with me.

Practice went really well –- we had the later practice with the NFC going first, so we started at 10:30 and went for a little over an hour. I went through our play script in the morning, and we started doing more full-team work. Just seeing the talent on our defense is giving me a good idea of what I’m in for on Sunday against the other guys. Terrell Suggs (Ravens linebacker) was all over the place, flying around, making interceptions, lateraling the ball to his teammates. That’s the only way he knows how to play.

I had all my kids from the Hawaiian Juvenile Diabetes Group at practice, and that’s been one of the highlights of the trip. It was nice seeing some Broncos jerseys around here. After we finished practice, I hung out with them for a while, signed some stuff, took pictures and swapped stories about this disease with both the kids and their parents about what we go through each day. B-Marsh (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5909) was nice enough to come over and say what’s up to the kids as well.

All of the kids are amazing, and they all have their own stories. We speak the same language with diabetes and just can relate really well, no matter how young they are. It was impressive to see these young kids being so educated about what their pumps, blood sugar readings and just what they have to do to take care of themselves. The first thing I asked the group when I got over there was, "How old were you when you were diagnosed?" I can remember answers coming in from all over. Three. Four. Six. Seven. 10 years old. They’re much younger than I was when I found out, but it’s the same type of deal for us. A parent of one of the kids asked me what my blood sugar level was when I was first diagnosed, and when I told them how out of wack that initial reading was, it seemed like the whole group just collectively gasped. That really hammered it home. Vic Lombardi from Channel 4 in Denver was out here, and I think he is going to run a story on the kids on Sunday night, so you’ll have to check it out to learn more about them.

I spent most of the day at the exact same table by the pool that I was at yesterday and just enjoyed being around the rest of the guys. (Kris) Dielman (Chargers guard) came over during lunch and hung out. Got to meet his family members and they were real cool. A few of the Pro Bowl veteran players were asking me about John Lynch and what he’s been up to. Steve Hutchinson (Vikings guard) said he really liked hanging out with him in Hawaii. Peyton Manning (Colts quarterback) called Johnny his "Deputy Mayor" of Hawaii, which I guess is quite an honor coming from Peyton. Drew Brees (Saints quarterback) and I talked for a while about our offenses and the different types of things that we do along with the different formations that we use. His offense in New Orleans was one of the best in the NFL last season.

Peyton does a great job setting the tone out here. Everyone works so hard during the season, and it’s so intense, but now you can kind of flip a switch and just relax. Most players are just by the pool and beach all day with their families and friends.

At night we took a shuttle to a huge Luau. There were probably over 1,000 people there –- players, families, sponsors and people from the league. Pretty cool thing to see. A lot of Brandon’s friends and family got in earlier in the day, so they were all there having a good time. After that, I just went back to the hotel, grabbed some dinner and called it an early night.

The goal for today is to actually leave the hotel pool after practice, but we’ll see. It could be difficult. I’m planning to go to Waikiki later on when Clady, Eddie and Tony get in. They are staying over there, and it’s about a half hour from our hotel. It should be a good time having the whole group from Denver out here.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8825

There are some pics they posted of day 1 practice here: http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=340&galleryID=9639

and here for day two some practice and some of the fans etc..: http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=340&galleryID=9644

Slick
02-05-2009, 10:30 PM
Keep the swampland.


Cutler was at Vanderbilt remember? You dont go there if you aint smart.

Besides, everyone who has ever interacted with Cutler has mentioned his intelligence. Dont be fooled by blase interviews. I think Jay comes off that way cause hes bored with them.

That is not a lack of intelligence.

Tom Shaw, QB guru vouches the intelligence of Cutler, as well as the entire Broncos offense..............and Shanahan.

Absolutely War. Vandy=smart.

omac
02-05-2009, 11:46 PM
His commercials have been ok and I only heard about SNL skit I never saw it.

Then you MUST watch it! It will make you an instant fan. :D

http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/snl-united-way-peyton-manning.html

omac
02-06-2009, 12:04 AM
Great article, Spiritguy!

Sounds like a ton of fun!

I want that Nike gift bag with all the Tiger shirts! :eek: :D

Fan in Exile
02-06-2009, 08:01 AM
Did you see the line about all of Brandon's family that's there? Maybe he's not getting engaged maybe he's just flat out getting married.

Italianmobstr7
02-06-2009, 07:27 PM
Then you MUST watch it! It will make you an instant fan. :D

http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/pages/snl-united-way-peyton-manning.html

Best skit ever. His commercials are funny as heck too. "Cut that meat!" Oh man, they're awesome. I hate when we play Peyton, but he's funny and he's a great player. He's fun to watch as long as he's not playing the Broncos.

Spiritguy
02-06-2009, 08:29 PM
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5 - DAY 4 (suppose to say THURSDAY)

KO OLINA, HAWAII - The goal was to leave the table by the pool after we finished our practice, and I succeeded.

