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Broncos set to announce Manning as new quarterback

Associated Press
March 20, 2012
Keywords
Colts, NFL, Pro Sports, Sports Business
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All that's needed is Peyton Manning's autograph.

The Denver Broncos have scheduled a 3 p.m. news conference for Tuesday afternoon, ostensibly to introduce the four-time MVP. There was no announcement that a deal was finally completed, but the last details were expected to be a formality.

After being pursued by teams around the NFL, the quarterback with four MVP awards is headed to the land of John Elway and Tim Tebow, agreeing to a contract with Denver that could make the Broncos an instant Super Bowl contender. It could also send one of the NFL's most intriguing young players packing.

So much for Tebowmania.

Manning called Elway on Monday and told the Broncos executive that he had chosen Denver over the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers in the wildest free-agent chase of the offseason.

The Broncos and Manning's agent then hashed out details of a deal that's expected to be worth about $96 million over five years.

Manning was wooed to Denver by Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Broncos to two Super Bowl titles in the late 1990s and now serves as their vice president of football operations. Elway never sounded all that convinced Tebow was the answer at the league's most important position, and could trade the hugely popular quarterback who energized the Broncos in a run to the playoffs last season but was plagued by erratic play.

Manning turns 36 on Saturday and missed the 2011 season because of multiple neck operations, which made him expendable to the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts. They cut him March 7 rather than pay a $28 million bonus.

But Manning's success in the past made him a prize that teams from San Francisco to Miami felt they couldn't pass up.

"There's a lot to be excited about," Broncos defensive end Robert Ayers said outside the team's complex. "Just being on his team is going to make you want to play better."

By luring Manning to Denver, Elway has delivered his biggest victory for the Broncos since he led them to their second straight Super Bowl title in 1999. He retired shortly after that 34-19 win over Atlanta and the Broncos have won just two playoff games since.

Manning won the NFL championship in 2007. No starting quarterback has earned a Super Bowl ring for two different teams,. But when Manning when he arrives at the Broncos' headquarters to sign his new deal, he at least can see the two Lombardi Trophies in the lobby that Elway won when he was 37 and 38.

Elway returned to the Broncos last year after the franchise hit rock bottom amid scandal — the team was caught videotaping a 49ers practice — and a four-win season that cost coach Josh McDaniels his job. It was McDaniels who drafted Tebow with the 25th pick of the 2010 draft.

The big question now facing Elway is what to do about Tebow, who has three years left on his contract.

Tebow took over a 1-4 team from Kyle Orton last year and led the Broncos to an 8-8 finish and the AFC West crown with a series of stirring comebacks that captured the attention of the NFL and beyond.

Tebowmania reached its apex in the playoffs, when he threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the very first play of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. The next week, though, Tebow was smothered by the New England Patriots, who routed the Broncos, 45-10.

Afterward, Elway declared Tebow was the Broncos' starting quarterback heading into training camp this summer but said the left-hander would have to improve his flawed mechanics and footwork to win the job heading into the season.

He also said he'd spent time tutoring Tebow himself and would add more quarterback competition through the draft and free agency.

Several Broncos predicted the free agency floodgates will swing wide open once Manning officially joins the team.

"I think we'll sign some guys, probably a few guys, like Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, guys waiting to see what Peyton was going to do," Ayers said. "Defensive guys want to play with a lead, and I'm pretty sure guys are going to assume Peyton will put up points in this offense, we have some weapons."

With Manning joining the Broncos, oddsmakers in Las Vegas immediately made Denver one of the top choices to win the Super Bowl next season, which will be played in Manning's hometown of New Orleans.

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  • Go, Broncos! (from a FORMER Colts fan)
    VickiMarch 20, 2012 2:26 PM
    Jim Irsay is a liar, and I have lost all respect for him. I've been a very devoted fan of the Colts since they moved to Indy, even through the bad years before Peyton, partly because the management and players, with a few exceptions, earned our loyalty and respect both on and off the field. But I cannot continue to support a team whose management has so little respect for the team's fans that it lies outright to us so easily and makes decisions like it has, such as releasing quality players like Peyton, Dallas, etc. (the list goes on and on). Irsay said so long as Peyton plays football, it would be in a Colts uniform. LIE! He could have made that happen, but he choose otherwise (probably following the advice of the new GM, who is getting off scot free but I believe bears much of the responsibility for the unwise and callous decisions that are being made recently). Even in the press conference with Peyton, in one breath, Irsay said it's not about money, and in the next, he talked about the salary cap. LIE! If that $28 million bonus was not there, we all know the Colts would have kept Peyton. If Andrew Luck is such a great prospect, he could only have gotten better by having the opportunity to learn the NFL game from the best quarterback who every played it, and the Colts could have found a way to make it work if they wanted to. Peyton, on the other hand, is a real class act, and Indy will miss him greatly! Although I have not been a John Elway fan in the past, I do respect his obviously excellent football judgment evidenced by pursuing and now signing Peyton. With Peyton (and possibly Dallas Clark and Jeff Saturday and other former Colts) becoming a Bronco, I look forward to having a new team to follow and cheer on to victory. Good luck, Peyton! Here's wishing you and the Broncos a Super Bowl victory in the very near future! As for the Colts, I doubt if they'll win more than four games next season, and I really don't care anymore since I don't plan to be watching them anyway. Yes, I know it's only a game and there are important events and issues in the world, but part of being a well-rounded individual is having free time pursuits that one can be passionate about. I loved the Colts and have spent many enjoyable hours of my precious free time following the team, but Irsay has spoiled it for me. It's a shame and I regret it, but I just can't find it in my heart to continue following a team that bears so little resemblance to the Colts I have so enjoyed watching!
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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  1. liek the rest of America

  2. These quaint,obsessed musings by the stalkers are certainly entertaining, but I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, all the yelping below has to do with Zak Brown.

