Dear Coach Fox,
Let
me start by saying I’m a Seahawks fan but don’t let that stop you from
reading further. I live 20 miles north of Seattle, I have a Russell Wilson
jersey, I follow all their news and games and I even put up green and
blue Christmas lights this year. But…I’m a Colorado native and I was raised by my dad to be a Denver Broncos fan. I still am.
My
love of watching the Denver Broncos and NFL football comes from my dad.
While growing up, every Sunday and Monday night during the season was
reserved for football. Way before 24-hour sports channels that we have
now, it seemed like football was on our TV all week. Dad loved to tell
the story about how my brother Jon (9 years old at the time) cried when the Broncos lost to the Cowboys in the 1977 Superbowl.
My
Dad called me on Sunday, Jan 5th, during the Bronco’s (and Seahawk’s)
bye-week. We talked about the games that were played that day and he
asked who I would be rooting for if it came down to Denver and Seattle
in the Superbowl. I said "Seattle, of course!" to which he laughed and said that, if that happened, we would have to do something special.
Then he said "I LOVE the NFL playoffs! I love watching Every. Single. Game!" I agreed but we both knew he meant it way more.
The
next night I got a call no one wants to get. It was my Mom, crying and
telling me that my dad had passed away that evening from a massive heart
attack. He had been closing up the garage for the night and when he
didn’t come in, she went out to check on him. She found him on the
floor, already gone. You can imagine how devastated I am. The full
weight of it still hasn't sunk in.
Two weekends of playoff games have happened since. I got to enjoy watching the Broncos vs. Chargers game with my brother after he and I both traveled to support my mom (him from Colorado and me from Seattle). My brother wore his Elway jersey. I wore my Denver Broncos hat. We toasted my dad.
Now to my point:
I've
been in a quandary ever since last Sunday’s playoff games. Seahawks or
Broncos? Broncos or Seahawks? I know the outcome of the Superbowl has
nothing to do with what colors I wear on game day and I know that no one
really cares. But I do.
I
haven’t been able to make up my mind until I happened upon NFL
Network’s coverage of you and the team arriving in New York. I found
myself calling out to Dad "Are you watching this? They made it to New York!" My
dad would be beside himself with anticipation for the game. For him,
nothing could possibly be better than a Broncos win after such an
amazing season.
So
Coach Fox, I just want to tell you, as I know you have had some heart
trouble earlier in the season; please take care of yourself. You are not
replaceable. You are so important to your loved ones and to your team.
I
know you and the team will be busy, working hard this week to do all
you can to bring that trophy home to Denver. But I also want you to
know, on Sunday I’ll be wearing Orange and Blue for my Dad and for the
team he loved. I know he'll be cheering for you too.
So...its Time to Ride....Go Broncos!!!
Best wishes from a Broncos Fan,
Carrie Daggett
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