February 22, 2011

Champ Bailey Resigns - Four Year Contract

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday agreed to terms with cornerback Champ Bailey on a new four-year contract, it was announced.

According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the deal is worth $43 million with $15 million guaranteed. He will make a guaranteed $11 million this season, or $2 million less than the $13 million he made in 2010. 

Bailey also has $4 million of his 2012 money guaranteed for a total guarantee of $15 million.

"The talent and leadership that Champ Bailey brings to the Broncos made it very important for us to keep him with the organization," Head Coach John Fox said. "I have admired him for a long time and I really look forward to having him on our team."

John Elway, the Broncos' chief of football operations, announced the move in a series of tweets Tuesday afternoon.

"Champ is truly one of the NFL's elite players, a 10-time Pro Bowler who is playing at the absolute highest level," Elway wrote on Twitter. "The commitment and loyalty that Champ has shown to the Broncos, the city of Denver and this region is exemplary. We're fortunate to have Champ with the Broncos for a long time. This is a GREAT day for our entire organization and our fans."

Bailey, who turns 33 in June, just played in his 10th Pro Bowl, a record for cornerbacks passing Hall of Famer Mike Haynes. Bailey (6-foot-0, 192 pounds) completed his 12th NFL season in 2010 and his seventh with the Broncos.

"I'm happy Denver wants me. I like it here. The fans are great. I’m embedded in this community. All those things mean a lot to me," Bailey said on a conference call hours after Broncos executive vice president John Elway announced the agreement via Twitter.

The Broncos made the right choice here as Champ is still one of the very best and will help fix a defense that can use a HOF player like Champ.

The question now is, what happens with his house? ~ Aussie.

February 11, 2011

Shannon Sharpe's Journey To the Hall of Fame

While anyone living in Broncos Country will tell you Sharpe should’ve been in the Hall of Fame the minute he was eligible, I think we’d also say that his journey to get there was well worth the wait.

The journey began on June 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois where Shannon was born but he grew up in Glennville, Georgia with his mom, older brother Sterling and a sister. For a young black man in the late ‘60s – early ‘70s in the Southern parts of America, life was anything but easy. Shannon and his older brother Sterling Sharpe, grew up dirt poor. He even once joked saying, “We were so poor, a robber once broke into our house and we ended up robbing the robber."

He spent his high school days at Glennville High School in Georgia where he was all-county, all-region and all-area while playing football while also lettering four times.

In addition to his stellar football skills he also lettered in basketball (3 times) and 4 times in track. Shannon was a two-time all-area selection in basketball, scoring over 1,000 points in three seasons. He averaged 30 points and 15 rebounds as a senior. It is said he even managed to snag 52 points and 27 rebounds in one game.

As a junior, Sharpe set a Georgia state Class A record in the triple jump (48’-3”) but then went on to break his own record in his senior year (49’-5”). Shannon also won the regional triple jump title three consecutive years and the regional discus throwing title twice.

Needless to say, he was a superb athlete, no matter what he did.

After high school, Shannon went on to Savannah State College (now known as Savannah State University), in Savannah, Georgia, where he really began to excel in football.

Academically, Sharpe said he "was a terrible student" but managed to graduate from Savannah State with a B.S. degree in criminal justice. Clearly he did something right.

Athletically, he was a genius. A gifted and talented smash-mouth football player, he also played college basketball and competed in the triple jump in track and field.

He put the majority of his time and focus into football as he was a three-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection from 1987-1989. He even helped lead the Tigers’ football team to their (two) best records in history, once in 1988 (7-3) and in 1989 (8-1). Shannon was also a four-year letter winner (1986-89) in football as a flanker.

In his senior year alone, he was named Co-SIAC Player of the Year, selected as a Kodak Division II All-American, selected to the Kodak Small College All-America First Team and was named College Player of the Year in Georgia.

In addition, he was the first Savannah State player to play in the Blue-Gray Classic (1990) and East-West Shrine Game (1990). And to this day, Sharpe owns SSU single season receiving records for yardage, touchdowns and yards per catch.

While on the football team, he also earned a nickname – 'The Shapeshifter' – due to his extraordinary ability to shape his body into any form to catch the ball.

1990 finally arrived, his chance to get drafted by an NFL team. Sadly enough, it took the Denver Broncos (his eventual landing spot) till the 7th round of the draft to pick him (192nd overall). Nonetheless, they picked him and would be ever-so-grateful that they did.

