Kyle Orton threw for 304 yards during Denver’s Week 1 loss to the Oakland Raiders. But it was his two costly turnovers combined with the Denver Broncos faltering against a hated division rival that left Mile High fans chanting two tiny words.
Yes, two tiny words hat continue to act as nails on a chalkboard to numerous football critics around the country:
Tim…Tebow…
It’s just one simple chant that none of us can be the slightest bit surprised to hear – again.
Numerous home crowd fans were chanting for Tim Tebow during Denver’s 23-20 Week 1 loss to Oakland
Eight Denver Broncos fans are actually taking the anti-Kyle Orton chatter a step further. As reported by USA Today’s Robert Klemko, this group of Denver die-hards plans to use $10,000 – which was originally intended as a payment towards a trip to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis – to purchase a local Denver-area billboard.
The billboard’s purpose: to openly share with everyone that this group of Bronco backers are not happy with the starting quarterback position in Denver, specifically Kyle Orton.
I’m not sure what surprises me more, the fact that these guys would actually spend this hefty chunk of change on a billboard, or that they actually saved all this money expecting the Broncos to make the Super Bowl this season.
Jesse Oaks, one of the eight fans, told USA Today that Kyle Orton “can keep us in games, but he does not give us the best chance to win”.
Keep you in games?
In his two previous seasons in Denver, Kyle Orton threw for nearly 7,500 yards, with 41 TD passes and 21 INT’s. Compare that to Jay Cutler – who these fans likely had a man crush on – the former Denver QB that in the two seasons prior to Orton, threw for approximately 8,000 yards, with 45 passing TD’s and 32 interceptions.
One could easily argue that during his tenure in Denver, Orton has also had fewer weapons than Cutler had Yet, he has put up similar numbers. Critics would also be quick to point out that the Broncos have been in full rebuilding mode, attempting to focus on injecting the franchise with talented, young players.
But the most important fact is that the Broncos defense finished dead last in the NFL last season. Denver allowed 390.8 yards per game.
Somebody please tell me how in the world that’s Kyle Orton’s fault?
Kyle Orton (left) and Tim Tebow (right) continue to be the hot topic in Denver
Yet, the Tim Tebow crush lives on – whether these guys want to admit to it or not. And that answer is clearly “not”, considering what Oaks also said to USA Today:
“We’re not Tebow fanatics, we think Tebow gives us the best chance to win. But if Brady Quinn or even Adam Weber can give us a chance, that’s what we want.”
I’m not sitting here looking to crown Kyle Orton as a lifer in Denver. He’s not a future NFL Hall of Famer. I am saying that the constant attacks on him are getting ridiculous.
But forking out ten grand to rent a billboard that will not even affect the Denver front office’s decisions? These guys might as well go out and buy some Enron stock.
Instead, I’ve got a few suggestions for this crew of eight passionate football fans:
Five Suggestions for Eight Crazy Fans of the Denver Broncos
1) Save your money
2) Start a website – buy a domain for ten bucks and save yourselves $9,990
3) Keep your money for a future Super Bowl. Hold hope that John Elway can once again be your savior.
4) If you simply must spend your cash now: Instead of buying a billboard sign, why not find other ways to support Tim Tebow or Brady Quinn? Donate some or all of that money to that player’s favorite charity.
And finally… if all else fails…
REV–
Not shocked by that… Tebow jerseys will be worn by many in that town for a long, long time.
JW–
Yes, all true – though now they’ll toss some blame onto Coach Fox after a few of the decisions he made earlier today in the team’s loss to the Titans.
He may no longer have the highest-selling jersey in the NFL but let me tell you, from walking, rather stumbling, around Gainesville yesterday, the Tebow jerseys were aplenty.
Orton is merely a scapegoat; Broncos fans are having a hard time getting used to the idea their team is going to suck swamp water for quite some time.
AERO–
Seriously, I can’t imagine dropping ten grand on a sign… especially not in this economy.
These guys aren’t fanatics (fans) they’re lunatics (nuts).