Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My most memorable Broncos game was Super Bowl XXXII, for obvios reasons.
My most memorable Giants game is the (Yes I rank it ahead of Super Bowl XLII) 2007 NFC Championship game against the Packers. The game was ultra-dramatic, and had a lot of twists and turns. There were big plays, big turnovers, missed field goals, and a dramatic field goal in OT to seal it. The cold weather was a huge factor, and the fact that the Giants were able to go into that stadium and win in those conditions was unbelievable.
The most memorable game I ever attended was the 1998 AFC Championship game between the Broncos and Jets. I was sitting in the south stands at the old Mile High Stadium, and I've never been a part of a crowd that was a raucous as that one. The fact that it was John Elway's last game in Denver made it even better.
Oh, I can TELL you about raucous! Our seats (we've had them for 4 decades) were in the South Stands, section EE, 16 rows up! I can tell you stories you wouldn't believe.!
And I will later. I'll let the other Bronco fans weigh in on the late 90's conference championships and Super Bowls, and I'll zero in on a couple from a few decades back- the 1977 AFC Championship game AND a game and its aftereffects on one of the most memorable, embarrassing, and controversial games in Bronco history, known as the "Lou Saban Half A Loaf game". Stay tuned.
BTW, great posts here everybody. Let's keep it going!
Back in 1970, besides the Chiefs, I also followed the Giants. They started the year 0 and 3 and weren't showing many signs of greatness. Then they reeled off 5 straight wins and on Nov. 15th* met their old rivals - the Redskins, who were not world beaters in those days, but they always provided great opposition and lots of entertainment whenever these two teams played. The game wasn't close after 3 quarters even though the Giants were actually making good offensive plays. It just so happens they were also making bonehead plays and kept turning the ball over. 4 times to be exact. At the start of the 4th quarter the Redskins led 33-14 and had the last 5 scores in the game.
For me this was a televised game (in black & white) and I watched it all by myself in my bedroom. I debated going out to meet friends and ending the misery but something made me stay and watch.
Then the boneheads started playing like champs. They could do no wrong. Tarkenton led them down the field and Ron Johnson capped the drive with a short TD run. On the next drive Fran hit Tucker Frederickson out of the backfield with a short pass that went for 57 yds and a TD. Sonny Jergensen later threw an INT and the Giants capitalized by scoring TD #3, courtesy again of Mr. Johnson. Final score Giants 35, Redskins 33.
When I did meet up with my friends they didn't believe me when I told them the final. The Giants stayed in contention and were in it until week 14 when they traveled to L.A. and lost to the Rams just like they always did.
* Thanks to Pro-Football-Reference.com for helping me to sort out the particulars.
I am slightly too young to remember the epic 85 bears team (I was 2), and being a die hard bears fan I can probably count the great games I have seen on one or maybe two hands. Obviously the Arizona game in which they came back from a 20 point deficit was pretty awesome. The NFC title game vs the Saints was pretty awesome though, it ended up being a blow out, but the Saints actually took a one point lead early in the second half when Reggie Bush housed the bears from like a 85 yard TD reception (on a 5 yard slant). He made a point to taunt Urlacher as he was running down the field and did a flip somersault into the end zone...The bears went on to torch them by I think 3 TDs.
I don't remember many Bears games from the 90s, even though I watched them, I must have blocked out the memories...
Oh, I can TELL you about raucous! Our seats (we've had them for 4 decades) were in the South Stands, section EE, 16 rows up! I can tell you stories you wouldn't believe.!
And I will later. I'll let the other Bronco fans weigh in on the late 90's conference championships and Super Bowls, and I'll zero in on a couple from a few decades back- the 1977 AFC Championship gameAND a game and its aftereffects on one of the most memorable, embarrassing, and controversial games in Bronco history, known as the "Lou Saban Half A Loaf game". Stay tuned.
BTW, great posts here everybody. Let's keep it going!
Haven Moses, right sideline, and I was in shock as it happened. John Madden, in his last game coached, out there in his patented short sleeve shirt, and it's about 20 degrees outside. I just assumed the Raiders were going to get back to the Super Bowl that year. For two weeks, I became the biggest Bronco fan on earth, as they prepared to play the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII. That was probably the greatest swelling/uprising of fan fever I've ever seen, that build-up to the Super Bowl in Denver that year, in those two weeks.
Haven Moses, right sideline, and I was in shock as it happened. John Madden, in his last game coached, out there in his patented short sleeve shirt, and it's about 20 degrees outside. I just assumed the Raiders were going to get back to the Super Bowl that year. For two weeks, I became the biggest Bronco fan on earth, as they prepared to play the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII. That was probably the greatest swelling/uprising of fan fever I've ever seen, that build-up to the Super Bowl in Denver that year, in those two weeks.
Yeah I remembered that catch I was bummed out for a week after that catch. But I still rooted for Denver in the Super Bowl. it's the whole AFC thing I guess.
Well if you're a Giants fan, then one of those must be that catch by David Tyree where he and Eli Manning destroyed the New England Patriots' year and 19-0 season.
How could any NFL fan/player/coach/observer ever forget this moment here?
