With the start of NFL free agency, there’s no shortage of trades and signings to keep all of us busy with football talk. From the free agent side, we have Bart Scott heading to the Jets, Fred Taylor landing in New England, and Albert Haynesworth getting a crazy contract from Daniel Snyder and the Redskins. Kellen Winslow has already been traded to the Bucs for a few picks and Scott Pioli might be reunited with Mike Vrabel in Kansas City. But none of these mean nearly as much as a potential move the Denver Broncos are trying to swing.
Philadelphia Eagles Safety Brian Dawkins is heading out to the Rocky Mountains to meet with Denver Broncos officials about a potential contract. The unrestricted free agent has been in Philly for 13 years and has been the face of their physical, aggressive defense for his entire tenure. After fielding one of the NFL’s worst defenses, the Broncos are obviously going after some proven talent and leadership to turn things around. But the Broncos desire to improve their secondary is only part of the reason the story appeals to me.
Wouldn't it be interesting to see Dawkins with a Broncos jersey?
The two people that I respect more than anyone else I know just happen to be involved in this story. In the blue corner, we have my former Best Man who alternates between his Brian Dawkins jersey and his “Bronco Hater” shirt on Sundays. In the red corner, we have another close friend that insists on sending me text updates throughout the entire season about Broncos news (even if I don’t care). So how great would it be to watch my boy, Philly Phan, try to digest Brian Dawkins signing in Denver? I really couldn’t write a better script.
This is just another little snippet that makes sports great. For those of us that eat and breathe the stuff, we celebrate wildly when we get a new player and drown our sorrows when a hero leaves for another city. We watch our friends’ teams—never sure if we want them to succeed for our friend or fail out of jealousy.
People that don’t love sports will never get to see this side of the obsession. They see box scores, maybe a story on the nightly news and go on with their day. But we die-hards know there’s so much more to the roller-coaster of being a fan. It’s waiting for free agency to start so your team can fill those holes that drove you nuts every Sunday for 17 weeks straight. It’s the watching the draft, so you can see your team build a foundation for the future. And it’s watching one of your favorite players going to a team that you’ve hated for years via free-agency.
For one, I hope Brian Dawkins signs with the Broncos. If for no other reason, to create some chaos with a few of my friends. It should keep it interesting, shouldn’t it? How long before my friend goes out to buy a Denver Broncos Brian Dawkins jersey? How long before my best man goes on a week-long bender with Crown, Coke and all the wine that Napa can produce?
So here’s to a good free agency run for you and your teams. Hopefully you don’t lose too many of your favorites—and you don’t watch any of your rivals improve. And most of all, hopefully your favorite players don’t go to your most hated teams!
Update: David White of the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that a deal has been made between Brian Dawkins and the Denver Broncos. He goes on to report that a there will be a press conference in Denver on Saturday to introduce the newest Bronco.
Matt Reitz
Matt Reitz is an NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports and the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com. When he's not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he's usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It's a never-ending job.
