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Published on 09/05/2008 at Fri Sep 05 20:00.
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Monday Night Lights

Posted Fri Sep 5th by

In 2006, when ESPN took over Monday Night Football, the network went live with several incredible introductions. The Denver Broncos happened to be the subject of two of them. Here is Samuel L. Jackson’s take on the epic rivalry between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders.

Wow, the power of prose. I wish MNF would get away from stuffing their ABC shows as product placements in these introductions, as they did last season. The Desperate Housewives are not football! Bring back features like this – slams and monologues. Playing something like this as everyone settles into their arm chair is enough to get anyone fired up.

I distinctively recall watching this on the original air date, with my girlfriend and as Jackson wraps up with, “Well are you punk?” She drop-kicks the cat into the television, fist-pumped and screamed, “Yeah!”

Since we’re being a bit nostalgic, let’s share our favorite Raider/Bronco memories in the comments. Mine doesn’t necessarily involve the Broncos, but it does involve Mike Shanahan and Al Davis. Oddly enough, I did not witness the event, but read about the incident that sums up the Shanahan/Davis rivalry perfectly. It’s 1994, pregame, San Francisco 49ers vs. Raiders – Mike Shanahan gives the order to Elvis Grbac to, “Throw the ball right at him (Al Davis).” So after a minor moral dilemma, Grbac, the good soldier, follows orders and misses Davis’ head by inches. Davis made an obscene gesture in Shanahan’s directing in retaliation…. What’s your favorite Raider-hating moment?

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    If that video doesn’t get you pumped, I don’t know what will. GO BRONCOS!

  • http://broncos-denver-broncos.blogspot.com/ Ian Henson

    I wish I could find the other one from that season… Remember the Don Cheadle promos from two years ago? Pure adrenaline inducing.

  • Richard

    I don’t remember whether it was 1980 or 81. I had tickets in the east stands of mile high stadium( may it RIP), and was heading up the walkway fairly early. Who should be ahead of me but good old Nosferatu himself, Al Davis with his entourage. My all time favorite Raider Al Locasale was also with him. Certainly the Face Man of the organization. I welcomed them to Denver and told them it was nice of them to show up for a “L”. Al, being the gracious, personable guy that he still is, replied F*** You, A**H***. Craig Morton ( the real #7)threw the game winning Touchdown to Steve Watson with about 2-3 minutes left in the game. On the way out of the stadium, Al Locasale was exiting in front of me. He recognized me from the earlier incident and I said to him. Tell Al thanks for the “W”. He glared at me but didn’t say a word.

  • http://broncos-denver-broncos.blogspot.com/ Ian Henson

    Richard- an east stander… Really? Just kidding, great story! Nice of Hall of Fame owner Al Davis to say things like that to fans. No wonder Shanahan has backup quarterbacks trying to snipe him from thirty yards away.

  • http://birty.blogspot.com mikebirty

    I’d always assumed that US sports rivalries were a bit vanilla compared to say Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers or Liverpool and Manchester United BUT then there was the near riot sparked when the Raiders were pelted with snowballs – now that was funny…

  • http://mrherculesrockefeller.blogspot.com hercules rockefeller

    Oh for christ’s sake. Craig Morton is the “real” #7? Sheesh.

  • http://broncos-denver-broncos.blogspot.com/ Ian Henson

    haha, easy Herc… Maybe Richard’s just not much of a Staubach fan.

  • robbronco

    hahaha.. that’s just awesome. The thought of Al taking one in the grill because Shanny ordered it is priceless. I can just see it now…

    Shanahan: Son, we play in a league that that has rules.
    And those rules have to be guarded by men
    with blood on their jerseys. Who’s gonna do it? You? You,
    Al Davis? I have a greater
    responsibility than you can possibly
    fathom. You weep for Walker and you
    curse the Broncos. You have that luxury.
    You have the luxury of not knowing what I
    know: That Walker’s lame ass injuries, while tragic,
    probably could have been anticipated. And my existence,
    while grotesque and incomprehensible to
    you, saves lives.

    You don’t want the truth. Because deep
    down, in places you don’t talk about at
    parties, you want me on that field. You me
    on that field! We use words like honor, code,
    loyalty…we use these words as the
    backbone to a life spent defending
    something. You use ’em as a punchline.

    I have neither the time nor the
    inclination to explain myself to a man who
    rises and sleeps under the blanket of the
    very success I provided, then questions the
    manner in which I provided it. I’d prefer
    you just said thank you (and paid me the money you owed me) and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a
    helmet and get your ass on that field. Either way, I
    don’t give a damn what you think you’re
    entitled to!

    Davis: Did you order the code brown?

    Shanahan: I did what I had to do.

    Davis: Did you order the code brown?!?!?!

    Shanahan: You’re goddamn right I did!!!

  • Richard

    mikebirty, think about this. The Raiders couldn’t win a football game or a snowball fight. I was really rolling my eyes when Lincoln Kennedy ran into the stands and was unmercifully pelted by literally dozens of fans. Poor cry baby. With a helmet and pads on he was worried about getting injured. Saw him last week wearing a suit of armor to a pillow fight.

  • http://broncos-denver-broncos.blogspot.com/ Ian Henson

    robbronco – Very, very well done =P

  • LorDog

    Nice robbronco…very nice!

    Great clip, that video does get me pumped. I have not been excited for a Monday in a long time!

  • SouthBroncs

    Robbronco- That was classic. Are you ready for some football!!!! Let the games begin!!! Go Broncos!!!!

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    Ian is my new hero for finding that video. I’ve searched the net high and low for that. I remember it well. The Broncos had it handed to them pretty good the season prior by the Raiders. So it primed that season’s matchup even more. I don’t ever remember being more pumped for a Raider game and then they aired that, the stadium went nuts. Then to cap it all off the Raiders got the ball first and Trevor Pryce buried Rich Gannon in the ground on the first play from scrimmage. Final score 31-10. I can’t ever remember seeing Raiders fans fleeing the stadium as fast, starting fights on their way out.

  • http://broncos-denver-broncos.blogspot.com/ Ian Henson

    Josh, you were at that game!? Very jealous, I keep trying to remember the other one from that season, in my head I remember Don Cheadle for some reason. Then again, I think I’m confusing the Don Cheadle NFL Ads from two years ago…

    Anyone remember who it was? I’ll find it and post it, I promise.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    Don Cheadle is a self proclaimed Bronco fan and Denver native, so I wouldn’t doubt it.

  • Triston27

    My favorite Bronco-Raider memory was week 5 1987. It was a Monday night game during the strike. And was the first Bronco game I’d attended. Sat in the West stands, 20 yard-line. Broncos won 30-14. Can’t wait to come back to town for the Chargers game next week.

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  • Gavelect

    I was staying in a range of Inverness Hotels doing work for my tourism job and went to a Inverness V Rangers game for something to do, what an experience,I ended up in with the rangers fans and they did not stop signing the hole game, it was awesome, I come from Belgium and was into football before but I am a true blue now.