TotalBroncos

Sept 6 (Reuters) – Denver quarterback Peyton Manning makeshis highly anticipated Broncos debut against the PittsburghSteelers while his hand-picked successor in Indianapolis, AndrewLuck, begins a new era for the Colts on the NFL’s season-openingweekend. Manning missed last season following neck surgery, leadingthe Colts to make the painful decision to cut the four-time mostvaluable player who broke all of the franchise’s major careerpassing records and led them to their 2006 Super Bowl triumph. …

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PREVIEW-NFL-Manning set for Broncos debut; Colts begin Luck era (Reuters)

One player to watch for each AFC West team in Week 1. Denver: quarterback Peyton Manning: I’d love to be creative here, but it wouldn’t be the truth …

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One guy to watch in Week 1

The AFC is in full retreat. Indy has been dismantled, Pittsburgh and Baltimore are creaking with age and San Diego’s ship has sailed. Only the Patriots and Texans can challenge the National Football Conference for the Lombardi Trophy. Click here for Tom’s NFC preview.

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Patriots are still class of declining AFC (Pro Football Weekly)

GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4) – A Greeley family says their 8-year-old son was forced to take off his Peyton Manning jersey in school. Officials with the Greeley-Evans School District say the number on the Denver Broncos jersey — No. 18 — has ties to gangs and that it is not permitted in their dress code. Konnor Vanatta says the Broncos new quarterback is his hero. “I like wearing my Peyton Manning jersey,” he told CBS4 on Wednesday. His mother Pam said he’s been a fan of Manning since he was 4 and that his grandmother got him the orange jersey. “It was absurd to me. I was shocked,” Pam Vanatta said. “I was speechless.” The school, Monfort Elementary School, told Vanatta the number 18 was affiliated with a gang in Los Angeles, and that there are several numbers they ban in school. Greeley police told CBS4 they have run into local gangs using the number, among other numbers. They said they support the school district’s actions. “It was my principal. He said I had to take it off and that we weren’t allowed to wear it because it was a gang number,” Konnor said. So far officials with the school district haven’t spoken about the situation on camera, despite numerous attempts by CBS4 to contact them. “I knew that Greeley had a gang problem but I didn’t think in any event it should affect someone that’s in third grade,” Vanatta said. Monfort Elementary School (credit: CBS) Vanatta said she appreciates that school leaders want to be cautious, but she worries maybe they are just “giving the gangs what they want.” “When they are counting and when they’re learning their numbers, are they going to make them skip 14, 13, 41, 81, 18 when they are counting? It’s getting ridiculous,” she said. A school district spokesman told the Denver Post late Wednesday they “hope people would understand it has nothing to do with (Manning) or the Broncos.” Roger Fiedler told the newspaper they may reconsider the ban on the Manning jersey because of the NFL legend’s incredible popularity. When Manning signed with the Broncos in the spring No. 18 was retired. It was a tribute to Denver’s first quarterback, Frank Tripucka. But since it’s the number Manning has worn his whole NFL career, Tripucka personally told Manning he would be happy to see him wear it.

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School Tells Greeley Boy To Take Off Manning Jersey

This is ESPN The Magazine’s 2012 Franchise Rankings entry for the Denver Broncos.

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Ultimate Standings 2012 – No. 38 – Denver Broncos