LINCICOME: Elam leaves a huge hole to fill
By Bernie Lincicome, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published March 23, 2008 at 4:23 p.m.
Did the Broncos do the right thing in letting Jason Elam go?
Joe Mahoney / The Rocky/2005
Jason Elam is a rarity; a kicker who spent 15 years with one team. The Broncos are likely to miss his cool under pressure.
As with most things Broncos lately, the parting with Jason Elam, age 38, is bewildering, but no more odd than the suggestion that among his possible replacements might be nearly 44-year-old John Carney.
Or why not the 47-year-old Morten Andersen, the man Elam will replace in Atlanta?
Kickers, like ugly architecture and hard cheese, improve with age.
And, how's this for synergy? Matt Prater, already a failure with four other teams, and with the inside track to replace Elam on the Broncos, is the guy who couldn't keep the job with the Falcons and was replaced by the antique Andersen.
It might be best just to wear a blindfold and headphones until Mike Shanahan gets this all sorted out, ignoring even the NFL draft, which, at this point, is likely to be either offensive tackle Chris Williams of Vanderbilt or a bag of doughnuts.
The Broncos need so many things - defensive tackles, outside linebackers, safeties, defensive ends, offensive linemen - that needlessly adding a kicker to the list is loading the camel with one too many straws.
Of all the Broncos who did their jobs, Elam was head of the workforce, though, if he had not been so able, the Broncos would have been four victories lighter and up there picking second or third with a shot at running back Darren McFadden of Arkansas or defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey of LSU.
And there would not have been that seasonlong tease from the Broncos, that they belonged among the contenders, that things were moving forward instead of to the rear.
Elam was the great obfuscator, starting with that no-time-on-the-clock kick in Buffalo to the season-ending overtime kick against Minnesota. Without him, the Broncos were the Raiders; maybe now they are.
Considering, it is not so strange then that since Elam is responsible for the Broncos appearing better than they are that he should be kissed off.
A fine bonus for 15 years of loyal, effective and consistent service, always there, always ready and nearly always accurate. There will remain a space among the Ring of Fame for Elam eventually, up there with Jim Turner, whose kicking records Elam eradicated.
This was Elam's choice, but only in the Corleone sense of things. Atlanta made Elam an offer he could refuse if Denver had been in any way interested, and if Elam were five years younger, could still kick off the ball into the end zone, the Broncos would have been much less shortsighted.
Elam was already a rarity in football, 15 years with one team. Not counting Lou Groza, who also was a lineman and played 21 years with the Browns, Elam had been with the same team longer than any other NFL kicker save Pat Leahy (18 years with the Jets), Jim Bakken (17 with the Cardinals) and Jason Hanson (still with Lions after 16 years).
Kickers tend to have two names. Flotsam and Jetsam. They come, they go, they do not buy, they rent.
The Patriots let Adam Vinatieri get away, and he had won Super Bowls for them. Jan Stenerud, the only true kicker in the Hall of Fame, played for three teams.
The Broncos are now, in addition to their other concerns, in the same uncertain fix as most desperate NFL teams, looking for a kicker. What peace of mind there is when an Elam is there, or a Fred Cox or a Mark Moseley.
Of the 32 kickers who finished last season, 11 had played only for their teams, and the other 21 had played for 80 teams, some more than once.
Finding a kicker is more a distraction than a mission. The Broncos now must audition the old, the new and the hopeful, all the time wishing that none will be better than Prater.
But the only way to know, honestly, is in a game, with the result on the line, a situation that Elam excelled in. For all his years with the Broncos, all Shanahan had to do was look at Elam and if Elam nodded he could do it, he went and did it.
Whatever happens with finding a pass rush, a secondary that can cover, a restructured offensive line, another dependable wide receiver, a reliable running game, linebackers that are not liabilities, plus the ongoing apprenticeship of quarterback Jay Cutler, if all of that is somehow worked out, it can all be ruined by the least of them, an as yet unknown kicker who cannot do the one job that Elam did for 15 years.
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March 23, 2008
5:14 p.m.
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Broncos4Life writes:
Well it appears that Mike Shanahan has officially lost touch with reality! Quite a shopping list to make this team over. If the draft were still about 20 rounds we might have a chance to draft someone at all those positions. Guess we'll have to just draft what we can and then wait for the castoffs from other teams. Those guys are commonly known as rejects!
March 23, 2008
5:48 p.m.
