Men On Fire

One of the best films to come out in the last five years is Man on Fire, directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Christopher Walken. There is a moment in the film when, as to not give any spoilers away, Christopher Walken’s character Rayburn is speaking with the Chief of Police of Mexico City, Manzano, played by Giancarlo Giannini. In reference to Denzel Washington’s character Creasy, Rayburn says this:

         RAYBURN
He'll deliver more justice in a
weekend, than ten years of your
courts and tribunals. So stay
out of his way.

After a few well placed, straight to the jugular questions by Manzano, Rayburn ends with this incredibly short, but poignant monologue:

            RAYBURN
A man can be an artist in anything.
Stone, paint, words. Food. Anything, if
his soul is true to it. Creasy's art is
death. And he's about to paint his
masterpiece.

Truer words have never been spoken in a film.

Men on Fire:

“There’s no such thing as tough. You’re either trained or untrained,” Denzel Washington’s character Creasy says in Man on Fire. Either trained or untrained. That would alleviate the quote/unquote luck factor all together then wouldn’t it? Meaning Monday night wasn’t lucky at all, the Denver Broncos have been training to perform at that level for quite some time.

They executed on offense, very well. The Broncos are currently rated fourth in the NFL in total offense. They are rated 15th in total defense, tenth against the pass and 25th against the run. We did forty one points in Oakland, but last time the San Diego Chargers played at Mile High they did forty one as well.

The bottom line is that, this game will decide everything.

It’s so early in the season, too early to be saying anything like that, but I said it and most of all, it is true. On any given Sunday a team’s entire season can turn for better or for worse. If the Broncos can manage to come out on top Sunday afternoon, they will have won one game that they weren’t expected to. Against a team that many had (and still do) considered a Super Bowl contender.

Putting together the puzzle and the pieces fit perfectly, this season is different. Look at Monday’s game– we’re twenty-one points ahead and still running trick plays, do you feel it? We’ve got that old thing back… It’s as if the world is not enough, as if winning is not enough. There’s fight, ambition and pride at stake all of a sudden. Denver’s been waiting for this game since December 24, 2007, and finally there’s something in the heir… Jay Cutler is here, and Mike Shanahan’s about to paint his masterpiece.