Shannon Sharpe would go on to play 10 straight seasons (12 total; ending his career with two more after a brief stint in Baltimore) with the Broncos, two of which were back to back Super Bowl seasons.

He began his career by playing in all 16 games in his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos, getting more and more receptions from Quarterback John Elway, which in turn led to his first 1,000-yard season in 1994.

His breakout season came in his third year in Denver when he led the team in receiving with 53 catches for 640 yards, which led to his first of eight Pro Bowl nominations.

After another accelerating season in 1993, he was named first-team All-Pro for the first of four times after upping his game to 81 catches for 995 yards and 9 touchdowns. In ’94 he would go on to catch a career-high 87 passes, a mark he never reached again in his NFL career.

His total yardage fell quite a bit down to 756 in the ’95 season but he picked right where he left off in the ’94 season and went on to have two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in ’96 and ’97 – the ’97 season being the Broncos’ first Super Bowl season since 1989.

Yardage wise, in 1997 he recorded his best season with 72 catches for a career high 1,107 yards.

Along with many others from the Broncos’ first Super Bowl win, Sharpe returned for another World Championship before leaving the team. At the end of the ’99 season, he had suffered an injury in which the Broncos didn’t want to keep him. He then decided to leave and went to Baltimore as an unrestricted free agent where he played two seasons (2000-01) for the Ravens and earning another Super Bowl ring before returning to Denver.

While Shannon was in Baltimore, it was there that he surpassed their Hall of Fame TE Ozzie Newsome to become the NFL’s record holder for receptions and total yards by a tight end.

When he returned to Denver after 2 short years away, he then became the record holder for touchdowns by a tight end in his final season. Those three marks he left on the NFL have since been surpassed but in my book, he will stand as the best TE to have played the game. Not only because he is a Bronco and I stand by them all but he paved the way for future TE’s such as his successor former Chief/current Falcon Tony Gonzalez to achieve such greatness in the NFL.

Sharpe finished his career where he started it, from 2002-03, in the city that first gave him a fighting chance to become the football player he was meant to be. He also went out in style ending his career (at that time) as the all-time leader in catches (815), total receiving yards (10,060) and touchdowns (62) by a Tight End.

Not only did he set records for his position alone in the NFL at the time of his retirement, he ended his 14 season career with 3 Super Bowl rings, 8 Pro Bowl selections (’92 – ’98; 2001), 4 Associated Press First-Team All-Pro selections (’93, ’96-’98), 1 Associated Press Second-Team All Pro selection in 1995 and was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 1990s.

In addition, he played in 204 regular season games and started in 4 AFC Championship games. He was the starting TE in Denver's back to back Super Bowl titles and the Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV victory in 2000. Sharpe also led the Broncos in receiving six times and once for the Ravens.

When Shannon Sharpe retired, he left a legacy behind in the world of pro football but one thing he did was just as popular, if not more than, how he played the game of football – he trash-talked better than anyone I’ve ever seen. Lol

He’s said some things that would make you laugh or question him as a person, but nothing stands out more than his infamous and the funniest phone call he made during a football game.

On November 17, 1996 during a game against the New England Patriots, the Broncos were handing the Pats serious beating on the field (34-8) and Shannon decided to "help out" the ailing New England fans. Leave it to #84 to hang out on the sidelines, pick up the phone and say these brilliant and perfectly chosen words:

"Mr. President, call in the National Guard! We need as many men as you can spare! Because we are killing the Patriots! We'll call the dogs off! Send the National Guard please!"

I don’t think I’ll ever forget he did that and how funny it was.

Yep, he went out in style and took his... uh... we'll call it "vocal stylings" with him.

In his post-retirement, he went on to do something that fit him well, become a commentator for a pre-game show, The NFL Today for CBS, where he gets to talk… A LOT.

He has also become part of their CBS Sprint Halftime Report and the Subway Postgame Show replacing Deion Sanders and co-hosting with James Brown, former NFL QBs Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason and former NFL coach Bill Cowher.

He resides in Atlanta, Georgia (close to where he grew up) and has said his hobbies include fishing, basketball and weightlifting.

After a few years, he got his first nod to be a Hall of Fame finalist in 2009. It became such a big deal that he might get in then that his Alma Mater, Savannah State officially retired his #2 college jersey on their declared 'Shannon Sharpe Day' in October of 2009. He was also inducted into the NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame in December of 2009.