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waterwalker writes:
I think that head case vanderjagt is a perfect fit here! By the way look what the 49'ers did with a few seasons of top five picks twenty years ago! which is where we are headed. I just hope I live long enough to see my beloved broncs compete again. Has shanny been checked for alzheimers? Well with elam gone we'll have room for one more below mediocre DL or LB or OL or TE or WR or Safety or RB. Did I miss anyone? Oh yeah Coach!
March 23, 2008
6:25 p.m.
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Denver81 writes:
Wow, what a garbage article, and what moronic comments. I am so sick of the Sahnny bashing. Elam was amazing, I'll give him that, but we saw this year that he was unreliable at best from outside the 40, a thing that may have lost us as many games as he won us in the clutch, you add that to the fact that the broncos cannot afford to pay two guys to do one guys job and you realize that Elam was bound to leave. and it isn't as if he wasn't offered a good deal here, they offered him a 2.3 mill one year contract he went with the 5 mill two year, not really that much of a diff. I think Elam was wanting to go home to Atlanta to play in front of his family, to find a place to end up.
I don't think Shanahan is the short sighted one here, Lincicome is.
And as for our list of "needs," it is clear that we are addressing them, and that many of them will be addressed by the development of our existing players.
This is Typical Lincicome trash writing. You know Linc, if you want to hate on the Broncos so much, why do you go write somewhere they want to hear it, maybe the San Diego press is looking for writers, I hear people out there like to talk trash, seems like you would fit right in.
March 23, 2008
7:31 p.m.
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foreveraBroncofan writes:
Amen Denver81! Lincicome is always bashing the Broncos. I can't believe he still has a job writing for a Denver newspaper. He never has anything good to say about them. They are always competitive. I for one am proud to be a Bronco fan. I just wish we could dump the so called fans that continue with the fire Shanahan garbage.
March 23, 2008
9:13 p.m.
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DougH writes:
At least Linicome has the courage to tell it like it is with the Broncos. With guaranteed TV money, a sold out season ticket base and one of the best money streams in football, they still manage to screw things up so badly they can't afford to keep one of the truly good players they have. Remember when they said they had to have the taxpayers pay for the new stadium so they could "remain competitive". There is some real mismanagment going on in Broncoland. Don't get mad at Bernie for bringing it up.
March 23, 2008
9:23 p.m.
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r8rh8r writes:
My favorite line of this diatribe is this:
"This was Elam’s choice, but only in the Corleone sense of things. Atlanta made Elam an offer he could refuse if Denver had been in any way interested, and if Elam were five years younger, could still kick off the ball into the end zone, the Broncos would have been much less shortsighted."
Hey Mike, do you even bother reading the rest of your news organizations content? This quote is from a Lee Razier article published this weekend:
"One of the Falcons’ fears was that Elam would use them as a pawn in negotiations with the Broncos, who’d eventually get an opportunity to match. But Elam made it clear to Denver as far back as January that he wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that, no matter what team he might consider once free agency started."
In other words, Mike, Atlanta and Denver made double blind offers to each other and Denver lost. Elam's ethical position was that Denver was NOT going to get an opportunity to match. He wasn't a restricted free agent.
I think the offer they gave him was extremely fair. Atlanta grossly overpaid for Elam's services and now they have their prize (sociologists call this "the winner's curse"). That's business.
So get your facts straight before you start in with all this wishy washy whining about how Denver just let Elam walk off the page. Even if he didn't cost us 2 roster slots, $2.33 million guaranteed is a heck of a lot of money for a kicker.
March 23, 2008
9:27 p.m.
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r8rh8r writes:
I guess its "Bernie" not "Mike." Not that I care.
March 23, 2008
10:08 p.m.
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uva074 writes:
DougH
what dont you get elam wanted to leave he wanted more money we offered him almost as much as vinateri makes and he wanted a little more for 4 years by then elam will probably need a cane to walk. Not too mention he cant can kick field goals over 35 yards. ya he won four games last year but he almost lost them too. Had he not missed the first one he took he wouldnt have to make the last second field goal. Whats wrong with the running game, henry, young, and hall all are capable and have had 100+ yrds in a game. We could use another reciever, DE's are good dumervil is nasty and ekuban and moss is back. linebacking core is deeper and stronger than it was before via free agency. O-line could get younger but it'll do this year. (hopefully we draft a Long, clady, williams, or otah.) Cutler is only getting better. Safetys we already picked up 2 starters on other teams as our back ups. We however do need a big DT to stop the run. Second round their should be some decent DT's left at pick 42. But i do have this to say about Shany he needs an Offensive coordinater cause he can't do everything and he gets last say anyway. And we seriously need to sign foxy, paymah, and especially Adulllah. Our future lies with these guys.
