It's not easy being a Broncos fan these days, what with the team losing 14 of its last 18 games and the word "playoffs" conjuring up images of Jim Mora's classic rant.
But at least fans in the Rocky Mountain region can commiserate with each other. They can mosey over to their local watering hole where they can cuss out coach Josh McDaniels, vent about "No-show" Moreno and cry in their microbrews.
Plus, some can show up at Invesco Field and boo their discontent.
But what about the scores of international Broncos fans? How do they deal?
This season must be especially tough on those who proudly don orange and blue in places like Mexico City, Amsterdam and Kuwait. And yet they soldier on.
Last week, as the Broncos prepared to face the San Francisco 49ers in London, I asked international Broncos fans to send me their stories. The emails came in fast and furious, weaving an interesting tapestry from overseas Broncos fans.
The common thread? Some guy by the name of Elway.
Here are snapshots of their stories:
Family Name Game
By Darren; Cumbria, England
I'm a Broncomaniac!
I became a Broncos fan around 1985 when NFL coverage picked up in the UK. I cannot think of what really made me latch onto Denver a combination of things I suppose (Elway, the uniforms and the "D" on the Helmet, my name being Darren).
I remember as a teen in the mid-80s struggling to get a decent reception on the American Forces Radio Network here in the UK, and listening to the '86 AFC Championship game in Cleveland when Elway lead THE DRIVE.
As the years passed and the internet arrived, following Denver became easier. I've even managed to convince my wife to name both of our young boys with a Bronco influence. The eldest is Cade Davis, with reference to T.D., and our baby is Anderson John, with reference to Mike Anderson and "The Duke."
I will be at Wembley Stadium on
By Guillermo, Mexico City
I'm a Broncos fan since 1983. When I was a little boy, I was looking for something to watch on TV and there was a football game (featuring) the Patriots vs. the Broncos. That orange color caught my attention real quick, and obviously a guy named JOHN ELWAY.
Time just passed, and over the years the Denver Broncos became an important part of my life. I watched as they lost Super Bowls vs. the Giants, Redskins and 49ers. And I also saw the championships vs. the Packers and Falcons.
Actually, even when the season is over, I try to read daily something about my team on the Denver Post. Here in Mexico the Broncos don't have a lot of fans but one thing is for sure: I'm the biggest fan outside the USA!
Go Broncos, Go McCoach!
Mile-High Savings Account
By George; Manchester, England
My name is George Lomax and I am 23 years old. I have been a fan of the Broncos for about 10 years now, and I have been officially hooked on the game for about the last five years.
I got into the game (like most international fans) when I played a version of EA Sports' Madden computer game. As I had no clue about any team in the league, I figured I would "randomize" my team selection when I started a season, and there appeared my now beloved Broncos.
(Through) the game I got to know all the players, and through hours of internet research I began to familiarize myself with the proud history of my new team.
The intricacies of the game are what truly fascinate me, and make this game unique in my eyes. Whether it's the complexity of a Rex Ryan zone blitz, or the precise routes of a Josh McDaniels' offense, it's the fine art of football makes it so addictive.
So, there is my story. To see my Broncos in person is something I have wanted to do for so long, and I even have a savings account just for a trip to Mile High.
Greetings from Denmark
By Jakob, Denmark
I discovered the NFL around seven years ago watching Clinton Portis tear it up for the Denver Broncos. He instantly became my favorite player and I was completely devastated when we traded him to Redskins for Champ.
But I stuck with my Broncos. They played a grinding form of football I really liked, with an ever-present running game and Jake Plummer doing his trademark bootleg when we needed it the most. I have followed the Broncos closely ever since, watching every game via "Gamepass." I have even gotten my wife involved to the degree where she will go with me to Wembley Stadium this weekend. I simply can't wait!
Did I almost throw my PC through the living room last Sunday (vs. the Raiders)? You bet! I will be a very depressed individual if they put up such an embarrassing performance against the 49ers.
American Way of Life
By Jassim, Kuwait
It was April 1999. I was 18 when I moved to Denver for college from Kuwait. I attended CU-Denver, just by the shadows of the old Mile High stadium. The Broncos had just won their second Super Bowl and Elway retired.
The season started, and wanting to get into the "American way of life" I started following sports. My favorite was — and still is — football. A friend of mine taught me how the game is played. I loved how detailed it was and how every player was like a soldier on the field with a specific mission on every down. Football to me was the Broncos and nothing else.