On September 20, 2009 Shannon was also given the distinguished honor of being inducted into the Broncos' Ring of Fame at their Mile High stadium in downtown Denver.

Unfortunately but not shockingly enough, he failed to get voted in for the HOF that year and in 2010. But the committee, I guess, figured third time’s a charm for Shannon Sharpe in 2011 as he was voted to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio – right where he belongs, among the best.

When August 6, 2011 comes around, he will become the 6th Bronco player to be inducted into the prestigious club that is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He will be introduced by his older brother Sterling Sharpe.

Somebody call the National Guard!... Shannon Sharpe is coming to the Hall of Fame!

Extra videos:
Shannon Is Da Man
Shannon Doesn’t Remember
Top Ten Draft Steals: Shannon Sharpe
***I apologize for the last video (Top 10 Draft Steals). Its a great video on Shannon but it pauses every couple of seconds and when it does it take a few more seconds for it to come back. Its worth it though. Only 3:30 long. Just a heads up.

Congrats again to Shannon for getting to go into the HOF. Well-deserved my friend! Can't wait for the enshrinement day.< And just for kicks....

February 10, 2011

Superbowl Commercials

Hey all below are some of the better commercials from the Superbowl. I didn't include the Vader boy one as we had seen that already. I hope you enjoy these, as we need something to lighten up the mood after the D.Thomas's injury. ~ Aussie.

Doritos Finger Licking


The American Family


Pepsi Max: Married couple


Doritos pug


McDonald's Grizzly Bear


Eminem and Brisk

February 9, 2011

Fun with Pictures

Hi all, had this sitting around on my computer for a while thought it would be good to throw up for some laughs. So enjoy this photos and everybody have a safe and good day.



And the last one I have, I haven't added a caption to it. I would love to hear your ideas, hit us up in the comments. ~ Aussie.

February 7, 2011

Superbowl XLV - Packers 31 - Steelers 25

Hey everyone, if you missed it or you live in a hole with no television then you missed the superbowl. The Packers played the Steelers at Dallas for the Superbowl Title. The Packers came away with the victory in a close game where the Steelers kept trying to claw back. The final score was 31-25 in favor of the Packers.

Post Game
The game had it's ups and downs, but was dominated by defense or lack of from one team. The Packers defense was very good, they got 3 turnovers, two intercepts, one of which was returned for a TD and a fumble. Clay Matthews had a nice game making key plays when needed and Nick Collins also had a good game.

On the other side of the ball the Steelers didn't have such a good game on defense as the Packers passed at will. They used a 4 or 5 wide receiver set to move Polamalu away from the line and pretty much took him out of the game. Polamalu didn't have a tackle until the 4th quarter, in what was probably the worst game of Polamalus' career.

One of the headlines of the game was the amount of injuries that each team suffered as both teams lost key players to injury or others played through the pain. The Packers for one lost Charles Woodson and Donald Driver who gave emotionally speechs at half time to their teammates.

The key to the game though was the play of QB Aaron Rodgers. He had a very good game even though he lost Driver early and his receivers dropped more than one big catch. But he drove his team and got 3 TDs and was deserving of the MVP award that he received for the Superbowl. He got his title belt.

Other Highlights
The game didn't go off without a hitch though as a number of things went wrong. First up would have to be Christina Aguilera screwing up the US National Anthem. This was made more funny by the fact that after she was selected to be the signer she tweeted that she was so happy and had been singing the anthem since she was 7. She did apologise and said she just got caught up in the moment.

The Half time show wasn't perfect as the Black Eyed Peas had to battle a bad mike problem but they pulled it off. The half time show was ok until Slash came out of the floor, is that guy the epitome of cool. I went off when Slash came out, was the best bit of the Half Time show. Usher didn't do much other then repeating three words over and over.

There was also the problem of not enough seats. Some fans had to watch the game on screens outside or stand up in corners. This was because the seats that were put in for them didn't get approval for use before the game. For more check out the link.


The best bit of the WHOLE superbowl for me was seeing Shannon Sharpe at the coin toss, that made my day.

Other News
Eddie Royal had hip surgery and is 'expected' to be back in May, but the injury could hold him out for six months. A key component of Denver's deep receiving corps, Royal had a bounce-back season in 2010 despite dealing with a nagging groin injury all season. Any setbacks in Royal's recovery could open up more playing time for Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos' top draft pick last year who had an injury-plagued rookie season.