March 23, 2008
11:08 p.m.
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Civility writes:
I would like to see Lincicome go. Woody is still the best sportswriter in Denver.
March 24, 2008
2:51 a.m.
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gwats writes:
DEnver81 and you other myopic bronco fans just keep drinking that Shanny Kool-Aid while he builds mansions and running off your best guys and cutting critical off- field staffers. How's that 7-9 season taste? Hope your ready for seconds!
March 24, 2008
3:51 a.m.
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dj80long writes:
Good bait and switch by Shanny. Make Elam the fall guy for the offense woes of the Broncos. Elam kicked 33 PAT's this year. Know how many he kicked in Elway's last two years? 58 and 46 respectively. Hmmmm....
March 24, 2008
7:25 a.m.
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r8rh8r writes:
dj80long, Elway's "last two years" happen to be the greatest Broncos offense in NFL history. Don't compare the TD production from a Super Bowl team and a rebuilding year. That's foolish.
Does anyone have a credible criticism to loft at Shanahan? Berating him for finishing 7-9 doesn't get a lot of traction with me. Shanahan has never had what most fans would consider a 'bad' season. In Denver, we are spoiled because we haven't had to endure a REAL losing season but once in 30 years.
Hey Charger fan, take your 1-15 record in 2000 and go troll your own website. I guarantee you every team in the AFC West would trade their entire coaching staff for Shanahan in a second.
March 24, 2008
7:52 a.m.
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southpaw writes:
...and if Elam had been signed, Lincicome would have written "What are the Broncos doing signing an aging kicker who can't even kick off and is unreliable over 40 yards?" It's all about selling the local fish wrap, ain't it, Bernie? Just remember, folks, if sports writers really knew their topic, they would be making six figures in the sport they're reporting on, not minimum wage watching from the press box.
March 24, 2008
8:32 a.m.
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incognitoboy writes:
sar•don•ic
Pronunciation: (sär-don'ik), [key]
—adj.
characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering: a sardonic grin.
all you bernie-bashers, here you go. in case you hadn't been paying attention all these years, this is the style bernie writes in. SARDONIC.
as in ALL THE TIME. did you really not know that going in??
even when things are going well, this is the style he writes in....somewhat tempered, and with a grudging feel.... only very rarely does he give even the barest hint of rear-kissing, and i guarantee if he did THAT on a regular basis, as some other sports writers do, you'd be all over him for it.
truth is, i think the guy likes baseball much better anyway, but if you really can't stand his style, there's always the kiss-ups and parrots at the post to read.....
also, don't mistake his commentary for reporting, or anything other than what it is....intelligent and well written OPINION; just......SARDONIC!
March 24, 2008
8:43 a.m.
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UncleBuck writes:
Without no longer having the leg to boot a 45+ yard field goal consistently or be able to kickoff, I would argue that Elam left a bigger hole when he was on the team than when he left the team. I guess his days of taking advantage of kicking in thin air half the season are over. I am guessing that most kickers would love to have the opportunity to kick for a team that has a home field advantage specifically for the kicker.
March 24, 2008
8:56 a.m.
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r8rh8r writes:
Gather Data ====> Analyze Data ===> Form Opinion ===> Write Analysis
NOT
Read Headline ===> Open Mouth ===> Spew Forth (Sardonic?) Diarrhea
I've got no problem with his tone. Its the diffusion of misinformation that bothers me. He's characterizing Denver's role and options in the situation in a manner that is either unethically disingenuous or just plain incompetent. Take your pick.
Lincicomb should have lunch with Mike Sando.
March 24, 2008
8:57 a.m.
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RockyV writes:
I get a kick out of those wanting Shannahan to go - I don't see many coaches that are still alive, coaching or willing to coach, that could even match Shanahan's record. You can count them on one hand and still have fingers left over.
Elam was a classy guy - I suspect the lure of playing close to home and a change of scenery was a little hard to say no to. I'm happy for him and I wish him well.
March 24, 2008
9:21 a.m.
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southpaw writes:
Hey incognitoboy,
Thanks for the definition. Now everything is clear to me. I wasn't aware he writing an intelligent and well written opinion, like this snippet...:
"Elam was the great obfuscator, starting with that no-time-on-the-clock kick in Buffalo..."