Later that year I moved to Connecticut, where you (had to be) either a Patriots or Giants fan, but I stayed with the Broncos.
Coming back to Kuwait in 2005 was tough for a football fan. The internet is not that fast, so online is not a great option. On TV, we get ESPN America and Fox Sports. They carry five games a week between them. On average, we get to see the Broncos three times a year, and it (stinks). Because we want to see more!
I flew into London (last weekend) to meet the Broncos halfway, and I'm dying to see them in action. And as much as I'd like to see a high-scoring game, at this point in the season, I just want to see a "W."
(The loss to Oakland) was miserable. I gathered five of my Broncos fans in my place in Kuwait to see a Broncos shootout, yet it was the opposite.
I brought my Champ (Bailey) orange jersey with me, and will be wearing it Sunday in London. The next day I fly back to Kuwait.
Bogata Broncos Booster
By Diego; Bogata, Columbia
I am a Colombian who has been following the Broncos since the John Elway days. In 2008, I went to Denver. Not for shopping. I was there on Oct 12, 2008 to watch the game against Jacksonville.
It was a very nice and very cold experience. I had a ticket for a seat in the last row of section one. I was alone, I flew without any company. The overall experience was awesome. The "In-com-plete" chant from all the crowd, the photos with Thunder and the game were great.
I thought the field was pretty much smaller than what I was used to seeing on TV and the stadium was bigger than what I had imagined.
The game? Well I wish we could've won that game. We lost (Jacksonville 24, Broncos 17). How pathetic is it to travel across America from south to north to see your team lose? That's a bunch of dollars.
But I could take a closer look at how the players and how much bigger they appear to be (than on TV). I could see (Ryan) Clady, (Jay) Cutler, (Brandon) Marshall and a lot of guys after the game, when they were leaving the stadium. Denver is a beautiful city. I stayed there for three more days before going to Miami to visit my family.
Do I plan to go soon to Denver to attend another game? Yes, I do. But I'd love it to be a home opener. Maybe in a year, or maybe two, but I will certainly be back.
I don't want to say (anything) else right now ... probably I'm just too upset about our defeat against the "Rai-duhs." Maybe that name is haunting my team (the Denver Bronc-ohs!").
By Chris; Grenoble, France
I became a fan of the Denver Broncos partly by chance. The year was 1999 and I had just arrived about six months earlier in the U.S. for my school's last year of internship.
The first football game I ever saw on TV was the opening game of the '99 season with the Miami Dolphins playing the Broncos. I didn't know anything about football. In particular, I had no idea that the Broncos had just won their second consecutive Super Bowl the previous year.
The only thing I knew was that Denver was smack in the middle of the Rockies and that my girlfriend at that time was from South Florida. I figured that, with me liking everything mountain-related and her having grown up not far from Miami, I'd cheer for the Broncos to playfully spite her ... and because the Broncos were from a "mountain" town.
Note that all this was happening in Maryland, so there wasn't any external pressure to support either team. The Broncos lost that game but I liked the way they played and so my interest was piqued. I grew fonder of the team as I watched games and learned more about football, despite the fact that the Broncos haven't been very good ever since I started to support them (apart from the AFC championship run in 2005.)
I've been sick after defeats, been driven nuts during nail-biters and elated by conclusive victories. I've made really good friends through football. One of my best buddies supports the 49ers and I wish he could have made the trip to London with me.
This will be the second time I see the Broncos play live. The first time was at Pro Player Stadium in Miami in 2001 (another defeat for the Broncos). I haven't had the opportunity to see them play at Mile High (Invesco Field) yet, though I did make a pilgrimage there on my way to Breckenridge in 2008, my last year in the U.S.
Having returned to my native France, I still continue to follow the Broncos from afar and will see them at Wembley Stadium.
One Game Hooked Him
By Mikael; Copenhagen, Denmark
I'm maybe the biggest Broncos fan in and around Denmark. It started back in 1998 when I was visiting Denver and was invited to a home game at the old Mile High Stadium. From that point my heart went orange and blue forever and ever.
I try to attend at least two games per year, even though I'm living 4,000 miles from Colorado. And a funny fact is that Broncos never lost a game I've attended. Maybe (they) should make me (their) good luck charm Especially after last Sunday's misunderstanding against the Raiders.
