Super Bowl 50 Photos

The following photos are property of the National Football League:

The Mile High stadium in Denver, Colorado

Arriving for the game - What caught my attention in this photo is Tight End Owen Daniels' blue and white striped socks (he's in the lead).

Quarterback Peyton Manning during the warm-up

Chris Harris, Jr brings Cam Newton down

Von Miller strips the ball

The defense wraps up Cam Newton

Von Miller holds the Vince Lombardi trophy after being named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl 50

After the game - three Mannings; Dad Archie, Eli, and Peyton

Red Dawn and the Broncos

The sunrise this morning can only be described as screaming scarlet.  Being a Navy brat, and having 350 years of waterman's blood in my veins, my first thought was, "Uh-oh.  Red sky at morning, sailors take warning."  Of course, the forecast is for rain and snow this afternoon, evening, tonight, and tomorrow morning - but it's odd how the old familiar phrases just roll into your mind...  And, as I was coming into the apartment, I had a single large drop of precipitation land on my thumb - and half of the drop was ice.  Cloudiness levels have risen and fallen since dawn, but at the moment, I can't see a single spot of blue anywhere.
  I was amazed that the Broncos - Coach Gary Kubiak, Manager John Elway, the whole schmear - allowed Peyton Manning to play at all yesterday.  Especially since it seemed that they played him only to break a record.  Manning was injured and in pain well before the game - both foot and ribs - and he was played until he surpassed Bret Favre's record, and then was benched for the rest of the game.  That was totally stupid.  If the player is injured, you don't play him, period.  To play him only long enough to break a record, and then bench him, is extremely crass and tasteless.  My regards for the Broncos, as a team, have dropped to an all-time low.  Why not wait until Peyton could play a whole game, and play well?  Why send him out just to break a record and then bench him because he was injured to start with?  It makes absolutely no sense to me....
  Since we started feeding the squirrels and birds a couple of weeks ago, we have one plump little fellow (a squirrel) that I really enjoy.  He's a dark grey/brown, but the edges of his tail are almost orange in color.  Every morning after eating his fill of nuts, berries and seeds, he climbs to the top of a wood utility pole, and spends several hours basking in the sun.  He only stayed up there for about 30 minutes this morning, and has moved over to the nut pile again.  I'm sure he can sense the change in weather that's coming.
 
 

Bathed in Blue

Well, my high school colors were orange and green; my college colors were orange and blue; the local professional football team is also orange and blue.  Yesterday they played a team whose colors are blue and white - and the big cry around Denver was "United in Orange!"  There were yard signs, there was a dress in orange day, there were pep rallys and huge football parties.  Then the Denver Broncos were bathed in blue - by the current quarterback's previous team.  At the end of the first quarter I was certain that the Broncos team wasn't "clicking" - on good days, the men work together and mesh like clockwork.  Not yesterday. I watched to the bitter end, however, and was pretty upset by the announcers who were asking, before the end of the second quarter, if this was Peyton Manning's last professional game - was it the end of an era?
  Peyton Manning is 38 years old.  He's been playing football since he was 5.  He's suffered many injuries, had multiple surgeries, and he keeps getting up and going back out on the field.  The man is not a quitter.  Was yesterday his last game?  Maybe.  But you can be assured that Manning will think things through and make his decisions calmly and carefully.  Will Andrew Gase, the offensive  coordinator who came from Indianapolis with Manning, take the job of head coach at any of the four places he interviewed with last week?  Will defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio stay with the Broncos, or will he be a head coach again for another team? A lot of players have contracts ending at the end of the season - will they be back?  Some fans are saying that the head coach, John Fox, should not be rehired...  There are so many things that must be considered before anyone makes any snap decisions.  Coaches, colleagues, salaries (and salary caps) are all things that any professional athlete must contemplate.  Should you retire at the end of a winning season, and leave the business with a good frame of mind?  Should you continue to strive to reach the pinnacle you achieved earlier in your career, or should you "quietly slip into the night" and not have to face further losses, and/or extremely derogatory comments?
   Personally, I'll be happy with whatever decision Peyton Manning makes.  If he decides to continue playing through next season, or several more seasons, I'll cheer for him.  If he decides to retire and continue to make his name known in other ventures, I'll support him.  At least he has the choice to make.  Unlike many other professional athletes, who are cut from teams and cannot seem to return, Peyton Manning will be able to make the decision himself.
   Since I live in Boulder, and I support my local teams, I will continue to be a Broncos fan, and I will continue to support John Fox and Peyton Manning.  Go, Broncos!

