Broncos And Packers

I frequently get asked why I have Packers and Broncos stuff in my office - and which one I'm really a fan of.  The answer truly is both, and I have an explanation I'll give about how they don't compete for the same playoff spots and only play each other in the regular season every 4 years, and even in that year, they play more games against the other division rivals - that is, that Broncos and Packers fans have the same feelings about a Packers-Raiders game and a Broncos-Bears game.

But the real truth is that I have strong connections to both Wisconsin, my home, and Colorado, where I was born and lived for over 30 years.  Being a fan is one of those connections to others. It's not about hating the other teams, it's about having something in common with your neighbor who might be very different from you.  Sports are about entertainment - my life doesn't really change in any measurable way if the Packers or Broncos win the Super Bowl.  A rather sad event really solidified this in my mind.  I'm writing this on January 12, 2018 - five years later than the events that follow.  On January 12 of 2013, I was in Colorado on the last day of our Christmas trip.  My friend Kevin and I were watching the games while our wives were out shopping. We should have been having fun, but we allowed the frustrations of the Broncos' double overtime loss to keep us from really enjoying that time together, and the ensuing Packers game was an unenjoyable slog.  Kevin was killed in a car accident a few months later, so it turned out that was the last time we'd have the chance to enjoy sports-bro time.  And we wasted it by losing track of what was the actual point.  As a result of all the regrets I had about that day, I resolved to never let sports get me down, only up.  If that makes me a fair-weather fan, then so be it. There's enough going on to push us down, we don't need to choose yet another.