Over Again

It's been a lifetime since the Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl. My son's lifetime, that is. He entered a world full of the hope and promise that was John Elway. He came of age during a time when guys like Brian Griese and Jake Plummer were our next great hope. Then along came a couple of young upstarts: Jay Cutler and Tim Tebow. All those quarterbacks didn't have what it took to make the Mile High Magic happen one more time. Then, when dreams seemed dashed, they came true in the form of Peyton Manning. Why wouldn't we be on the fast track to multiple Lombardi trophies?
Okay, there are a lot of you out there who, after reading that last paragraph who have some questions. You probably recognize some of the names, but what is a Lombardi trophy? Jake Plummer? And besides, it is just a game after all. Played by millionaires paid by billionaires. How can this matter? In the big scheme of things, it really doesn't.
I know that, and after forty-plus years of riding this roller coaster, I have become somewhat accustomed to the end of the ride. Sooner or later, all the hoopla and anticipation is over, the game is played and somebody has to clean up all that confetti. And clean out their lockers. The good news is that this year the Denver Broncos kept that particular event from occurring for an extra few weeks. They won three times more often than they lost, bringing plenty of vicarious thrills to yours truly, which I passed along to my wife and my son. So much so that it eventually became important for our family to sit down and have "chicken parm" sandwiches this past Sunday. It did not have the effect that we had desired. Peyton Manning and the Broncos tasted defeat for the fifth and final time this season, and now the coaching, player and personnel carousel begins to spin. Who knows where things will be six months from now? Will it matter?
What I do know is that it matters now. Buying into my fanaticism only served to dampen the spirits of my otherwise cheerful family. I brought them along with me on this ride, and now we have a choice: get back in line, or go see what else there is to do. Maybe we could take a drive next Sunday. See the sights. Take in a movie. Life outside of football awaits. Thanks to everyone who came along on this most recent little jaunt, and we'll see some of you next August. For now, the highlight reel is over.