It is hard to appreciate the hold that the Broncos have on the Denver metro area unless you’ve experienced it. When I was growing up in the early 70’s, fall Sundays revolved around the Bronco’s kickoff time. I strayed from the fold while at college, but returned as John Elway made the team a perennial playoff team. Elway was the face of the Denver Broncos for a good 10-15 years.

Living in the SF Bay Area in the 80’s and 90’s, Elway’s abilities were constantly downplayed. Everyone knew that both Joe Montana and Steve Young were superior QB’s. Few would concede Eddie DeBartolo’s willingness to build the best team that money could buy or Bill Walsh’s role as coach and distributor of DeBartolo’s largess. But for my part, I doubt that either Montana or Young could have done better than Elway if they had come up with Dan Reeves and the Broncos.

Three Super Bowl debacles cast a pall on Elway’s career. But he hung in there and was rewarded with a big time running game and back-to-back Super Bowl victories to close out his career. It will be good to see him enter the Hall of Fame.