“Monday Night Football” may not realize what it’s asking.
ABC, the program’s television network, is urging Broncos fans who attend Monday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Invesco Field at Mile High to participate in the show’s opening tease.
Instead of Hank Williams Jr. or other celebrities beginning the opening with, “Are you ready for some football?” ABC will coordinate about 75,000 Broncos fans into reciting the line in unison.
ABC decided to start its fan participatory brainchild with the Broncos-Chiefs game because the national perception is Denver football fans are considered among the NFL’s best.
“Absolutely right,” ABC spokesman Adam Freifeld said. “It’s a different way to start our telecast, and we think it will be something the fans will be excited about.”
Forgive the Broncos for noticing a touch of irony in the timing. Invesco Field, in its fifth season, never had reverberated boos quite as loudly as it did Sunday during the first half of the Broncos’ game against the San Diego Chargers.
Having watched their team fail to win a playoff game since the 1998 season, then seeing their team get embarrassed 34-10 at Miami in the 2005 opener, Broncos fans voiced their displeasure while the Chargers built a 14-3 halftime lead.
Even Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who normally is so intent on his play-calling responsibilities that he doesn’t hear anything outside what offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak relays through his headset, was unable to cuff the boos.
“I heard them,” Shanahan said. “I’ve been here a long time and I remember them booing John Elway for (backup quarterback) Kubiak. We haven’t had too many bad years, and that means your standards are very high and you have to live up to those standards. That’s the nature of a team that’s used to winning. They care. They expect us to play well. You understand what they want, and we want the same thing.”
Luckily for ABC, the Broncos rallied in the second half against the Chargers and won 20-17. Perhaps by their next game on “Monday Night Football,” Broncos fans will be ready.
Shanahan still miffed
Given 24 hours to cool down, Shanahan instead became increasingly irritated at the penalty for too many men on the field that was called while Broncos punt returner Darrent Williams was finishing what would have been a go-ahead, 61-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter Sunday.
The ball was brought back to the Chargers’ 29, and although the Broncos scored a touchdown two plays later, Shanahan remained disturbed at the thought the penalty could have cost his team the game.
The penalty was called because Stephen Alexander and two other members of the extra-point team ran onto the field from the sideline before Williams, who was running in the clear, crossed the goal line.
“He made the call and we’ll live with it, but you don’t see a lot of calls like that in high school,” Shanahan said.
Footnotes
Tatum Bell, who suffered a sprained ankle Sunday after he was dropped to No. 3 at tailback behind Mike Anderson and Ron Dayne, is expected to be ready to practice by Thursday. … Shanahan was leaning toward having Paul Ernster kick off Sunday, but the rookie tweaked his knee during a pregame audition while veteran punter Todd Sauerbrun consistently boomed the ball into the end zone. Thus, Ernster was inactive. … After Courtney Brown had a sack and fumble recovery in his Broncos debut Sunday, Shanahan pronounced the veteran defensive end from Penn State ready for full-time duty against the Chiefs. Brown had been out with a dislocated elbow. … Veteran wide receiver David Terrell probably will need the next two weeks to learn the Broncos’ system before he is activated.
EYE ON THE CHIEFS
Kansas City at Denver, 7:05 p.m., Monday
* For the record: The Chiefs are 2-0, first in the AFC West.
* Last game: Beat the Oakland Raiders 23-17 at Oakland.
* Streaking: Dating to last season, the Chiefs have won six of their past seven games. They lost the 2004 opener at Invesco Field at Mile High 34-24, and have lost four consecutive games in Denver.
* Who’s hot: Backup tailback Larry Johnson is averaging 8.4 yards per carry, and kicker Lawrence Tynes already has 20 points.
* Who’s not: Trent Green has yet to throw a touchdown pass. But the veteran quarterback has only one interception and has completed 61.1 percent of his passes.
* Key stat: The Chiefs are allowing only 12.0 points per game, ranked eighth in the NFL. Last year, they ranked 29th by allowing 27.2 points per game.
* FYI: Johnson will be in court today because of a domestic-abuse assault charge involving his girlfriend.
* Injury update: Offensive tackle Willie Roaf played in 49 consecutive games until a hamstring injury snapped his streak Sunday.
* Coachspeak: “The defense will get better. It’s really starting to mesh and come together. They’re starting to believe in themselves. They like hitting them in the mouth. They like playing tough.” – Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, on his suddenly strong defense
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
