Thread: Does Anybody Remember?

I really hope the Broncos take a lesser known page from the SB XXXII team. If you were following the team then you may remember that nobody gave them a shot and in the time between the AFCCG and the SB, all anybody heard was that this was going to be another Broncos blowout. The Packers seemed fast and loose and absolutely brimmed with confidence. You didn't hear a peep out of the Broncos except for the standard, "we respect the Packers", "they're a great team", etc.

After the game was over the Broncos said they knew all along that they were going to win, but they just wanted to keep feeding the Packers' egos.

The Panthers' fans are already acting like Packers' fans from that year. I truly hope it seeps into the team's mindset as well. The Broncos need to just keep their mouths shut, soak it all in and then unleash hell in two weeks.

Please.

I seem to recall that it was even more than that. From what I remember Shanahan was very clear that the team was to enjoy the week and soak everything in but to not get involved in the hype, to be very humble in dealing with the media, and to let the Packers brag and hog the spotlight. Kubs was definitely part of that process and I've got to believe that he will implement a similar philosophy for the players this go around. Especially when you look at guys like Ware -- I just love his interviews, he is very grounded and sincere and just exudes a quiet confidence -- who are clearly the leaders and mentors. I believe this team will not have any issues with lack of focus, preparation, or understanding what they need to do to win.

I remember Spiker. That Sunday was the happiest day of my life as a sports fan. Ironic that I was living in Charlotte at the time and now they're facing off against Carolina.

It's definitely a good strategy. If I were a coach in a similar situation I'd have my team get all zen and shit before the big day. Possibly continuing into the morning of. I've watched way too many sports movies were I've seen that shit work and the jacked up pompous team getting their asses handed to them

Originally Posted by AGap

It's definitely a good strategy. If I were a coach in a similar situation I'd have my team get all zen and shit before the big day. Possibly continuing into the morning of. I've watched way too many sports movies were I've seen that shit work

You could also try to make your team remember all of the trials and tribulations of the season in slow-motion with inspirational music.

Originally Posted by spikerman

You could also try to make your team remember all of the trials and tribulations of the season in slow-motion with inspirational music.

Sometimes throughout my day to day routine I make mental videos of myself like that.

Originally Posted by AGap

Sometimes throughout my day to day routine I make mental videos of myself like that.

I make mental videos of you too, but not like that.

Originally Posted by spikerman

I make mental videos of you too, but not like that.

Thanks man!

Originally Posted by AGap

Sometimes throughout my day to day routine I make mental videos of myself like that.

set to the chariots of fire theme song?

The big sports talk host around here, Mike Francesca, said something similar the other day. He said, "I see one team going out and having a good time and one team quietly going about their business ..."

I actually enjoyed the little sparring match last week with the Patriots. I felt like we got them (at least Gronk) to break the cone of silence and get into it with our guys a little. I don't know if it had any effect on the game, but it was a fun distraction. This week, though, I agree - we should say nothing and do nothing to provoke the Panthers. Guaranteed that they will talk some trash and act like they've never been there before. If it's channeled correctly, it can be a big deal when we actually take the field.

I can't say I thought we'd beat the Patriots last week, but the team seemed so quietly confident in the press conferences leading up to the game. I hope to feel that vibe as we get closer to this one.

Originally Posted by VonDoom

The big sports talk host around here, Mike Francesca, said something similar the other day. He said, "I see one team going out and having a good time and one team quietly going about their business ..."

I actually enjoyed the little sparring match last week with the Patriots. I felt like we got them (at least Gronk) to break the cone of silence and get into it with our guys a little. I don't know if it had any effect on the game, but it was a fun distraction. This week, though, I agree - we should say nothing and do nothing to provoke the Panthers. Guaranteed that they will talk some trash and act like they've never been there before. If it's channeled correctly, it can be a big deal when we actually take the field.

I can't say I thought we'd beat the Patriots last week, but the team seemed so quietly confident in the press conferences leading up to the game. I hope to feel that vibe as we get closer to this one.

So Francesca is saying the Broncos are the ones going about their business?

Originally Posted by spikerman

So Francesca is saying the Broncos are the ones going about their business?

Yeah, definitely. He didn't go so far as to make a prediction yet, but he seemed to imply that he's seen this story before, and to not write off the quiet underdog

I wish they could sit the whole roster and coaching staff down together to watch a lot of old SBs before the next one.

SB III: Aging, legendary champion, Colts QB Jonny U gets his first and possibly last shot at a Ring, and the upstart AFCs current champs come in as the biggest underdogs in SB history, but their brash young QBs team dominates Unitas' Colts, who only manage a single TD in the 4th to avoid a shutout.

SB V: The greatest Colts last rodeo and final shot at a Ring, against the team dubbed Next Years Champions for twice coming up just short in NFL Championships vs. Lombardis SB teams at home and away. A slugfest between great teams that forced a SB record 11 turnovers and sidelined Unitas with an early injury, it was low scoring game tied when Craig Mortons 4th qtr pass bounced off Dan Reeves' hands and into those of Colts LB Mike Curtis to set up the winning FG.