We have two television networks in Denmark where you can catch NFL games. Normally they broadcast four to five games per week, including Sunday night football and Monday night football. If they don't schedule the Broncos game, I buy a game pass on the NFL.com and watch my heroes on the internet.
I'm going to Wembley on Sunday to cheer for the Broncos. We're five guys coming from Denmark and we expect the Broncos to win. We will do our best to drive the guys to victory.
PS: I love the Broncos and I consider Denver and Colorado my second home. Great team, fantastic city, marvelous state.
By Mark; Milton Keynes, England
I can't wait for the game at Wembley on Sunday. I've been a Broncos fan for 28 years and finally will get to see them play in person.
Why am I a Broncos fan? I used to listen to the American Forces Network on the radio as a kid, and started listening to a sports commentary. The first team name I heard was Denver.
So you can change your house, car or wife but not your football team.
I was totally fed up after the debacle last Sunday (the loss to Oakland). I hope we can bounce back this week and find a running game from somewhere.
Lonesome in Indonesia
By Mark; Bali, Indonesia
Although I grew up in Colorado Springs, I've lived abroad for 10 years, the last four in Bali, Indonesia. I'm sure I'm the only person in a 50-mile radius who has even heard of the Denver Broncos and there is certainly no coverage of American Football here, so I'm pretty much on my own as a Broncos fan.
Over the years, I've tried picking up the game broadcasts on the internet, but all stations I've found block signals outside of the U.S. I have managed on occasion to find a pirate radio station on the internet to be able to listen to the games. But what I normally do is check msnbc.com for 30-second updates.
Last weekend, for the Raiders game, I woke up late, but went straight to the computer to check the status of the game. I thought I still had sleep in my eyes when I saw the score of 59 -14 with still time on the clock. Really?
I've seen the Broncos get blown out — 55-10 against San Francisco in the Super Bowl was a particularly ugly. But the 49ers were great back then and the Raiders, well they're a long way from great.
I'm not convinced that the Broncos will even win two more games this year. But, maybe that's a good thing. Every loss brings us closer to getting a head coach who's relevant.
The Drive Did It
By Adam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Just dropping you a line to say (the Broncos) have a die-hard fan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I got hooked watching NFL recordings of John Elway and the Broncos on Malaysian TV, even though they were a few months late then.
I was fascinated by the game, although not a connoisseur, but what a great quarterback Elway was! That was in the '80s when Denver had three Super Bowl runs but was crushed by the Giants, Redskins, and later, the 49ers. But who can forget Elway's come-from-behind heroics? I especially loved "The Drive," and the (comeback) against the Oilers and Warren Moon.
Now, post-Elway, the Broncos have really been struggling, and the new coach has killed the running game which has been your main strength all these years. I wonder when we will have our golden years again? If indeed we will. Anyway, enough ramblings from a 50-year-old man.
Snow Football Fan
By Alberto; Milan, Italy
I've been fan since the '80s. Why? I can summarize:
4 a.m. Helicopter Ride
By Thierry; Lille, France
We discovered football here about 25 years ago when it started to be broadcast in France. I knew very little about the sport but I really enjoyed it straight away. My brother and I started to watch each game we could see (about one game per week, sadly).
My brother became a Giants fan (I know ... he stinks ... LOL). I had the luck to watch a Broncos game ... very exciting with a comeback signed by the best: No. 7.
I knew it would be my team then. Of course, everything started with Elway. He was so amazing to watch when he was playing. But the passion is still here despite his retirement.
My favorite moment was the helicopter play (in Super Bowl XXXII)... I was watching the game live at my Bro's house (here, it was from midnight to about 4 am. You need to be motivated to watch a game live here).
I was wearing my Elway jersey and I was really electrified by the play ... Wow! I knew we couldn't lose that one. What excitement after watching three Super Bowl losses. One of the best days of my life so far.
It's not easy to get my Broncos' fix here. I have an NFL pass to watch the games (on the internet) and I'm a proud member of Broncos forum. It's great to have the opportunity to talk to many other people who share the same passion. And people who can still teach me some things about football.
Though I think after 25 years I know a bit the game, there are still some technical areas that I don't really master. After all, I'm from another "football land" (I mean ... "soccer.")
By the way, there are a lot of Broncos fans in France. I made a friend thanks to that. We met on the forums. And he was living near my home. One of my co-workers played football (he was QB) and is also a Broncos fan.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-17820 or firstname.lastname@example.org