I spent most of the afternoon about a few hundred yards from that table at the lagoon at our hotel. Hung out there for a while, got a nap in and even read a little. It was really sunny for the first time since we’ve been here, so there were a lot of people on this little beach. Everyone was having a good time. The water down there was so clear - Troy Polamalu (Steelers safety) and some of the other guys got some snorkeling in.

A lot of the players who were in the Super Bowl were here today. I talked to Kurt Warner (Cardinals quarterback) for a little. It was good to see him and his team have such a good year. He mentioned how those guys knew that people were giving them no chance to do much of anything in the playoffs, and they were able to put together a pretty good run. I also hung out with the Manning brothers and Wes Welker, who I gave a pretty hard time for his snow angel celebration earlier this year.

Practice was light today, and afterwards, myself and some of the other players did this commercial for Nike that is going to run on its Web site. They asked me a bunch of general questions about playing quarterback and some of my favorite memories. I told them my favorite high school and college memories both came in my final game –- winning the state championship in Indiana for high school on a flee flicker and beating Tennessee in Knoxville for college as a senior.

Also signed some stuff for the people with the NFL for its auction. Andre Johnson of the Texans was in there signing his gear when I had to sign. You wouldn’t believe how many mini helmets, jerseys and pictures they were able to fit in this little room.

We went down to Waikiki at night to grab dinner with Ryan (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8653), Eddie (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8656) and Tony (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5908). Those guys made it in OK – Eddie slept the whole flight out here, he said. It was good hearing what they’ve been up to and catching up. Ryan has been back in California since the season ended, and Eddie and Tony have been working out in Denver. I also saw Marquand Manuel (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8534) when we were in Waikiki. He is out here doing some youth football clinics and flies to different islands each day. Not a bad gig for him. It’s ridiculous how many Broncos or people with ties to us are out here. Add Calvin Lowry, who played safety for us early last season, to the list. He is here as a guest of Cortland Finnegan (Titans cornerback).

Waikiki was pretty lively with all the different shops and so many people out. It’s a cool area and real modern. The pace is much different than it is by our hotel, where everyone seems to be moving in slow motion. Today is team picture day after practice. We are going to practice right at the hotel instead of busing to the high school, so I’ll let you know how that goes.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8826

LawDog
02-06-2009, 10:15 PM
[QUOTE=Spiritguy]WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5 - DAY 4

KO OLINA, HAWAII - The goal was to leave the table by the pool after we finished our practice, and I succeeded.

I spent most... [\QUOTE]

Good grief, dude does not even know what day it is. Trade him!!!

Spiritguy
02-06-2009, 11:10 PM
think that was the admin flunky that posted it on their blog. LOL

omac
02-07-2009, 01:28 AM
Best skit ever. His commercials are funny as heck too. "Cut that meat!" Oh man, they're awesome. I hate when we play Peyton, but he's funny and he's a great player. He's fun to watch as long as he's not playing the Broncos.

I also liked the kinda recent one, where they show him in hotels in different towns, and the employees are talking smack to him, and he's interpreting it as good advice .... "Manning, you're going down!" - "Yeah, gonna try that spa down there." .... "Take a hike." - "Great weather here, I think I will." .... (employee delivers a fruit basket to his room) "Don't choke on it." - "Good call; I'll cut it up, make it a salad." :D

I also like the Sonny TV ad with the chicken getting pissed. :D

omac
02-07-2009, 01:36 AM
Real nice posts, Spiritguy! :salute:

Man, it would be fun to be there just for all the stuff that happens. If a lot of Brandon's family is there, I'm sure they're having such a blast!

Fan in Exile
02-07-2009, 08:43 AM
I also liked the kinda recent one, where they show him in hotels in different towns, and the employees are talking smack to him, and he's interpreting it as good advice .... "Manning, you're going down!" - "Yeah, gonna try that spa down there." .... "Take a hike." - "Great weather here, I think I will." .... (employee delivers a fruit basket to his room) "Don't choke on it." - "Good call; I'll cut it up, make it a salad." :D

I also like the Sonny TV ad with the chicken getting pissed. :D

I love how he has to hold the San Diego chicken down. That's AWESOME.:elefant:

Italianmobstr7
02-07-2009, 07:45 PM
Day 5:

KO OLINA, HAWAII - I made it back into the water today but this time it was my own choice, unlike a few days ago when I got thrown in.

We brought the boys, Ryan (Clady), Eddie (Royal) and Tony (Scheffler), up to our hotel after practice to hang out with us at the pool and lagoon at our hotel. They had a great time over here, joking around with everyone - It was like we were back in the locker room, clowning around. It was a tough table.

