Jim Saccomano

A number of readers have been nice enough to add their comments to my blogs, and a recent one generated comments as to why Bob Martin is not in the Ring of Fame.

I treasure the memories I was fortunate to have with Bob and regard him as one of the great friends of my professional and personal life.

The answer to the Ring of Fame question is that Bob did not work for the Denver Broncos.

However, a measure of how highly the organization thought of Bob is that there is a bronze tribute to him,including his facial profile, at the entrance to the press box of INVESCO Field at Mile High.

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The next victory recorded by the Denver Broncos will be the team’s 400th, a significant number by any standard but one that truly has to be regarded as monumental by those who have watched the team since its inception.

And if you have not, as is presumably the case with most readers, I can only say, you had to be there.

You simply could never believe it otherwise.

This franchise truly was the poster child for the worst imaginable team in pro sports.

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No matter what the question is, that is the answer.

And that much is true whether it involves one’s job, relationships, weight control, or any other situation one might imagine.

And that is the situation in which the Denver Broncos find themselves after the loss at Kansas City. Many fans and media types which it were otherwise, but it is not. The key factor to punch into the equation, however, is that the situation would not be even slightly different if the Broncos had won against the Chiefs.

No matter what, the season is one quarter over and Denver is an excellent 3-1 at this time.

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Anybody who was in attendance or watched the Broncos’ 39-38 win over San Diego is not likely to ever forget this one for quite some time.

This was an instant classic, without question one of the greatest and most entertaining home games ever played in the 49 years of Denver Broncos history.

Much has been made of the incomplete pass call by referee Ed Hochuli which led to a subsequent review and ultimately gave the Broncos the ball at the San Diego 10 on that final Denver drive.

But the Broncos still had no better than a third and 10, and Denver btoh scored and then added the two-point conversion in a dramatic decision by Head Coach Mike Shanahan.

But regardless, the call was really just one element of a thoroughly spectacular game that was a coming out party for the Broncos’ young offensive unit.

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The buildup of excitement for the 2008 National Football League season finally comes to a head this week with the kickoff of regular season play, including the Denver Broncos’ Monday Night Football matchup at Oakland vs. the AFC West rival Raiders.

This game actually will be the second Monday night game of the opening week, and as such the Broncos draw the “three Mikes” announce team, which includes play-by-play voice Mike Greenberg along with color commentators Mike Golic and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Mike Ditka.

This is an exciting team that the Broncos will be taking into regular season play.

There is no question that Bronco followers have had a lot of new names to become familiar with during this preseason, but the excitement generated by the young players in the four preseason games was palpable.

Excitement is contagious, and there was a real energy level at that final game against the Arizona Cardinals. It was obvious whether one was watching the television broadcast, listening on the radio, or present on the sidelines at University of Phoenix Stadium.

I had gone down from the press box to the field for the last half of the fourth quarter and was standing adjacent to our bench area when rookie cornerback Jack Williams picked off that pass and took it all the way to the end zone to seal the win.

The game and score did not count for anything in the standings, but the entire bench was screaming as Williams took off on his long run, and most of the team ran a few yards toward the end zone with him, including jaded veteran players sharing this moment with a rookie beginning to make his mark.

You could see the sidleine response on the telecast as well.

This is an infectious enthusiasm, and there is real talent to go along with the verve demonstrated by these young players.

It is hard for a rookie to break into an NFL starting lineup, but the Broncos go into their opener at Oakland with two fresh starters on offense, number one draft choice Ryan Clady at left tackle and second round selection Eddie Royal at wide receiver.

Rookie punter Brett Kern led the NFL in punting this summer, the Broncos had the fewest sacks (two) and led all AFC teams in scoring this preseason.

Third-year quarterback Jay Cutler had a great preseason, and place kicker Matt Prater was among the scoring leaders in the entire league.

The future does not always automatically belong to the young, but it absolutely belongs to the young AND the talented, and these are positive signs for future development.

Outstanding drafts over the past three years and the addition of young free agent players have made their mark on the Denver roster this year.

It’s going to be an exciting season, and the Broncos are anxious to jump back into their long-accepted status as contenders in the always tough AFC West.

Some time ago I wrote a blog in which I stated that fans might not have heard of a lot of the new players, but I just asked readers to remember that everyone is unknown until he makes a name for himself.

In the garden of the National Football League, it is not much different than our own yards. If you plant the seeds and provide them with sunshine, water, fertilizer and some degree of weed control, the flowers will bloom.

Saturday night we played the Dallas Cowboys, a team that is regarded by all as one of the best in the National Football Conference and probably in the entire NFL as well.

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No matter how many National Football League seasons come and go, one continues to be amazed, and humbled by the fantastic support the Denver Broncos receive.

When the Broncos host the Dallas Cowboys in the home preseason opener this Saturday night at INVESCO Field the stands will be full as usual.

And when regular season play begins against the San Diego Chargers on September 14 it will mark the 39th consecutive sellout season for the Broncos at home.

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The Denver Broncos proudly added another member to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when tackle Gary Zimmerman took his place among the all-time greats in the 2008 induction ceremonies.

As is usually the case, the festivities were spectacular, the ceremony was long, the emotions ran high, and I was reminded once again as I was fortunate enough to watch Gary enter the Hall after being presented by Broncos owner Pat Bowlen–this never gets old.

This was the third time that I have been fortunate enough to actually attend the induction ceremony, including four years ago when John Elway became the first inductee to have played his entire career as a member of the Broncos.

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Rod Smith formally announced his retirement from professional football today, and the Denver Broncos family is a little weaker because of it.

My career has spanned 34 years in professional sports, three in baseball and 31 with the Broncos, and there have been very few players, maybe none, who have had the influence on the team and on individuals that he had.

We have had and will continue to have our share of great players, guys with ability far and away beyond that of most athletes.

But it is never a surprise when a great player plays great.

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When you work in professional sports for a number of years you cannot help but develop a second family, besides the one at home which means so much to all of us, and is in fact the basis of our entire lives.

But that second family is in a building where you spend a huge percentage of your time, working with a unified group of individuals passionate about a singular goal.

Every team can’t win every year, but that’s the goal for every team, and that is the bond that creates the second family.

Over the years in the Denver Broncos family I have been fortunate to be a part of seasons that have been mostly good, and often great.

And there have been great people as part of the extended Broncos family; I can remember when the children of Mike and Peggy Shanahan were very young, and my own son and daughter working here as summer ball boy (son) and PR office typist (daughter).

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