Denver/San Diego Sports Notes

This week’s other AFC West tilt, we cited Raiders/Chiefs, to be played tonight, matches the (4-1) defending champion, Denver Broncos against the (1-4) San Diego Chargers, in the beautiful California city, which has never housed a current major North American sports league champion. God compensates, I guess.

While the Broncos once (0-4) in Supes, have won three of the last four they have entered, the Chargers were soundly beaten by a great San Francisco 49ers team (the currently (1-4) Niners’ last of 5 Supe wins to this point) in their lone Super Bowl appearance after the 1994 regular season.

Additionally, Denver has picked up 2 NHL titles, the first in the 1996 NHL playoffs, the first year of the Colorado Avalanche after they moved from Quebec, where they were the Nordiques.

The Avs’ other Cup crown (they are (2-0) in NHL finals), was in Ray Bourque’s last season, giving him his only title, in the 2001 playoffs.

Conversely, San Diego’s other current major sorts team, the Padres are (0-2) in World Series play.

In disbanded leagues, at least ones that merged with current bigger, more established ones, San Diego has won a title and certainly fared better than Denver.

While both the Broncos and basketball Nuggets nee Rockets, failed to “title” in the combined 19 AFL (10) and ABA seasons, the 1963 San Diego Chargers led by Keith Lincoln’s brilliant title game won the AFL title.

San Diego is without either a major sports league basketball or hockey team. As with Denver, they once had a team called the Rockets,(they are now the Houston Rockets). “S.D.” also housed the Clippers now in “L.A.” after they moved from Buffalo, where they were known as the Braves.

In the A.B.A. the city was home to the Conquistadors, later called the Sails, with the 1973-1974 Conquistadors’ team coached by the great Wilt Chamberlain, when he decided to show up, which certainly was not for every game.

Terrell Davis, NOT John Elway, led the way when the Broncos and the city of Denver finally won a title in the 1997 season Super Bowl.

Of course with a crown under his belt, after 3 miserable Supe failures, the great but over rated Elway led the Broncos to a repeat crown, beating the Atlanta Falcons in the 1998 season Supe.

Now he has a crown, the current one as an executive and is virtually “bullet proof” to criticism. Perhaps the team’s home loss last week at home to the Atlanta Falcons, is at least an indication the Broncos are not that great.

Oddly perhaps, a flight delay once caused me to spend a night in a Denver hotel and on the shuttle ride back to the airport, I took pride in seeing the “Bronco” statue and the team’s success. More than any one person but certainly with great help, John Elway is to be credited with that success.