As I recall, Elam missed TWO routine field goals earlier in the game, before he had to put on his cape and become the Great Obfsucator. Either that, or what Lincicome wrote wasn't very intelligent. Of course, maybe "intelligent" doesn't mean what I think it means and you can also send a definition for that too.
March 24, 2008
9:59 a.m.
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ParkHillPosse writes:
I don't understand all the people who yell at Shanahan and complain about losing Elam. Yes, Elam was great, but it's not worth paying top dollar to a kicker who can't handle kick-offs (though, I would rather the Broncos drafted Mason Crosby last year if this was going to happen). The Broncos have many needs this off-season, and adding a kicker can be dealt with.
March 24, 2008
10:38 a.m.
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BroncoRick69 writes:
ha This Writer Bernie Linciome, or however you spell it...Is such a prototypical writer. He considers it his job to push our buttons and get us to somehow respond to his opinion in one way or another. I havent liked him at all since he came to Denver. Other writers at least have opinions that offer insight into why they think what they think, and how. Any 13 year old could sit at their computer and write things down to get under peoples' skin. Ever feel like you're in the wrong place Bernie? Maybe you should just pack it up and go back to Chicago.
March 24, 2008
11:03 a.m.
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DeimosJB writes:
Although I've said the exact same thing in 3 different posts now, it still appears that no one bothers to actually look at statistics when bashing Elam, so here we go again: 17 of 17 from inside 40 yards last year (Disproves the arguments that he missed kickes he was "supposed to make". He never "almost lost us the game"). Continuing, from 40-49, he was 9 of 12, a very respectable 75% from this range. From 50+, he was 1-2. So all the people questioning his reliability and his inability to hit a field goal beyond 40 yards are apparently living in some other reality.
Next, people bring up the "additional roster spot". The Broncos finished the year using 2 roster spots for punting and kicking, just like many other teams; and just like many other teams (Atlanta, for one), the Broncos used their punter to kickoff.
Again, there's got to be some good arguments about Elam somewhere out there, but to those who continue to bemoan his reliability, his inability to hit the long field goal, and the extra roster spot, I encourage to at least do a little research on Elam's statistics, on other teams' rosters and on the game of football. Present a good argument for his departure, not stupid ones.
March 24, 2008
11:21 a.m.
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T1anda writes:
If Linciome is such an expert in all fazes of pro-football, why isn't he coaching an NFL team???
Do you suppose the complexities of being part of a pro-football organization leave Linciome completely bewildered???
March 24, 2008
11:51 a.m.
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Disgusted_in_Denver writes:
Another brilliant decision by the most over-rated and worthless coach in the league today. 3 or 4 games won by Elam in the pathetic 2007 season. Who needs him, with Shanny's brilliant offensive game plan and terrific staff that can execute, we just need an extra point and kickoff kicker right? Another Bronco veteran and class act cut loose and I’m sure it won’t come back to haunt them. Shanny must go, this is going from already bad to horrifically worse!
March 24, 2008
11:59 a.m.
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UncleBuck writes:
What the stats do not show is how many times the team passed up a longer field goal (40+) and instead punted the ball or went for it on 4th down. Especially after the first two games when Elam missed on 3 field goals before hitting the game winners after the offense fortunately was able to drive the team down the field and a timely timeout was called. Most kickers are 90 to 100 % accurate inside the 40 so there is no debate there. The stats also do not show how kicking off as a punter has worked for this team. Field position has been horrible which has hurt both the offense and the defense. I would much rather have a punter who concentrated on punting and a kicker who is at least average that can kick the ball into the endzone on kickoffs. I certainly would not pay a kicker top money that could no longer be counted on to kickoff and was starting to show signs of a weak leg. Elam has been a great kicker for a long time but he is no longer the elite kicker we all wish he was.
March 24, 2008
12:22 p.m.
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DeimosJB writes:
Finally someone has raised a couple valid questions about Elam. To answer the questions raised: 1)"Most kickers are 90-100% accurate from within the 40". Only 10 of the 32 kickers had a perfect record inside 40 like Elam, so the point is actually incorrect - rather, "most kickers" are not automatic from within 40, and that highlights Elam's worth even more.
2)"the team passed up a longer field goal and instead punted the ball or went for it on 4th down" - All teams sometimes go for it, sometimes punt, and sometimes try a field goal. If we look at the other teams, only 5 kickers out of 32 had more attempts from 40-49 than Elam, so again, the point that was made is actually the opposite of the truth - rather than passing up on field goal opportunities, Shanahan trotted Elam out there from 40-49 more than just about anybody in the league.