Great Defensive Super Bowl

Even though the Denver Broncos lost the Super Bowl last night - it was a very good game to watch, if you enjoy a good defensive game.  Unfortunately for me, it was  the Seattle defense who made the definitive statement - and, even though I'm a Broncos fan, I had to admire the grit and determination of the Seahawks players.  They went out there to win, and win they did.
  The Broncos just couldn't get into stride.  From the first snap that sailed over Peyton Manning's head and back into the end zone for a Touchback score for the Seahawks, to the last touch of the pigskin, the Broncos just did not compete.  I don't know hat happened, but the guys had no cohesion on either offense or defense. It seemed as if they were all playing in slow motion and with concussions.  Balls were fumbled; hands that normally were sure, dropped the ball; passes flew beyond the receiver, or fell short; and lots and lots of tackles and blocks were completely missed.  I know that it's not possible, but I think the pod-people somehow got into the Broncos hotel and changed places with them.  The final score was 43 to 8 - Peyton threw a pass to Demaryius Thomas for a touchdown, and then Wes Welker  caught a short flicker to make a two-point conversion.  But those were the only highlights for the orange and blue.  Peyton Manning threw a record number of 49 passes, and had a record number caught - 34 - for a Superbowl (and gained 280 yards through the air).  He also tossed two interceptions, which were turned into Seattle touchdowns.
  Yesterday morning I blogged that I was worried about Percy Harvin, a UF Gator, who is playing for Seattle.  I was correct in that respect about yesterday's game.  Percy seemed to be unstoppable while at UF; when he made it to the professional ranks, he was plagued with migraine headaches, and, after being signed by the Seahawks, had hip surgery in August.  When Harvin first touched the ball last night, he carried it for 30 yards before stepping out of bounds, as he danced down the sideline.  The Seahawks received the second-half kick off, and Percy ran the ball back, 87 yards, for a touch down to begin the long last 30 minutes.  He also had another 15 yard run, and a 5 yard catch.  But Russell Wilson, the quarterback,  had a great game and shared the ball equally with his receivers - Jermaine Kearse, Marshawn Lynch, and Doug Baldwin all scored touchdowns.  And linebacker Malcolm Smith made 9 tackles, recovered a fumble, and made an interception that he ran back for a touchdown.
   The Seahawks found, and used, their wings, while the Broncos returned to the barn having been rode hard and put up wet - and lame.
   Good game, Seattle Seahawks!  You were the best last night in New Jersey, and you deserve the Super Bowl rings!

Sporadic Blogging

Well. Kathy and Jim have made their escape off into the wilds of Washington state - making a road trip, just for the fun of it.  I'll be staying at their house, without internet access, and without cable or satellite television, which means I can watch ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, or a religious network.   I've gotten spoiled with my satellite dish and internet access here at home.  I'll be home for only a few hours each day, so don't be surprised if my blogging becomes very spotty until the 18th of September.  - I'll probably move Lovey and Nedi in with Boo and I, as they get along well.
    Last night was the "big match up" game to begin the NFL season.  It was played in Denver, and the Baltimore Ravens, the Superbowl Champions from last season, faced the Denver Broncos.  There was a heavy rainstorm, and the kick off was delayed due to fears of lightning for 35 minutes.  The Broncos won the game, with a score of 49 to 27.  Peyton Manning threw for all 7 touchdowns for the Broncos. -  But the funny thing was the article in The Columbus Dispatch that stated that John Elway threw for 7 TDs; the lead paragraph states that it was Peyton Manning, but the following paragraphs, as well as the headline, state it was Elway.  What a hoot!

At least I can get my fill of college football tomorrow - first the Gators play, then the Gamecocks play, and tomorrow evening is the first home game for the Colorado Buffaloes - one long block from my apartment!

*Sigh* The Broncos...

