Are you ready for more football? 2013 season began last night.

Football season is here, despite my not being ready, and boy, did it start with a bang.  The reigning Super Bowl champions jetted into Denver, Colorado on a plane and on a jumbo screen that stirred up quite some controversial feelings, mostly in the hearts of Broncos fans.  The NFL likes to start off the season with as much pom and circumstance as possible, and with the concussion settlement still leaving a bad taste in fans' mouths, they worked hard at making it an over the top celebration.  Early in the week two huge billboard like photos were placed in Sports Authority Field; one of the Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, the other the Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.  Broncos fans were unhappy, what with the fourth quarter beating the Ravens gave them on their way to a Super Bowl ring last season, and they protested the picture being anywhere near their stadium.  Ravens fans didn't care about the whining because they were irritated that the game, which should have been a home one for the Super Bowl champs, but wasn't due to a scheduling conflict with the Baltimore Orioles who share the same stadium, wasn't even in Baltimore.  In the end, it was apparent they should have been paying more attention to what was being erected outside the stadium instead.  A day before the game a billboard promoting marijuana went up telling the NFL to "stop driving players to drink, a safer choice is legal (here)" in an effort to get Roger Goddell to change league policy.  No word yet on whether or not it worked.

The game, however, did kickoff, but not before a delay due to lightning; an annoyance to the players and to those of us not on the west coast that had to get up early the next morning.  The Broncos got their revenge with a 49-27 beating that eliminated several Ravens' streaks and the game itself was a great way to open the season, especially for those of us that aren't fans of the Ravens.

1. Peyton Manning - Love him, love him, love him.  He was 27-42 for 462 yards with 7 touchdowns that tied a record and hadn't been done since 1969.  His hair is thinning, but his wit is still sharp and obviously, so is his arm.  
2. Manning's Interview pregame - Bob Costas interviewed him before the game and asked him if he thought the days of the drop back quarterback were over with the breakout sensations of R.G. III, Russ Wilson, and Colin Kaepernick.  Peyton grinned and said he thought he and his brother, that "guy in New England" would be in trouble if it was over. "I think it's great for the game of football.  It's here to stay, but I do believe there's always a place for the drop-back quarterback."  Then he messed around telling Costas that teams wouldn't be expecting him to just take off and run and maybe that was something the Broncos had up their sleeves. 
3. Manning's Press Conference - It was "just one win.  Last year was last year."
4. Manning's Interview post-game - Sal Paolantonia interviewed Peyton after the game, bringing up his tying of the record set by Joe Capp and Y.A. Tittle, two guys Paolantonia was sure Peyton wouldn't know because it was before his time.  Peyton then surprised Paolantonia by reciting statistics on both quarterbacks.  "Joe Capp, a Canadian out of Cal, number 11.  Y.A. Tittle, a Giant I believe, number 14, LSU grad.  I'm a fan of quarterbacks."  A professor of the game more like it.  The man knows his football, his quarterbacks, and he knows them inside and out.  Just more of the reasons why I have the utmost respect, regard, and love for this man.
5. Wes Welker - He made the drop on the punt, but made up for it with receiving yardage and touchdowns.  "We saw Wes Welker is as good as we thought he was," Manning said after the game.  Yep.  Nothing more motivating then proving the naysayers wrong about trading you eh, boys?