Go Broncos!

Bronco LB Al Wilson makes Deion Branch pay in 4th Q of Denver's 28-20 win October 16...


Yes, we had a good week at TGS (we needed it). We'll never know what difference Carson Palmer might have made today, but we suspected all along that the Bengal defense was going to be a liability, and, eventually, it was the stop unit that caved in against the Steel Curtain.

Unfortunately, St. Joe's didn't quite cover as a 2 1/2-point favorite today. Can't win 'em all, which I know all too well.

I spent Saturday up in the bay area, helping Cristina get ready for her last few months at Santa Clara, and, while I was up there, going to see a couple of college hoop games. In a day that only a college basketball junkie could enjoy, as I spent the afternoon at San Jose State, watching the Nevada Wolf Pack, bleary-eyed from their return from Hawaii Thursday night (their flight to San Jose was cancelled Friday, and they had to scramble to catch flights to San Francisco, eventually sending the team on two different flights--they didn't get in until after midnight Friday), and playing like they were sleepy, but nevertheless out-uglying San Jose State 63-56 in a tedious WAC affair in front of about 1500 souls at the cozy Event Center on campus. Then, after a nice meatball sandwich dinner at the Quizno's across the street from the Santa Clara campus (about 10 minutes from SJSU), watched Santa Clara open up WCC play with a hard-fought 87-77 win over the Portland Pilots. 6-7 Bronco forward Travis Niesen is simply the most-intense player I have ever seen. The guy is absolutely fearless, as Sean May found out last year when Niesen played like a wild man when scoring 27 in the Bronocs' upset of North Carolina. Think of Steve Mix with a scowl, but a little bit smaller and quicker, and just as physical. Niesen scored 19 last night, much of it from the charity stripe, as the Pilots battered him mercilessly on the blocks.

After flying back this morning to finish this week's TGS, tomorrow night I fly back up for the Gonzaga game, which is annually a highlight at Santa Clara because it brings a packed house to the comfortable Leavey Center. These have been real wars the past few years, and maybe SCU finally gets the Top Ten Zags for the first time since 2001 on Monday night. If it's up to Niesen, the Broncos have a shot. Any night owls on the blog might want to stay up until midnight EST to catch the late-night Big Monday action on ESPN-2. Look for me in the crowd, I'll be there.

As for the NFL playoffs, if we're doing this stuff as red state vs. blue state, I would expect that ALL of you guys will be cheering for Denver against New England next Saturday. That's a very scarlet Colorado (save Boulder, perhaps) vs. Ted Kennedy's bright blue Massachusetts. I am quite sure the Broncos are Dick Cheney's favorite team, and Mike Shanahan bears a little resemblance to George W. Bush, no? I think it's time somebody knocks that little smirk off of Tom Mr. Cool Brady's face. Time for Jake the Snake to do his stuff, and those ex-Browns on the Denver defense to keep doing what they've been doing all season. Unfortunately, I was outvoted by my comrades at TGS for this week's game, so you'll see TGS picking the Patriots. But you know who I like. We had more difference of opinion on the upcoming games than we did last week; we also took the Skins and Bears in the NFC, and Colts in the AFC. I voted for the Skins, but was the lone ranger when voting for Carolina and Pittsburgh. We'll see how it goes.

Finally, Paul's recent photos of Republican women vs. Democrat women risks stirring a particular Spanish female in my house once more. I'm afraid my wife might hear of the rumor that Bo Derek likes balding, middle-aged white guys who are partial to warm-up suits and Nevada Wolf Pack sweatshirts, fans of Pat Buchanan, drinks Mr. Pibb, considers stromboli a delicacy and frequents various fast food eateries, rates a Saturday college basketball doubleheader at San Jose State and Santa Clara as top-notch entertainment (and would fly on Southwest Airlines to see it), and talks to like-minded middle-agers about subjects such as Lou Saban, Preston Ridlehuber, Wilson Goode, and Ed Van Impe.

Hey, that's me!