Haven Moses, right sideline, and I was in shock as it happened. John Madden, in his last game coached, out there in his patented short sleeve shirt, and it's about 20 degrees outside. I just assumed the Raiders were going to get back to the Super Bowl that year. For two weeks, I became the biggest Bronco fan on earth, as they prepared to play the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII. That was probably the greatest swelling/uprising of fan fever I've ever seen, that build-up to the Super Bowl in Denver that year, in those two weeks.
It was only 4 seasons previous that Denver had experienced its first winning season, going 7-5-2 with John Ralston as head coach and general manager. Before, the Broncos had basically the worst won-loss record of all the AFC clubs who came into the NFL as a result of the NFL-AFL merger. Two big changes come to mind to get the Broncos to where they never thought they could go to. Those 2 people were quarterback Craig Morton and head coach Red Miller.
A word about Denver and Oakland. Needless to say, this has been a heated rivalry since 1977 which really escalated when Mike Shanahan returned to Denver as head coach in 1995. Shanahan was head coach for Oakland for the 1988 and part of the 1989 season and was fired after 5 games. The details of the firing might not have been the soap opera episode that the Lane Kiffin episode was last year but it was ugly and long lasting.
A rivalry isn't really a rivalry until both teams become good. In 1976 Denver finished 9-5. Still, I guess you could call it a rivalry in the hammer and nail scenario sense. The Raiders were the hammer, and the Broncos were the nail. Actually, by 1976 the Broncos had beaten the Raiders four times and tied them once from 1960 to 1976. And also the team that really caused them pain in those years were the Kansas City Chiefs. From 1960 to 1971 Denver won two games against the Chiefs, and lost 22. The Chiefs back then were a bigger rivalry.
The fans were doing cartwheels after week 4, but trying not to create a false sense of security. They had beaten St. Louis, San Diego, Kansas City, and Seattle. They were not blowing anybody out, but they were winning.
Week 5 is when Broncomania kicked into high gear, shellacking Oakland 30-7 in their stadium. Ken Stabler was sacked eight times, intercepted seven times, and David Humm finished the game. But the huge play in this game was the fake field goal/touchdown throw to kicker Jim Turner that went for a 30 yard touchdown just before the half ended. The play was run over and over and over the Denver tv stations. After years of being bullied, the Broncos now were dictating play. And something even more noteworthy that the Oakland Raiders let a kicker who could run the 100 yard dash in 2 days score a touchdown on them. It was then in the third quarter when linebacker Tom Jackson ran over to the Raider sideline and yelled at John Madden, "It's all over fat man!" At that point, it was the greatest game in Denver Bronco history. Over 10,000 fans met Denver at Stapleton airport after the game.
And they kept winning. The Raiders met them two weeks later and whipped them 24-14. And Denver dropped their final game of the regular season to Dallas, not only not showing them a lot but also pulling a lot of their starters. But they kept winning. Week after week the fans got louder and crazier. And still the Broncos weren't blowing people out, but were still winning and playing sound football. And the defense at that time was now being known locally as the Orange Crush. They only gave up 148 points that season. The regular season ended with the Broncos at 12-2.
After Denver beat Pittsburgh 34-21 in the division playoff game I thought that crowd was the loudest I'd ever heard. Wrong.
It was an 11 o'clock start, YIKES it was cold! The stadium personnel let the fans in around 8:30 in the morning. That being New Years day, it was a sure bet a good majority of those fans had their hot buttered rum the night before and in the parking lot at 7 in the morning. It was crazy all day, especially after Haven Moses blew past Skip Thomas to score that touchdown Mike 0421 was referring to. But the Raiders played a hell of a game, with Dave Casper catching 2 touchdown passes on the south end of the field that were 2 of the toughest catches a receiver could make.
Surprisingly, Oakland kicked away after that touchdown, figuring they could stop the Broncos and get the ball back, but didn't happen. Otis Armstrong ran behind OT Claudie Minor and TE Riley Odoms 3 straight times, ran out the clock, and what happened later I'll never forget.
Fans were out on the field for a half hour after the game was over. The goal posts went down immediately. During that time the media conducted interviews with the players and coaches. The fans packed the field from one end to the other. Tom Jackson later was quoted in the Rocky Mountain News that he told the players to put back their jerseys back on, to come back on the field and see what is going on here. A lot of them did. The fans just wanted to see them, to shake hands with the players. The fans were representative to an organization of losers. They wanted to say thanks. Denver celebrated for the next two weeks like it was Mardi Gras.
Seventeen years ago they were the joke of the league, of two leagues actually. The town resigned themselves to the fact that the Broncos were a second rate bunch.
Game that I watched---Dallas Cowboys vs Miami Dolphins(Snow Bowl) 1993 in Dallas. "Let it Alone Lett, Let It Alone!"
Game that I attended---Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Redskins 2005 in Dallas. Redskins came back in closing moments with two TD's to win 14 to 13. That sucked the big one
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
But I still rooted for Denver in the Super Bowl. it's the whole AFC thing I guess.
Thoughts on the 1977 AFC Championship Game