It was the hottest day of the week, and for some strange reason, both Ryan and Eddie were both wearing black shorts and black shirts. They looked like twins. We gave them a hard time about that. It was fun.

I grilled Ryan for a while about why he doesn't swim and is afraid of the water. I wasn't going to let him off the hook when he revealed that piece of information to us. "It's just not appealing to me," he says. You don't hear that too often from a kid from California. Jake Long (Dolphins tackle), who was the first tackle taken before Ryan in the draft, came over to our table and talked to him for a bit. I have a feeling those two guys will be getting to know each other pretty well in the next few years at the Pro Bowl. Eddie and Ronnie Brown, Jake's teammate with the Dolphins, hung out.

Ryan, Eddie and Tony said they wanted to check out the view from my room, but I think they really just wanted to get their hands on some of the free gear they've given me this week and go through my closet. Clady ended up taking a bag and a Reebok pullover that is at least three sizes too small for him. You can imagine how ridiculous he looked. Eddie and Tony each took some hats. At least they will help defer the massive shipping cost that is coming my way in a few days.

Those guys ended up going back to Waikiki later in the day, and Tony and I caught dinner at this sushi buffet. Really good. Casey (Wiegmann) was having dinner there with his family and Wes Welker (Patriots wide receiver) also was there with his parents. Kris Jenkins (Jets defensive tackle) was doing some major damage with the endless plates of fish they had spread out.

Everyone kind of takes a different approach to the week, and it's pretty clear that mine is different than Brandon's. I've been getting a pretty hard time for barely leaving the property, just choosing to hang out with everyone at the beach and pool and just relax, and he has wanted to see everything. He took a helicopter ride around the island (Friday) and saw Pearl Harbor (Thursday). I ran into his fiancée' in the lobby, and she said she had no idea his proposal was coming at dinner last night. Really happy for the both of them. He can't stop smiling.

We took pictures in our game uniforms this morning before doing a walk-through in them at this 60-yard field at the hotel. Practice went by pretty quick and we did a lot of things going through our two-minute offense for the game.

Today should be a pretty quiet day. We have a 9:30 practice over at the stadium to give us a better feel for what that field is like for gameday tomorrow. The days out here have kind of blended together, and every day I find myself asking someone, "What day is it, again?" Definitely looking forward to having some fun at the game tomorrow.

Italianmobstr7
02-07-2009, 07:51 PM
v6mfDJ02VCY

omac
02-07-2009, 08:07 PM
Great report, Italianmobstr7! :salute:

Sounds like loads and loads of fun. Glad to see all the Broncos get along with everybody.

honz
02-08-2009, 07:53 PM
Hopefully Cutler will be able to learn some maturity and take the blame (as well as call out Marshall) for letting down the entire AFC. Jay showed his true colors again today as he was unable to come through in the big moment...and Brnadon dropped another pass. A great young core we have!

:coffee::coffee::coffee:

Spiritguy
02-08-2009, 11:34 PM
After the challenges Jay had in that last drive I don't know if anyone is interested but this was saturdays entry.


DAY 6

KO OLINA, HAWAII - After a quick lunch following practice, it was time for "adventure day." Figured it was about that time with everyone giving me a such a hard time about barely leaving this property.

Tony (Scheffler) (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5908) and I decided to rent a car and drive to the North Shore and see what that was all about. We hopped into an Expedition around 12:30 and took off for there in a pretty heavy rain, but it cleared up midway through the 30-minute trip.

I used the GPS in my iPhone to guide us down there. We drove by a lot of crop fields on the way and even the Dole Plantation facility, famous for their pineapples. We had a pretty good debate going in the car as to what they actually grow out here. When we got down to the North Shore, the waves were just amazing. It looked like there were surfers a half-mile out catching sets of waves that looked to be 10-15 feet high.

They had just finished a surfing competition at the spot we parked. I gotta give credit so those surfers. They were getting beat up pretty good but kept paddling back out there. I’ve taken a few shots in games before, but nothing like what some of these guys had to deal with, especially with some of these waves. Not sure what’s worse –- getting blind-sided by a defensive end or one of those 15-foot swells. There was this one little kid –- couldn’t have been more than 8 years old -- on a short board riding some of the smaller waves closer to the coast. He was pretty good.

We hung out there for a while before it was time to stop and eat some shrimp. I’ve got to give up a big plug to Giovanni’s Famous Shrimp. That’s Giovanni’s Famous Shrimp. Great spot. We passed this dumpy little van parked off to the right side of the road selling shrimp on the way down to shore, and there was a pretty good crowd around it, so we figure it must be good. We were right. Ordered three plates of shrimp and just devoured those. Tony called it one of the best meals he’s ever eaten, and I think he was serious judging by the damage he did with those shrimp.

