I invested a couple of hours in Broncos: The Complete History on Tuesday afternoon.
Consider it time well spent — and worth the $19.95 purchase for a Broncos fan in your life as the holidays approach, which for the narcissistic among you, could be what Alvin of the Chimpunks once spoke of: “A present — from me to me!”
The centerpiece is the documentary on Broncos history. To click “play” is to instantly transmogrify into old-school mode, with the old “D” logo used until 1996 superimposed over a shot of Mile High Stadium. Shots of Lionel Taylor, Floyd Little, Lou Saban and Marlin Briscoe flash on the screen. Saban’s famed exhortation — “They’re killing me, Whitey (Dovell), they’re killing me!” — is next. Images of Lyle Alzado, Rich “Tombstone” Jackson sacking Daryle Lamonica, Tom Jackson, Randy Gradishar and Haven Moses follow.
And all that is before the name “John Elway” is mentioned.
In 1978, the structure of passing football changed forever. Offensive players were allowed to extend their arms and open their hands on pass blocking. Defenders could no longer contact and impede receivers once they got more than five yards clear of the line of scrimmage. And to make sure that these tweaks were enforced, a seventh official — the side judge — was added to the on-field arbiting crew.