Letters To The Editor

Elway grew on one fan

As I grew up, I was bred to root for the Seattle Seahawks - a team with some great players who deserved to win more than they ever did.

Of all their opponents, none was more interesting, or frustrating, than the Denver Broncos. And I sure got a kick out of their quarterback. Brian Bosworth didn’t need to tell me John Elway looked like Mr. Ed. I figured that out for myself, and I took guilty pleasure in watching Seahawks/Broncos games with a cheesy, mocking grin on my face.

But somewhere between winning the games he shouldn’t have and losing the only ones that mattered, Elway began to grow on me. Soon, his picture was on my wall, and I was admitting to fellow Seahawks fans that I actually liked the enemy.

As the years went by, players, and even teams, shuffled around, but Elway stayed in Denver - winning, losing, and enduring. During a time in which Joe Montana was expendable, it was nice to see someone stay in the same place.

It was even nicer, years later, to watch him hurl his 37-year-old body in the air, spin around, and land as a world champion. Suddenly, being the only Broncos fan on the block was a lot of fun.

Then, after successfully defending that championship, he said goodbye. Writers have said he has finally run out of comebacks. Truth is, he doesn’t need them. The clock has hit double zero, but John Elway has already won the game.

People will eternally debate who the greatest quarterback ever was. A number of guys justly deserve the title. It doesn’t matter to me. The one with the goofy grin will always be my favorite. Pam Blott Spokane