  3. It's evident that Moffett was pushing the right buttons and corporate America is now trying to squash him. He just wanted to withdraw the free pilot services provided to the company by the pilots to try and put some pressure on a company that has not been interested in negotiating a contract in over 5 years. The company does not provide a contract because not having one has saved them a bundle of money. Shame on any Republic pilots not standing behind their union leader just because things are getting tough, can you not see such strategic moves by the company as putting the last union president in a corporate position and into THEIR pocket. Do you really believe the last union president is so appalled at the attempts by Moffett, do you not remember his oppositions to the company? We stood behind him. It has been proven over and over again for thousands of years without fail, a man cannot serve two masters. Anyone that believes people vote contrary to their paycheck and livelihood deserve to be taken advantage of, the recent statements by the former union president are laughable as he denounces the current union president from his new corporate position. Have you ever seen a drafted sports player score points for his previous team, it cannot be done, he is not on the pilots side anymore, he gets his money a different way now than you and I do, and he should not be allowed to remain on the seniority list. A drafted player brings strength, credibility, tactical knowledge, and a strategic advantage to his NEW team, he would not be drafted or paid were it otherwise. We are all forced to choose only one side to play for and support, not doing so has many references in life such as insider trading and shaving points, all illegal for good reason. This basic fact is why corporate moguls, scientist, and engineers all sign non-discloser agreements and non-compete clauses, as protection in case they are lured into switching sides as our former union president has done. No NFL coach ever drafted a player so that both teams could benefit and better understand each other, they are recruited to win the game against that former team, period. Likewise the company does not recruit the former union president by accident or mutual understanding, its strategy. Don't confuse playing the game with good sportsman-like conduct in support of common business and prosperity goals, with the requirement to only play for one side. Good men we all love and favor fall subject to this manipulation, often without their knowledge, and it is not a betrayal of their friendship to oppose them when they switch sides. If we did not love and trust them, they would not have been chosen and lured to the other side in the first place. The deception by the drafted player is not made at a conscious level, it's just human nature and it's all about money and power which corrupts our ability to be objective and loyal to two masters. This is why our court system created the defense attorney, and why our military created counter intelligence. Its strategy and its propaganda, and it works, and that's why the "powers to be" manipulate the chess pieces by sometimes changing their colors. Some players know they are being manipulated when their color is changed, but it brings them more money and power so they do not care. The rest have good intentions but do not even realize they are being manipulated. This tactic is also known by another name, Divide and Conquer. In battle sending an imperfect message with an imperfect team is obviously not ideal, but it's still being sent by YOUR team, your union leader, a leader that has common goals and common rewards with you, they are the best, because we have elected them to do a job for us. If you are not backing Moffett but believing the spin by those that have recently switched sides, you are taking food out of your own mouth. Showing unity and backing an imperfect situation still results in taking just as much ground, it's about unity and bargaining power. It's not necessary to wait around for that perfect attack because it will never come, the company will spin and attempt to destroy anyone that gets in their way. Ultimately it's not about any specific attack anyway, ASAP or whatever it makes no difference, it is and always has been only about power. If this company cared about safety it would not build pairings with 8 hour overnights, come on, are you that naive? Besides, do you really think Hoffa cares, no, he got a call from corporate America and was squeezed into denouncing Moffett. If he didn't they would spin the safety card against him and the Teamsters National with implication for truckers, future contracts, insurance rates etc...saying something like the Teamsters use safety as a bargaining chip, blah blah blah... Do you really think any pilot is going to do something unsafe for the contract, absolutely not, the only ones threatening safety here is the company with reduced rest, fatigue, and poverty. Do you not find it odd that Hoffa and the Teamsters are opposing a Teamster president publicly? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and work with one of their own? Why did they not sit down and help him strategize, correct any mistakes, and charge ahead? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and leverage a contract for all those pilots that have been paying Teamster dues, isn't that why we have all been paying Teamster dues in the first place? I sure haven't been paying dues so that the Teamsters National could come along and write this kind of an article undercutting our union leader and our unity. Whose side is the Teamsters National really on, it's obviously not the Republic pilots side.

  4. No matter what Moffatt does the company is going to spin it like he is the terrorist and brainwash people like you into believing it, wake up, back your players that are trying to change things for you and your livelihood. Where has Hoffa been for the last 6 years, except collecting our dues. Seriously, do you really think an FO going for upgrade, signed off by a checkairman ready for the upgrade, who then fails, is not even capable of returning as a First Officer.

  5. whoa!

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