Editor’s Note: Broncos Ring of Famer Karl Mecklenburg will occasionally write a guest blog for DenverBroncos.com. In his first entry, he discusses the idea of change, both with the Broncos and the country as a whole.
Once a year when he felt our team had reached a plateau, right before he sent us off to run wind sprints Dan Reeves would drawl, “Men, ya eitha gittin betta or ya gitten worse, ya cain’t stay the same.”
Dan said a lot of things, some of which I’m still trying to figure out, but he was right about this. Change is inevitable, and through planning and effort change can be positive. The young cry out for change, impatient in their zeal to hurry the inevitable. The old fear change, forgetting the opportunity that they found in their early years hidden in the challenges of change.
We’re in the middle of it now, with high unemployment, bank failures and bailout plans, with a new coach, quarterback and system for the Broncos. In the recent election, both presidential candidates insisted that they were the candidate of change. They actually agreed on something and neither one was lying. The United States and the Broncos will look very different in four years.
Will we adapt and change in the next four years as a football team and as a country? Remember, “ya eitha gittin betta or ya gitten worse, ya cain’t stay the same.” Change scares us even though we know there’s opportunity in it. We think of past mistakes, knowing that every time we make a new decision a mistake is possible. We must also remember past successes as new blood and a refocused energy is applied to the age old problems of teamwork, blocking and tackling on the field, and the much more challenging problems the federal government faces.
I say give the new leaders a chance to lead. Both Josh McDaniels and President Obama have daunting tasks ahead of them. Both are young in age and young in experience, but both seem to understand the true value and power of teamwork. If they can consistently and clearly lead their teams by putting team success above any personal concerns, individual team members will buy into the team vision and anything is possible. Both men have made some early decisions which rankled the established and made some supporters question them, but that is the price of change.
When Dan Reeves coached us to three AFC championships in four years he didn’t have the best system, and we weren’t the most talented. We were the best team. We believed in each other and put the team’s passion to win first. It could happen again.
-Karl Mecklenburg
Karl’s new book, Heart of a Student Athlete, All Pro Advice for Competitors and Their Families, will be available in September in bookstores nationwide and on the Internet. For more information, click here.
Great Blog, Sweet Im the first to blog
Hey Meck, thanks for all the years you put in for us.
As for change, well, I’ll wait and see. I didn’t vote Obama, but I served in the military and fought for this country so I’lll stand by our CIC. I may not agree with all he has done or will do but he is our President.
Same goes for the Broncos. I have watched Denver since 1972. I’m a die hard, positive fan.
I know that there is a lot of changes going on and a new HC. Like Obama, I don’t agree with everything McD has done or probably will do, but I’ll support him.
The only constant that we have in regards to the Broncos is to stay positive, keep your hopes alive, keep your fan jersey clean for the next game and root for your team. Support them, don’t bash them. Question them but don’t criticize them. To coin a phrase from the 60′s, “Love ‘em or leave ‘em.”
I keep faith and hope alive for this country and for the Broncos, alike. Anything less and I would feel I betrayed my service to this country and my loyalty to the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos and this great country will stand proud once again. I’ll stand with them.
I’m with you Karl, what a prolific post!
I can’t thank you enough, what a stellar example of intelligence.
Let’s hope we can take this change ‘by the horns’ if you will!
Wrecklenburg – Well written…
Karl Great to see and hear from a true legend of this ball club! I agree 100% And personally this is not a knock on the younger posters. But I think this change will get them on the same page as some of us older fans, when they will actually get to see the kind of changes we endured through the 70′s and 80′s. And as we all know it was some of the best games this club and league has ever seen.
Those are some wise words quoted by Dan Reeves, and I also got a kick out of the comment “Dan said a lot of things, some of which I’m still trying to figure out.” I found this funny because I still scratch my head once in a while when I look back and think wow how did we not win a Sb with the players we had back then?
But anyways thx for the read and your insight to the situation, look forward to reading many more of your blogs!!!!! One Quick Question perhaps you can answer in your next time on here. Who did you hit the hardest or the hit that made feel like “Yeah that’s why I play this game!”
Sincerely BRR
Great post Karl, it’s great to see someone like you come in and write a little something about whats going.
I’ve taken the change that we have faced this offseason a little hard but have come around. even though i love Shanny and what he did for this organization, change was overdue. I’m still not sure if the change we needed was McD but time will tell and i’ll support this team in all that it does.
I’ve followed Denver since 83 and will continue to do so and like DynamicDave i’m also military and while i did not vote for Obama, (or even like him) i will stand by our CIC.
What i’m hoping for and from what i get out of these great posts is that our team is coming around and they are all excited about the upcoming season as i am. with the talent that we have and have had, mixed with the youth of the past couple years, i see this team changing for the good and only getting better. Support change? YES!!! even HECK YES!!
This was very well-written.
Nice 2 hear from you Karl, change is inevitable and unavoidable, good or bad things always change. I did vote for our CIC and he is working change and it has turned things around. But its our Broncos I am worried about, after last season it was clear change was coming, and with it comes the unpredictability of a team that has never taken to the field together as a band of brothers. We can’t predict what a new season will bring, why would we bother to watch if we knew what was going to happen? change is the future and the hope is that it will bring welcome victories to our Broncos and swift defeat to our opponents. But just in case I will be wearing my lucky #7 jersey, exciting times lets just hope they roll our way.
