Author: Nick

The Case For The Broncos Ring Of Fame: DeMarcus Ware

In the eighth of Thin Air’s series on considerations for the Broncos Ring of Fame is DeMarcus Ware (2014-2016).

Should DeMarcus Ware be in the Broncos Ring of Fame?

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Ring of Fame rules state that a member has to have been with the Broncos for a minimum of four years. However, rules can be excepted at any time, as the Ring of Fame did in waiving the five year waiting period for John Elway. It is with that observation that sets the table here for DeMarcus Ware’s consideration.

DeMarcus Ware arrived at the Broncos at a juncture in which so much hope and promise from the past season ended in deep disappointment. With an aging quarterback at the helm that would end up having only two more seasons in the NFL, the Broncos’ front office was determined to make a move that would improve their defense, specifically at pass rusher.

John Elway filled that hole by signing Ware, a seven time Pro Bowler and four time First Team All-Pro. In 37 games, Ware contributed a total of 21.5 sacks, as well as his veteran experience and the last few years of his unique physical talent.  That contribution helped to earn Ware the one final piece of his stellar career that his former team was chronically unable to provide him: a Super Bowl ring.

The Case For The Broncos Ring Of Fame: Peyton Manning

In the fifth of Thin Air’s series on considerations for the Broncos Ring of Fame is Peyton Manning (2012-2015).

Would You Like To See Political Content In A Separate Thread?

  • Yes (59%, 67 Votes)
  • No (41%, 47 Votes)

Total Voters: 114

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Peyton Manning came to the team via an extreme rarity: a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback as an unrestricted free agent. (Brett Favre and maybe Drew Brees are the only others that qualify.) He arrived amid one of the most divisive period among followers of the Broncos: longtime fans versus Tim Tebow devotees. For John Elway, there was no such division, as the arrival of Manning led to the quick departure of Tebow.

He was with the Broncos for only four seasons, a tenure the Ring of Fame considers to be the minimum necessary for induction.  In those four seasons, here’s the basic sampling of what he accomplished:

  • 17,112 total yards, 140 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 101.7.
  • A record setting number of yards (5477) and touchdowns (55) in one season, 2013.
  • Being part of a regular season record of 50-14, with all seasons containing either 12 or 13 wins.
  • Being part of four AFC West titles, two AFC championships, and one Super Bowl.

Another rule of the Ring of Fame is that there is a five-year waiting period, only formally waived for Elway. However, that has not stopped the Broncos from already recognizing his contributions inside the stadium, as he shares the retirement of #18 with Frank Tripucka.

Thin Air Is Now Operating On HTTPS

As part of dead season upgrades to the website, I decided to investigate the feasibility of running all connections through HTTPS. While it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever be submitting sensitive information on this site, the most important web organizations have make it clear that they want to see all websites run though HTTPS in the near future. (Google, for one, has said that it will use HTTPS as a ranking symbol, and soon it will be shaming websites in search results that are not doing so.)

If all has gone well (and I’m using this post a test just to make sure), this addition should run seamlessly from your end. All links that were formerly HTTP should redirect to HTTPS. It is not necessary to update your bookmarks, though there is no harm in adding an extra s in there if you so choose.  However, if you do see any problems, do not hesitate to let me know in the comments below.