“The optimist sees opportunity in every danger, the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity.” — Winston Churchill
The two most fervent optimists I’ve met were a Hawaiian surfer, waiting for the anticipated tsunami rogue wave to hit the beach in 1995, and a Broncos coach, waiting for the tumultuous season to begin in 1974.
“I’m going to ride it all the way to Australia,” said the surfer.
“We will finish 12-2, go to and win the Super Bowl,” said the coach.
The wave wasn’t a big hit; the Broncos weren’t, either (7-6-1).
The Broncos open with opportunity, optimism and Oakland next Monday night.
On Labor Day weekend, before the games begin, the Broncos can finish 12-4 or 14-2 (or 19-0, the owner’s annual prediction) or 10-6 (the consensus pick of the hundreds of fans who have e-mailed me in the last week), or “go to and win the Super Bowl,” as John Ralston once wrote on index cards, posting them on his bathroom mirror, his car visor and his office desk.
There are a couple of pessimists in Denver and a few others across the country. They see danger.
“Woodhead: I’ve made a $50 bet with my friend that you will pick the Broncos to have a 12-4 record, as you do every year. You’ll be wrong again. The Broncos will be 4-12,” one heat-seeking missive stated.
Last year, I did predict that the Broncos would perform well and win 12 games. After they started 2-0, I was rather full of myself. Dean Singleton, The Post’s powerful, prudent and popular owner, said: “The Broncos won’t win seven games.” We agreed on a friendly wager — if the Broncos won more than six, he would double my raise; if not, I would work for the newspaper for free for a year. “Columnist,” I said. “Chump,” he said.
Before the kickoff of the final game of the season, the Broncos were 6-9. For one day, Dec. 30, I became the Broncos’ biggest fan, even though I was in Shreveport, La., with the Colorado Buffaloes for a bowl and couldn’t watch the Denver-Minnesota game on TV. Singleton called from the stadium when the Vikings went ahead 3-0. I didn’t answer. A friend sent a text message after the Broncos scored two touchdowns for a 14-3 halftime lead, and again when the Broncos got five more points on a field goal and a safety. With six minutes to go, my salary for 2008 seemed secure.
Oh, no. Tarvaris Jackson threw for a Minnesota touchdown and ran for the two-point conversion. Then Jackson passed for another score and — what? — ran in again to tie the game at 19 and push it into overtime, with the Vikings receiving the kickoff. Anxiety attacked me.
Elvis lives! Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil recovered his second fumble of the game — thank you, thank you very much — and Jason Elam kicked the final of his game-winning Broncos’ field goals. Whew.
I received a communique from Singleton: “Your raise has been doubled — 0 percent times two equals 0 percent raise.”
My boss has offered to make the same wager this year — “6 and 10,” he bellows.
I am an optimist seeing opportunity in (very real, very scary) danger.
So is Mike Shanahan, who, for the first time in his career, asserted that the Broncos will be in the postseason.
The Broncos will start with a victory against Oakland and follow with another at home over San Diego (in The Return of Brandon Marshall) on a Matt Prater last-second field goal. They will win over New Orleans, at Kansas City and in the stadium at Mile High against Tampa Bay and Jacksonville.
Six and 0, Dean-O.
Losses at New England and Cleveland will be sandwiched around a blowout at home over Miami. I can relax. The Broncos can’t.
They’ll win at Atlanta and in Denver over the Raiders, then fall to Brett Favre and Green Bay . . . no, the New York Jets. Kansas City goes down easily, but the Broncos lose at Carolina (on a missed last-second field goal), beat Buffalo here and conclude with a loss to the Chargers in San Diego on Dec. 28.
The Broncos defense will be better (can’t be worse), and the Broncos offense will be way better. They will place second in the AFC West to San Diego and make the playoffs as a wild-card team. Jay Cutler will have a brilliant season and make the Pro Bowl, as will Marshall, Elvis, Champ Bailey and D.J. Williams.
The Post’s owner and the missive-launcher lose their bets.
The Broncos will do Winston Churchill, the surfer and John Ralston proud. They will ride the wave and finish 11-5, go to the playoffs and win at Pittsburgh and lose at Jacksonville. Post it.
Woodhead won’t be living under a bridge and will be getting another 0 percent raise.
Optimism.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