GO BRONCOS
Im with you ! Give the new leaders a chance to LEAD
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!
Hey Karl good post. Maybe you can also help some of the players with changing position on defense. From DL to LB like you did.
for anyone who wants to blog about random stuff, life, Broncos or anything, I created this blog. all Bronco fans are welcome. here is the link.
http://broncosarebest.blogspot.com/
Haha, Doc that is funny, boycott this site and go to chris’s, jokes
Aussie, she no likey. I thought it was ok.
Aussie, its not a bad idea. its something to do during the offseason.
Haha told you she wouldn’t, I thought it was an awesome movie too, as for the site it doesn’t work probably for me at work so I can’t use it.
well then what will we do?
where’s everybody?
I have had a great idea, we do half an halfs. Half of the comment is something about the broncos the other half about whatever so techincally it is on the subject.
How about them broncos?
So what you do today, Chris?
I am a genuis, this is my poor attempt at a joke…
Aussie, it should work, Dave has already joined. I don’t think anything is wrong with the site?
I think I got it to work.
lets not get into politics. bad things happen.
I came on here during the election and it was nuts with politics here, I was like I am out, man some people.
Don’t take offense by something people say, everyone is entitled to their opinion right or wrong and you are not going to be able to change someones views on a blog site.
i joined the blog DR. Chris, but its kinda complicated
I know I thought it was funny…
I’m really not the right person to talk about politics. so i don’t. but i’m going to say this i’m with Karl as regards to change. I’m sure most of you have had a job where there needed to be changes, and they brought new managment to do it. and we know when that happense the new managment brings in his or her own way of doing thing. some may be good some may be bad. Either way we have to follow them or it could be our job. As for Obama im neither for or against but what i am for is who ever willing to try to dig us out of this hole and right now Obama is the man so i will follow. I take this situation as the same as Mcd. not as much as a global world thing. but the fact that people are ready to throw in the towel before they even now the situation. He came in and brought in his system that he feels will work for this team. If any of you caught Rod smith on the Nfl Network. He said players need to realize he is the coach and there is no time to worry if he is the right man for the job. because if you do that your not going to be on this team. so for us fans we need to get on board with Mcd because if we like the Broncos, Mcd comes with the team. You don’t have to like him or the way he does things to give him support.
I can’t believe it. I know he didn’t drop the crystal meth / pipehead joke. lol BOY STOP! LOL
Chris, for that site, can I just click on Name/URL and sign in… so confused right now.
create a gmail account and then sign in with google account.
Dman what did I walk in on?!? I didn’t go back to the 1st page so I’m way behind on the convo. With that said I voted for Cutler and Marshall a bunch of times for the pro bowl. O wait that’s not what yall are talking bout! Hahaha, anyway man we only have a few more weeks before it’s football timeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
What up Greatness007 how ya been bro? Hadn’t seen you on here since the draft!
Nothing man just chillin. Just setting things straight. You know how I do.
Carmelooo What you thing about whats going on with Marshall?
I guess Marshall is going to camp?
Yeah if he not there the first week. I expect him the 2nd!
I agreed with you uub just was saying what Jazzyfrizzle meant.
http://broncosarebest.blogspot.com/
It looks to me UUB and Jazzy. That you both are saying the same thing. Hey UUb before you go see what came down the pipe? lol
I think you all have lost site of what Karl was trying to say? He wasn’t saying aye or nay and wasn’t wanting any of you to say it either. He is basically telling us that life is about change. He is just saying that the country is changing and so are the Broncos and no matter what your beliefs (he was talking metaphorically), you need to go with the flow and support the country and the Broncos. Don’t have to agree, just support. I don’t like all the changes going on in this country or with the Broncos, BUT, I support them. I served for this country and have earned my right to speak up in defense of this great nation. I’ve been a Broncos fan for over 37 years and earned the right to support this team. Life isn’t always chocolates and roses. As Denis Leary once said, “life sucks, get a helmet.” I will support them and not get ulcers over it. As for the religious thing going on, 07elway never said that she supported slavery, YOU said it for her. You put words in her mouth that she never said and escalated this into a ridiculous thing. Get back to football talk. Stop with the arguing already.
I know BroncoAussie. Don’t take that like I was being defensive. Just stating I know the context in which he was tryna put it in.
Greatness When lamens speak that is usually the response the give when you call them on it.
Good night Champ and to all best wishes.
true that dave,
Thank God for the broncos, hahaha,
Lets go McD, win us a SB!
Actually Dave you kind of late. lol We been stopped will I have. If you tell me or should I say post. You want the country to go back to values of the fore fathers 200+ yrs ago. Slavery was a Value they approved of. If you tell me or should I say post. If you don’t like the countries history then leave! lol You can defend all you want. If you post Bush makes mistake for 8 yrs. He just human. Then in only 7 month key word seven months. Obama is a lier that cant be trusted. He gonna destroy the country. 07elway knows what 07elway meant nuff said about that.
Like he’s not human!
football
I gonna talk football. If statement is made to me or towards me. I will address it nuff said.
so…
Oh im the forum leader today huh? lol Ok Who do anyone thing will Or record will be after the first 5 games?
(think)
4-1
4-1 after that it goes down hill.
Ok me I think we can shock the world with a 5-0. Only problem is Pats and their O. If McD can help the D with their like and dislikes we can beat them.