Review of Broncos Training Camp

I'd previously been to Broncos training camp at Sports Authority Field (when Dove Valley's was being worked on) but I got to attend training camp at CSUHealth Training Center at Dove Valley this week.  Here's what I thought.....

Cons:  Seriously, my ONLY con was that there were virtually no autographs at the end.  They had us go through this whole protocol of sitting still as they moved back the rope, moving slowly and waiting.  Only a few players actually came out and signed and they literally signed for about two minutes.  This sucked.  None of us expected an hour but at least coming over and doing a few would have been nice.  With that being said, if I'd have spent 2.5 hours practicing in the blazing sun, I would not have felt like signing autographs either.  If THIS is the only con, it's not bad.

Pros:  The facility was beautiful.  Bathrooms were clean.  Concessions (aka soda and water) were only $1 each, which is unheard of.  There was a place to refill water.  Free rally towels and flags. You really couldn't pick a bad seat on the hill.  The staff was incredibly nice.  Parking wasn't bad at all. Oh and BRONCOS PRACTICING!  Yes!  Seeing them up close and personal, running drills.  Awesome.

Recommendations:  Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!  Don't forget a blanket or something to sit on.  Don't forget that bag policy (clear bags, etc).  Bring water or cash to purchase water.  No video allowed and no professional lenses.  ENJOY it!  Don't spend your whole time looking through a little viewpiece.  Take it all in instead of shooting pictures the ENTIRE time.

Who Cares About the Preseason? I Do!

All I heard last night while watching the preseason Broncos vs Bears game is "It's only preseason.  Who cares?"  The answer is ME! I care!  Does the game matter overall to our season's averages?  No.  Do most of our starters even play any real amount of time?  No.  So why does it matter?

For this particular year, we are really debating who's going to be the starting quarterback for our team.  While Lynch is almost completely guaranteed (barring no fluke of nature miracle that makes him jump out in front of the rest) to not be the starter, we are still kind of flip flopping between Sanchez and Siemian.  While they tied for #1 depth chart-wise, Sanchez has actual real experience playing in the NFL.  I am definitely not against giving the new guy a chance so this doesn't write off Siemian for me.  However, experience taking snaps in a real game does actually mean that Sanchez might be the better choice, at least for now.

What you DO get to see in preseason games is the second and, in some cases, third string depth.  Yes, I want to know that my starters can kick ass and take names.  What I also want to know, though, is that my backup guys can step up and still provide what's needed for their position.  What I want to see is that my second string is capable of coming in and not changing the dynamic of the game for the negative.

This year, as well, I feel like it's a redemption year for Sanchez.  He's been known as "Butt Fumble" for so long but what if this is his year for redemption?  What if this is his year to blow everyone away and have everyone look at him differently?  I have faith in Elway's decision to bring him here and I have faith that he's eager to prove himself on a whole different level here.  He's got a whole mess of talent surrounding him here and a chance to really change the course of his career for the positive.

So who cares about preseason football?  I do.  I care about more than just the names.  I care about more than just the starters.  I care about seeing what our up and comers are made of.   Food for thought, sports fans.

Broncos Health and Wellness Expo 2015

Saturday, September 5, we attended the inaugural Broncos (and 9 News) Health Expo and it didn't fail to impress.  Though the expo started at 9:00 AM, we arrived around 8:20 and there was already a line formed.  The line continued to grow and curve in front of the building with most of its occupants decked out in jerseys or orange and blue gear.  The team spirit in our city is incredible!  There were plenty of different people pepping up the line to get them excited about the expo.  We will definitely be arriving again early next year, as well, and recommend it for anyone who wants to fully enjoy the experience.

The expo had a great selection of booths with a wide variety of products to try out or information to hear about.  The businesses (etc) were incredibly friendly and very informative.  We tried out everything from different types of pears to mancakes.  We learned about the Dumb Friends League, the Alzheimer's Association, and essential oils. 

 
 

 

One of our favorite booths was this one.  The kids got to try out making smoothies by peddling a bike to power the blender.  I seriously need one of these bikes in my house!

 

 

In addition to the informative power of the booths, there were a lot of fun things just for the kids.  For smaller kids, there was a Jump Bunch booth with an obstacle course and many fun things to try out.  For older ones, there were several booths from Children's Hospital talking about everything from safety to fire prevention and beyond with great, extremely informative displays.

 

At this booth, the kids were allowed to select where they got their "fake injuries" and they were bandaged up, showing them how to apply pressure to a wound.

 

 

If all  of this wasn't fun enough, we got to do some great Broncos-themed activities from meeting players to hanging out with Miles.

 

 

Seriously, he is the most fun mascot in the NFL, I'm sure of it.

 

We even got to go on a locker room tour which got us not only on the field where we got to learn about Sports Authority field AND got to meet some of the cheerleaders.....

 

 

 

....but we also got to see the locker room.  The kids were seriously amazed!

 

 

 

My personal favorite, though, was meeting the crew of our 9 News team.  Everyone from Belen to Danielle to Gary and beyond.  They were so sweet and friendly, making time for everyone.  They made time to take pictures with everyone, though this one is my favorite....

 

 

Review of the Expo:  Incredible experience.  I will definitely be returning next year.  I will try to make more time to make sure we can meet more players (which, obviously, required lines to stand in) but I am extremely pleased with my experience.  Go Broncos!