SB VI: Next Years Champions finally live up to the title and avenge their previous loss. Roger Staubach takes Mortons starting job permanently and the Doomsday D smothers opponents all the way to the SB, allowing just a single TD in the whole postseason, and only a single FG in the SB and two other playoff games. Dallas CB Cornell Green afterward declared, "The difference between the Dolphins and Cowboys was that the Dolphins were just happy to be in the game and the Cowboys came to win the game."

Dolphins WR Howard Twilley corroborated that, saying,

It's so hard to figure. We went in confident. We really thought we'd win and win handily. Something happened, though, during the week. I guess it was that week. The week has its own momentum, like nothing we'd been in before...[Shula] said we'd been embarrassed. He said we didn't even compete....That's the sickest feeling I've ever had.

SB VII: Last Years Losers definitely compete, embarrassing OPPONENTS in the perfect season. The team that came within a FG of suffering the first and only SB shutout just a year before nearly INFLICTS the first SB shutout, until a botched Garo Yepremian FG in the final 2:00 is returned for a TD.

SB XII: In Craig Mortons second and final SB, and Denvers first, his successor leads his old team in a route. Morton goes 4/15 for 39 yds, 0 TDs and 4 Ints, with a Rating of 0 (and only because PR drops negatives; otherwise it would be -76.0) before Norris Weese replaces him to go 4/10 for 22 yds, 0 TDs and 0 Ints (a 44.6 PR, still awful, but far better than -76.0.) Flash forward, since all but Elways first SB looked the same by halftime, and even that one did AFTER halftime:

1996 AFC Divisional Playoff: A decade after Elways Broncos adding 3 blowouts to Mortons cemented national perception of the AFC generally and Broncos and Bills specifically as NFC whipping boys, the 13-3 Broncos enter the playoffs as #1 seed, with a first round bye and homefield throughout the postseason. But in Denvers first game of the postseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars deliver a stunning upset despite not even EXISTING just two years earlier.

SB XXXII: Smarting from its fifth SB-quality team being immediately denied even a CHANCE to avoid a fifth SB blowout, Denver embarks on a season-long quest for redemption, undeterred and undetoured even by the hated Chiefs winning their division: They simply go on a three-game postseason Revenge Tour, visiting and smashing the team that won their last playoff meeting, then KC to prove who's really Best of the West and finally Pitt to earn the right to long delayed vindication:

Finally WINNING a SB, and not against some helpless victim, but defending champs they've should've met the previous year. Terrell Davis became the first (and still ONLY) person with 3 rushing TDs in one SB, partly because a 3rd down John Elway Helicopter set up 1st and G. "The week" neither distracted nor deviated Denver after a year to brood over and learn from the error of underestimating any opponent, underpreparing for any elimination game. Naught remained to achieve but:

SB XXXIII: The Revenge Tours encore was The Victory Tour, as Elway the Champion and Davis the 2000 yd rusher rampaged through an NFL helpless to stop them until a Week 15 loss with homefield already secure. Beating all playoff opponents by double digits and the 14-2 NFC Champion Falcons 34-19, Denver secured a rare repeat SB Championship, and John Elway rode off into the sunset as SB MVP.

Even with ads and play stoppages removed, that'd be a lot of film to watch in between adequately preparing to face a 15-1 NFC Champ who demolished all but ONE opponent this year, including a good Cardinals team and the two-time defending NFC Champs (home AND away.) Again, I'm not even sure the CBA allows the team to meet for such an exercise while not allowed to practice.

It's a good object lesson and reminder in how much adversity and even ultimate defeat a focused, determined and disciplined team can overcome to win the ultimate victory against even the greatest opponent. The '69 Jets, '71 Cowboys or '97 Broncos could've given up and rolled over in the SB—most people EXPECTED it of EACH of them. Instead, they earned an eternal place as legends, just as Unitas proved he was still a Championship QB even in the SB Era: Despite needing TWO tries.

It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. —Vince Lombardi

maybe Kuechly or Norman will take a page out of Eugene Robinson's book and get arrested picking up a hooker the night before!

Originally Posted by spikerman

I really hope the Broncos take a lesser known page from the SB XXXII team. If you were following the team then you may remember that nobody gave them a shot and in the time between the AFCCG and the SB, all anybody heard was that this was going to be another Broncos blowout. The Packers seemed fast and loose and absolutely brimmed with confidence. You didn't hear a peep out of the Broncos except for the standard, "we respect the Packers", "they're a great team", etc.

After the game was over the Broncos said they knew all along that they were going to win, but they just wanted to keep feeding the Packers' egos.

The Panthers' fans are already acting like Packers' fans from that year. I truly hope it seeps into the team's mindset as well. The Broncos need to just keep their mouths shut, soak it all in and then unleash hell in two weeks.


Please.

Yes I remember that very well. I also remember immediately following the game Romo was being interview he something to the effect "Yeah all week we heard how great the Packers are and we're just happy to be here and we just hope we can stay with them. We said that so often it made me want to puke."

Anyway, my point is Denver has no reason to go not to go into the game confident. Take in all the praise they're going to heap on the Panthers then play with a chip on your shoulder and unleash hell on them when it's game time,