On the way back, I decided it was time to see the "True Hawaii." I pulled a quick U-turn and veered down one of these back roads. Time for a little off-roading. There were a lot of animals running around down some of these side roads we were on. Tony was extremely concerned about the rooster population on the island - they were everywhere, and I think he pointed out every one he saw.

The GPS said we were on actual roads, but it definitely didn’t feel like it. We navigated our way through some of the bumpiest roads I’ve been on and were able to see some cool things –- saw a sail plane land, a whale jumping clear out of the ocean and a polo match. Gameday. Lots of basketball courts around there, too.

I shut it down early when we got back around 5:30. Got something to eat, watched some movies in the room and just took it easy getting ready for an 11:45 kickoff the next morning. Our last practice was over at the stadium and went well. Even though it’s an all-star game, a lot of guys still are taking it pretty seriously, like Peyton (Manning). He got on some guys when a route was off in practice. I spotted that linebacker from Hawaii (Manti Te'o) who committed to Notre Dame at our practice. He is like a celebrity around here.

Looking forward to the game. I think I’m going in there later after Peyton and Kerry (Collins). It’s going to be fun. The system we run is based on numbers, like I used in college, so I’ll be ready to go.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8828

WARHORSE
02-09-2009, 03:16 AM
Thats right Jay. Remember that name: Manti Teo

Hes gonna be one of those guys you wish were on your team. I would go nuts if the Broncos drafted the kid in a couple of years.

Pure beast.

Spiritguy
02-09-2009, 03:21 PM
DAY 7

KO OLINA, HAWAII - My first Pro Bowl is under my belt.

The game went OK –- it was so hot down there on the field and probably also six rows up behind our bench where Ryan (Clady) (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8653), Eddie (Royal) (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8656) and Tony (Scheffler) (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5908) were sitting. I went in there in the fourth quarter after Peyton (Manning) and Kerry (Collins) had played.

The pass rush picked up quite a bit when I got in. We got a touchdown on the first drive when I rolled the ball between the legs of Le’Ron McClain and he picked it up and took it in. There was some confusion early on the play getting it going, but it turned out pretty well. Couldn’t get much going on the final two drives though.

It was a great experience being around everyone for the week. After the game, there was this little reception right on the water at our hotel. Fireworks, the whole deal.

Nnamdi Asomugha came up to me and told me it was the first of many Pro Bowls for me. That was cool of him to say, and the same is true for him. Andy Reid of the Eagles stopped by my table and said hi.

I had heard people talking all week about how everyone sings karaoke the Sunday night after the game, so I was kind of waiting around for that to start. It was hilarious. I got coaxed into singing some Garth Brooks ("Friends in Low Places") with Peyton (Manning) and Jake (Long). We got it done.

Today is going to be a beach day before we fly back to Denver around midnight. Most people are checking out earlier in the day. Going to do my best to enjoy the last bit of Hawaii before heading home.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8829

WARHORSE
02-09-2009, 06:40 PM
DAY 7

KO OLINA, HAWAII - My first Pro Bowl is under my belt.

The game went OK –- it was so hot down there on the field and probably also six rows up behind our bench where Ryan (Clady) (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8653), Eddie (Royal) (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=8656) and Tony (Scheffler) (http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5908) were sitting. I went in there in the fourth quarter after Peyton (Manning) and Kerry (Collins) had played.

The pass rush picked up quite a bit when I got in. We got a touchdown on the first drive when I rolled the ball between the legs of Le’Ron McClain and he picked it up and took it in. There was some confusion early on the play getting it going, but it turned out pretty well. Couldn’t get much going on the final two drives though.

It was a great experience being around everyone for the week. After the game, there was this little reception right on the water at our hotel. Fireworks, the whole deal.

Nnamdi Asomugha came up to me and told me it was the first of many Pro Bowls for me. That was cool of him to say, and the same is true for him. Andy Reid of the Eagles stopped by my table and said hi.

I had heard people talking all week about how everyone sings karaoke the Sunday night after the game, so I was kind of waiting around for that to start. It was hilarious. I got coaxed into singing some Garth Brooks ("Friends in Low Places") with Peyton (Manning) and Jake (Long). We got it done.

Today is going to be a beach day before we fly back to Denver around midnight. Most people are checking out earlier in the day. Going to do my best to enjoy the last bit of Hawaii before heading home.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=8829


Hence, Cutler agrees with Asomugha's assessment, and takes the same view.:coffee:

And I would have to agree.......they both will see many more probowls.......in Cutlers case, I surely hope so.

I would have paid money to see Peyton, Jay and Jake sing 'I got friends in low places'. Especially if the crowd was more hip hop bent. lol.........take THAT in the ole earhole dadgummit!

Im sure Jay was backup in that one.....with Mayor Manning taking the lead, with Jake paving the way...............

Id have paid a couple hunnert to see that one.:cool: