Football is one of those American pastimes you either love, I mean really love, or are completely apathetic to. While I fall into the apathetic crowd, I am easily humored by the Broncos Mania that seems to turn my neighborhood into a screaming, yelling, fist pounding war zone. Orange and blue fever spreads rapidly whenever the Broncos are hitting the field.
If you're in Denver this Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, beware...the fever is everywhere! The Broncos will be going up against the New England Patriots on Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado at 1:00 PM. This all important, AFC Championship game will determine who represents the AFC in the Super Bowl, and the fact it's the Patriots against the Bronco's, with two well loved quarterbacks battling it out for the 15th time during their careers, has the fever spreading rapidly.
Patriots Tom Brady and Denver's Peyton Manning are perceived to have a giant rivalry, one I'm not so sure isn't actually between their fans, not the players themselves. Regardless, experts are divided equally on the outcome of this game, even though the Patriots have been the victors over the Broncos in 10 out of 14 games played. The last game played in New England went into overtime, bringing a victory of 32-31 for the Patriots. This will be the third year in a row the two teams have faced off in the playoffs.
After years of watching the Bronco's get to Super Bowl and suddenly appear to have forgotten how to play football (I can feel the tomatoes hitting my face already!), I gave up on rooting for a game I really have no comprehension of. But living in Colorado, you are inundated with Orange and Blue fever everywhere you go. I try to avoid getting contaminated, but even moving to another state for a year didn't help, I found the disease lurking in the most unexpected places. Never have I seen a team that can hold such fascination even while dragging off a field after a loss that should have been a win. All one has to do is look at the cost of Bronco's memorabilia to know how deep the fever runs. A BuzzFeed Sports post by staff member Matt Kiebus lists the 17 reasons the Broncos are the "least hateable team" in the NFL Playoffs.
On Tuesday, the Broncos signed ex-Patriot cornerback, Marquice Cole, after losing Chris Harris. It is unknown if he will be active during the Championship game, but definitely an interesting move several days before the big game. I think I'd have trouble remembering what color of uniform I was wearing when the big moment arrives, but apparently these guys are used to changing loyalties on a paychecks notice, and fans soon forget they weren't Bronco's all along. Unless they "mess up" the game. Then the insults will fly.
One thing is certain. During football season, the fever has no class, economic, race, politics, age, species or any other distinction or separation. People are more united in a single cause than at any other time, which shows how possible it is to unite even the most stringent of antagonists. It's an interesting side effect of the Orange and Blue fever. Hmmm...maybe there is something to this football obsession after all. Go Broncos...Patriots...Broncos...oh whoever. Just play well, have fun, entertain the people and get this show on the road. Super Bowl 2014! And then, football season is over. Right?
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