A good point was certainly made that using a punter to kickoff has not worked particularly well for Denver. Perhaps the issue then is that we needed a better puter, rather than a better kicker.
March 24, 2008
2:25 p.m.
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ngb13 writes:
These comments are right on target. For those who blindly support Shanahan, despite his shortcomings these past few years, you are running out of excuses.
March 24, 2008
4:20 p.m.
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r8rh8r writes:
DeimosJB, the stat you need to bolster your argument is that Elam was the second most accurate kicker in the league the last 2 years (behind Ryan Lindell). He's over 94% accurate from inside the 40 for his career--a stat thats been bolstered the last 4 years.
The posters who claim that we've forgone field goal attempts due to Elam's diminishing range are probably off base. Elam's 31 attempts last year was only 1.5 attempts less than his career average. I know the red zone offense wasn't as efficient last year and some will argue his FG attempts should have been high, but that is simply not true. From a statistical standpoint, total score has 5x the effect on kicker attempts that red zone efficiency does. Given that Denver was red zone inefficient and had a poor offense last year, 31 is probably high. If you want to see where I get these numbers from, its right here:
http://ffjunky.blogspot.com/2007/11/d...
I am an adamant defender of Broncos management with respect to the Elam situation. I disagree with your feelings about the extra roster slot. The intrinsic cost of that roster slot in addition to his $4 million price tag is unequivocally cost prohibitive. Atlanta overpaid and they got themselves a great kicker.
I will not, however, speak poorly of a hall of fame kicker--the greatest in team history for generations to come. Farewell Jason.
March 24, 2008
4:32 p.m.
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ManginoTorreta writes:
In all honesty, the team was probably right to let Elam go from a strategic and money standpoint. The fact of the matter is that Elam just doesn't have the distance on his kicks that he used to, and it would be in Denver's best interest to find someone who can be more reliable from beyond 40 yards.
The problem is that Denver has completely botched this transition. the Broncos had a shot at drafting Mason Crosby or another kicker last year and grooming them to take over once Elam's contract expired. This year's draft has no sure-fire kickers, and they also have to find a punter that can kick the ball more than 20 yards. It makes no sense for them to try out a guy who got cut after a week with Atlanta, and they are in a position to hire a has-been rather than draft someone younger.
Unfortunately, teams have also figured out Shanahan's red zone offense in recent years, which was why Elam was arguably the team's MVP the last 4 years or so. When you can't punch it in the end zone consistently (THIS is why TD's injury was so devastating for the team over the long term), you better have a money kicker from 35 yards-in, which Elam was. The facts don't lie--Elam might have missed some kicks during the game, but without his end-of-game reliability, Denver finishes 4-12 or 3-13 instead of 7-9. So what is Denver going to do to replace that kind of consistency? Get this ham-n-egger Atlanta cast-off? If they are that desperate, I bet Scott Bentley can still available--at least we know he can kick in Colorado weather.
March 24, 2008
5:31 p.m.
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Jared0709 writes:
Jason Elam was a business decision from the Broncos end and his own end. It stinks he's gone, but personally its not going to break the camels back. Nowadays in the NFL teams regularly go from average to contender. Each year teams surprise, even with coaches lke Tom Coughlin, whom just about everyone inside and outside the organization put under the bus as a horrible coach. I think Shanahan will prove his worth in the next couple years and if not, than change is due because its become stale, not that Shanahan can't coach.
March 24, 2008
6:19 p.m.
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r8rh8r writes:
Mangio:
Have teams really figured out our redzone offense? Or are injuries to Javon Walker, Travis Henry, Ben Hamilton, Matt Lepsis, and Tom Nalen to blame? When your whole offensive line is a first-year starter or injured and half your receiving core is beat up (Stokley and Scheffler both missed playing time last year), its hard to get in a rythm.
No need to hit the panic button hear guys. Boy have Broncos fans gotten fat off all our success. Lets try and keep things in perspective here. Shanahan is still the best game-day coach in the NFL. He's NOT the best personnel manager; but lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
March 24, 2008
7:45 p.m.
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ManginoTorreta writes:
"Have teams really figured out our redzone offense? Or are injuries to Javon Walker, Travis Henry, Ben Hamilton, Matt Lepsis, and Tom Nalen to blame?"