The other thing that is interesting for Broncos fans is this link about Broncos player payroll. Check it out.

That is it from me, catch you guys soon. ~ Aussie.

February 5, 2011

SHANNON SHARPE TO THE HALL OF FAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ITS ABOUT TIME!!!!

I'm beyond thrilled but more shocked. I honestly did not think they'd elect him. Its only taken them 8 years (3 past his required 5 years to wait). This is beyond cool!!

Congrats to Shannon Sharpe, you ARE the man!!

I'll be doing a little story on his life & career now that I know he's going to Canton. He joins 6 others including another icky Cowgirl, Deion Sanders (haha, my dad hated this guy) and Marshall Faulk (a former Indy Colt).

Congrats to all who got elected, but now I really can't wait till August to see Sharpe get in the HOF. This made my day.

Love you man! GO BRONCOS!!!!

10 Trivia Questions for the Superbowl & Broncos News

10 Superbowl Trivia Questions:

1. What year were the Packers founded in?

2. What year were the Pittsburgh Steelers founded?

3. What was Green Bay's 2002 regular season home record?

4. What Pittsburgh Steeler was named MVP of Super Bowl X?

5. Who was the first free agent that Green Bay ever signed?

6. Who was the first head coach to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a winning record?

7. Who was the coach that led Green Bay to their first two Super Bowls in 1966 & 1967?

8. What was the original name of the Pittsburgh Steelers?

9. What is a "Packer"?

10. What year did Chuck Noll begin coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers?

News
Now time for the news. First up probably the best news I have heard in a while. The Broncos have been talking to the NFL about making the Orange Jerseys the Home jersey for the Broncos. This is great news, the only problem is that it won't happen until the 2012 season if it is allowed which is a bit of a bummer.

The other bit of news I have isn't that good, DenverPost has a story pointing to that Champ Bailey won't be coming back to the Broncos, but I don't think that is the case (hope it isn't). The article is located here. Well that is it from me, leave the answers to the Trivia questions below and enjoy the Superbowl. ~ Aussie.

February 3, 2011

Broncos News - 4th Feburary

Hey everyone how is it going? I thought I would do an update with some of the lastest Bronco News. Lets jump right in then and start with some really good news. Cornell Green, a 25-year scout for the Broncos, was named the AFC Scout of the Year by the Fritz Pollard Alliance.

Green is currently responsible for scouting the Southwest area, but has also served as a scouting consultant for the team and evaluated the South, East and Midwest regions earlier in his career.

"Cornell is a vital part of our scouting department, and I'm thrilled that the Fritz Pollard Alliance is honoring him with this prestigious award," General Manager Brian Xanders said. "He is a winner who brings vast experience and wisdom to our scouting process. Cornell's track record of success as both a player and talent evaluator in the NFL is a unique combination, and we're fortunate to have him with the Denver Broncos."

The 2011 season marks Green's 32nd evaluating talent in the NFL, as he began his scouting career with the Dallas Cowboys in 1970 while still an active player. He went to five Pro Bowls as a defensive back for the Cowboys, never missing a game during his 13 seasons with the team.

This is a great award for Cornell and the Broncos. It shows that the Broncos do have good talent evaluators and a good setup. The problem for guys like Cornell is that there may not be a new CBA, in which case they could be living on minimum salaries. It would be sad to lose guys like Cornell because they can't make enough money to support themselves in this time of no CBA.

Congrats to Cornell Green on the award.

Next in the news is the comments that Elway has been saying about Orton, Tebow and the starting QB. Here is some of what Elway had to say:

"If we had to play today, Kyle Orton would be our starting quarterback."

Elway went on to discuss the possibility of trading Orton. His answer, once again, was pretty obvious:

"People think it is a forgone conclusion that we are going to trade Kyle, but it's not. They are going to compete for the job. A lot of people think it is a forgone conclusion but it's not."

This has sparked a lot of debate as pretty much every Broncos fan wants to see Tebow as the starting QB. A lot of people are upset about what Elway said, but I think it is probably the only thing Elway could say. Check out this article by Andrew Mason over at MaxDenver, he knows what is going on. Anyway I am interested to hear what you have to say? What is your opinion?

And finally I would like to finish on a funnier note. Check out this Superbowl commerical below. ~ Aussie.