Three degrees outside right now; even with my wool socks on, my feet are chilly. I have decided to not root for any particular football team for the rest of the professional season, because each team I want to win loses. Yesterday, I geared myself up and watched the Broncos - Ravens game. It was a long game; more than 4 hours long. I watched the first three quarters from my sofa, then watched the fourth quarter and the over time periods from my bed, with all the covers pulled up and both cats cuddling. The game was exciting; the score kept being tied, which led to the first over time, and then the second. Peyton Manning made a bad throw and the Ravens were able to get a field goal. They won. The Broncos are out of the championship playoffs. Multiple Broncos players claimed the blame for their loss. For me, it was a team effort, and a team loss. - Of course, I'm still a Tim Tebow fan, and I just had to say, out loud, at the end of the game, that at least with Tebow as quarterback, we (the Broncos) had won one playoff game last year - this year, with the much vaunted Peyton Manning, we did not win any playoff games. I know. That's sour grapes talking...
   Still coughing like mad, whether I talk out loud or not. This bronchitis/flu is the pits. I fell asleep after the Broncos game, woke up, read a bit, and slept some more. I'm about ready to go back to bed again - even though I've only been up for two and a half hours. The ravens and crows made fast work of the Nutter Butter cookies this morning, and the squirrels have been fed twice... With the temperature forecast for -8 degrees tonight, I keep putting out more nuts, so the little guys can generate body heat.
   Let's see - more bits and pieces: Jockey Gary Stevens rode his third mount in his return to racing yesterday, and won his first return race. He's got four mounts today. .... There have been 4 fatal breakdowns on the Aqueduct inner dirt track in the last 6 weeks. Necropsies have been ordered on all four horses. .... Trainer Ron McAnally is recovering from a knee replacement; he hopes to watch his wife's mare win this edition of the Paseana Stakes. .... The Jacksonville Jaguars, who expressed an interest in hiring Tim Tebow last year, have said that they are not interested in him this year. .... In the tiny town of Bloxom, in Accomack County, Virginia, a hunt is underway for a man wanted for breaking and entering and robbery. He made the mistake of entering an occupied house; he fired a hand gun at the woman who confronted him, and she shot back, twice. There were no reports of injury. (Bloxom is like Chincoteague, you just don't expect anything to happen there!) .... Oh. And I was surprised yesterday when I was looking in the Google Image files: I typed in "Assateague Island Virginia" and was looking at landscapes, sunrises and sunsets. I was very surprised to find a photo of an entirely naked man drinking a beer in the photos. They are "tagged" Assateague Island, Virginia; as there are a whole bunch of photos from a party at the old Nude Beach on Assateague a few years ago, I guess it's OK. I just wasn't expecting a naked man under the Assateague Island search!

Cool Day in Boulder

It's a glorious day outside - even if it is only 28 degrees out there.  The wind is not blowing and the sun is shining.  I'm content.  Both kits are sunning in the cat tree.  Right now, I have The Horse Soldiers on, and I had to grin at Ken Curtis leading John Wayne's horse - he's kinda cute in a cloth cap and without a scraggly beard.  VT isn't at work today, but he had a head cold yesterday, and had pulled a 12-hour shift on Saturday.  I hope he's at home recuperating.  Not much going on with the critters, or me. 
  Denver is in a tizzy, and every newscast begins with "Peyton's Place" or a "Manning Madness" headline.  Business is business.  Football is football.  Football is also a big business.  I like Peyton Manning - he's an older version of Tim Tebow with his charitable works, and in watching his tongue.  It seems the Broncos' front office has decided that Manning can give them a guaranteed Super Bowl win "before his career ends."  There is no guaranteeing that.  I understand wanting a more experienced QB; I understand wanting to win; I understand that Manning means $ in the Broncos' pockets - but, I still like Tim Tebow more.  How about giving a young man a chance to grow?  -  I have to admit I'm going to watch the live news conference at 1 (MDT) today, that presents Manning as "the Broncos' new quarterback."  But I'm also wondering how Tim Tebow is feeling, and what the Broncos' have in store for him.....  And I keep replaying (in my head) a little snippet from a John Elway interview in January, where he said, "Tim Tebow has earned the right to be starting quarterback in Spring Practice."  Will you follow up on your words, John, or brush them aside, and say, "it was different then"?