I begin this week’s column with caution. I’m fully aware that I live in Broncos Country, but after yesterday’s report of Denver’s trade of Case Keenum to the Redskins I refuse to stay silent.
But before I get into the nitty gritty, have you ever been in a situation where the problem never admits to being the problem? Perhaps after you get out of a bad relationship, you realize it was never really the other person that was the issue — it was you all along.
This is how I feel about John Elway. I know, he’s the people’s man. Allow me to point out a few details that prove why Elway and his five job titles are Denver’s real problem.
The Broncos have gone through three head coaches since 2011 and now welcome in another new head coach in Vic Fangio. John Fox is jobless, Gary Kubiak runs the Vikings’ offense in Minnesota and Vance Joseph just hired on as a defensive coordinator for the Cardinals. Certainly Elway has not had much luck with picking out elite coaching for Denver.
How about Elway’s draft picks? Besides Von Miller and Derek Wolfe, there hasn’t been a consistent stream of successful draft picks by Elway. Injuries, lack of performance and a legal accusation sum up the rest of the draft picks since 2011. It’s a bit too early to tell, but we’ll see how Bradley Chubb and Royce Freeman turn out.
Despite being a quarterback himself, Elway has ironically failed to find a quarterback in the post-Peyton Manning era. If we are honest, the Manning signing wasn’t super impressive anyways. He was a perfect fit for Denver and everyone knew that.
If you’re a Broncos fan who prefers not to relive in the past, scroll past these names who were signed by Elway to play quarterback since the departure of Manning:
- Brock Osweiler
- Caleb Hanie
- Zac Dysert
- Ryan Katz
- Bryn Renner
- Trevor Siemian
- Christian Ponder
- Paxton Lynch
- Chad Kelly
- Case Keenum
- Kevin Hogan
- Joe Flacco
Impressive.
My heavy dose of sarcasm is not nearly as overbearing as the struggle Elway has had finding a quarterback. Maybe Flacco will save the day. After all, he does have a pretty catchy last name if I do say so myself.
I do recognize the Super Bowl and two AFC championship titles that Denver has obtained under Elway. However, I would argue that I value the flame of consistency over the sparks of success. All you have to do is look at the New England Patriots. That’s what I want in a team.
I’m just pointing out the facts. Eventually the Broncos will see that it is not only the head coaches, the quarterbacks and the draft picks that are the problem for the disappointing seasons. It’s the egregious Elway who is the underlying issue.
Flack’s Shoutouts
There have been numerous high school state competitions throughout the last week. Multiple teams from Sweetwater County deserve a shoutout for their work and success.
- Tiger Rhythm Dance Team – Rock Springs took first in both 4A Hip Hop and Jazz. The first place finishers brought home the title. Great job ladies!
- GRHS Dance Team – Green River followed right behind with a second place finish in the state competition. Congratulations!
- Farson-Eden Boys Basketball – The Pronghorns won the state title on a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. Quite a year it has been for FEHS!
- RSHS Girls Indoor Track – The Tigers placed third as a team in the 4A state meet. Way to go ladies!
- GRHS Wrestling – This happened a few weeks ago, but the Wolves took second place in the state wrestling tournament. Nice job!
It’s been quite a winter sports season here in Sweetwater County. Here’s to a strong offseason. I’ll see you throughout the summer!
Brayden is a sports and community reporter for SweetwaterNOW. His column, Flack Friday, will be posted every Friday. You can submit comments, questions or ideas regarding the column to brayden@sweetwaternow.com.