This has been going on long before last season--probably 3-4 years. One of the reasons Plummer eventually lost his job was because of Shanahan seemed to go on brain-lock when Denver hit the red-zone and defenses seemed to know what play the team was going to run. The endless string of field goals is a big part of why the defense wore down by mid-season the year before last, and (IMO) the coach unfairly put the blame on Plummer even though Shanahan was the one calling the plays.
Sorry, pet peeve of mine. It's pretty obvious, to me anyway, that Shanahan set Plummer up to fail with his play calling after he drafted Cutler so he'd have an excuse to get rid of him. Plummer wasn't a superstar by any means, but what Shanahan did was bush-league--he ended up hurting the team and its playoff chances in order to stick it to one player.
March 24, 2008
9:19 p.m.
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Keno33 writes:
our only path now is:
rip the team down, finish last place, and start rebuilding in 2009 season with a new coach and probably a new owner. (Since pat must be pulling out all the cash he can.)
March 24, 2008
10:56 p.m.
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r8rh8r writes:
I think this argument about Denver's red zone offense is tired. The numbers behind this debate are right here:
http://rockymountainfever.blogspot.com/
As you can see, there really is no factual basis for this claim that Shanahan no longer gets it done in the red zone. Histories best season at QB was also among the worst in red zone efficiency. Last year we were average, not horrible as many have claimed (as our 7-9 record would indicate). Given the decimation of the offensive line and running game due to injury and the absence of Javon Walker, I'd say we held up about as well as could be expected.
March 25, 2008
5:01 a.m.
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MrBigShout writes:
The reason that Shanny must go is that his approach to the game is stale and burned out. He needs to sit on the sidelines and watch for a couple of years to regain his perspective and recharge his batteries.
He is not Joe Paterno, with a lifetime contract regardless of the end result. Statistics prove nothing about a person's focus or motivation. Statistically, the Broncos will eventually have a winning season again and make the playoffs again, regardless of who the head coach is. The loyal Bronco fans like myself who saw Gene Mingo score the first Bronco touchdown in 1960 deserve better that "eventually".
March 25, 2008
8:29 a.m.
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UncleBuck writes:
What, 1/3 of the kickers were perfect inside the 40? That is even better than I thought which makes Elam even that much more average.
Most teams do not go for it on 4th down or punt in the situations Denver was in last year unless, like Denver, they have a kicker tthat cannot be relied on.
It is the kickers job to KICKoff but yes, the team does need one of each. A kicker that can actually kickoff like 99% of starting kickers and a punter that only has to worry about punting. Maybe if they get those two things, the team will actually have some decent field position so the defense does not have to start a series with their backs in the endzone.
March 25, 2008
2:10 p.m.
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Cwillyrun1 writes:
Bernie's article is nothing more than a writer trying hard to criticize Shanahan, to make a big story out of a little one. Good luck to Elam, who won't even come close to scoring points like he did in Denver, but he got more money than that Super Bowl winning kicker that Bernie mentioned, Adam Vinatieri. I like how Bernie tried to point out that Elam won four games last year walking off the field. No Bernie, it was the Broncos winning those games, and who's to say another kicker wouldn't have made those? So Elam's in Georgia, obviously the place he wanted to be. He's shaky outside of 40, seems to grab himself at times from straining his leg, doesn't kick off, and he's far from the most important offensive player the Broncos had. If the Broncos are counting on the kicker more than anyone else, they're in serious trouble. But they aren't, thankfully.
Mentioning the Raiders and Broncos in the same article, trying to equate the teams, is truly pathetic but not surprising from this hack. The Raiders overpay free agents to go to Oakland, overpay current players to stay, trade for over-rated players, have a bloated quarterback, and senile Greasy Al as the owner. Oh yeah, and easily the worst record in the NFL over the last 5 years. Try again Bernie, because that's not working at all, unless someone's gullible enough to think you know what you're talking about.
Bagging on Shanahan is stupid too. Just as it was said, if Bowlen were to let Shanahan go, most teams would drop their coach just to get Shanahan. Anyway, what he does with the money he's earned is his deal. Bringing up the mansion comes across as a jealous rant and nothing else. If some of you criticizing that were to earn big money, just remember, you can't have it both ways. You can only spend it on a trailer park home and you have to drive a 1993 Toyota Corolla, based off of your logic. Nothing's perfect, and the Broncos aren't making the playoffs every year, so deal with it. The only criticism I have of Shanahan is not drafting Crosby last year and dropping Elam then.