Byline: Reggie Rivers
MIAMI -- There's confidence, there's swagger, and there's cockiness.
Two out of three aren't bad, but too much of the third could get you beaten.
After the Super Bowl last year, some of the Green Bay Packers players confessed they might have been too cocky going into the game. They said they might have had too high an opinion of themselves, they might have taken to heart the predictions of the pundits, they might not have had enough respect for the Denver Broncos.
This year, it's the Broncos who are the defending Super Bowl champions. This year, it's the Broncos who are favored to win the game. This year it's the Broncos who must ignore the pundits who say that they will win easily. This year, it's the Broncos who must guard against the cockiness that can be so deadly.
And that can be tough because the line between confidence and cockiness is blurry.
Former Broncos special teams coach Richard Smith said it best several years ago.
``You may be the ugliest guy on the planet, but if you walk into a nightclub thinking that you're a good-looking guy, then you're going to have a lot of confidence,'' he said. ``You'll walk right up to the prettiest woman in that club and start talking to her. Now, if you're too cocky and start bragging about how good-looking you think you are and how smart and talented you are, she'll probably tell you to take a hike. But somewhere short of cockiness is a swagger of confidence.
``You're not bragging about anything, you're just carrying yourself like someone who knows he's got it going on. Pretty soon she's looking at you, wondering what it is that makes you so confident. And a little while after that, even though you're the ugliest guy on the planet, she's starting to think that you're kind of cute.''
Smith told that story as an analogy of the confidence players need to have. It's not a bragging cockiness, just a quiet confidence that permeates the air, and everyone from the media to the fans to the opposing team can feel it and be a little intimidated by it.
Right now, the Broncos seem to have that sort of confidence.
It's immediately apparent in their every movement, word and decision. It's not the sort of false confidence or cockiness that makes people talk about how great they are or brag about what they're going to do. It's just a quiet confidence that makes you stop and take notice.
On the other side of the table you've got Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan, who guaranteed a victory for his team.
I don't fault the guy for saying it. It's his mouth, and it's his team. He can say whatever he wants because he'll have the opportunity on Sunday to prove or disprove his assertion. However, from the standpoint of confidence, there's little value in those words.
If he really believes his team will win, he's suffering from the sort of cockiness that can be so dangerous. There's really no need to guarantee a victory. Kickoff is at 4:18 p.m MST Sunday. Just go do it. If he doesn't believe what he's saying, this is just meaningless falsely confident chatter.
Coach Mike Shanahan has done a great job of keeping the Broncos on track. They gain confidence from their preparation and their performances on Sundays. The Broncos exude confidence without falling prey to the trap of cockiness.
TOO MUCH BOAST COULD BRING BURST OF BRONCOS' BUBBLE.(Special Pullouts)(Column)
Byline: Reggie Rivers
MIAMI -- There's confidence, there's swagger, and there's cockiness.
Two out of three aren't bad, but too much of the third could get you beaten.
After the Super Bowl last year, some of the Green Bay Packers players confessed they might have been too cocky going into the game. They said they might have had too high an opinion of themselves, they might have taken to heart the predictions of the pundits, they might not have had enough respect for the Denver Broncos.
This year, it's the Broncos who are the defending Super Bowl champions. This year, it's the Broncos who are favored to win the game. This year it's the Broncos who must ignore the pundits who say that they will win easily. This year, it's the Broncos who must guard against the cockiness that can be so deadly.
And that can be tough because the line between confidence and cockiness is blurry.
Former Broncos special teams coach Richard Smith said it best several years ago.
``You may be the ugliest guy on the planet, but if you walk into a nightclub thinking that you're a good-looking guy, then you're going to have a lot of confidence,'' he said. ``You'll walk right up to the prettiest woman in that club and start talking to her. Now, if you're too cocky and start bragging about how good-looking you think you are and how smart and talented you are, she'll probably tell you to take a hike. But somewhere short of cockiness is a swagger of confidence.
``You're not bragging about anything, you're just carrying yourself like someone who knows he's got it going on. Pretty soon she's looking at you, wondering what it is that makes you so confident. And a little while after that, even though you're the ugliest guy on the planet, she's starting to think that you're kind of cute.''
Smith told that story as an analogy of the confidence players need to have. It's not a bragging cockiness, just a quiet confidence that permeates the air, and everyone from the media to the fans to the opposing team can feel it and be a little intimidated by it.
Right now, the Broncos seem to have that sort of confidence.
It's immediately apparent in their every movement, word and decision. It's not the sort of false confidence or cockiness that makes people talk about how great they are or brag about what they're going to do. It's just a quiet confidence that makes you stop and take notice.
On the other side of the table you've got Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan, who guaranteed a victory for his team.
I don't fault the guy for saying it. It's his mouth, and it's his team. He can say whatever he wants because he'll have the opportunity on Sunday to prove or disprove his assertion. However, from the standpoint of confidence, there's little value in those words.
If he really believes his team will win, he's suffering from the sort of cockiness that can be so dangerous. There's really no need to guarantee a victory. Kickoff is at 4:18 p.m MST Sunday. Just go do it. If he doesn't believe what he's saying, this is just meaningless falsely confident chatter.
Coach Mike Shanahan has done a great job of keeping the Broncos on track. They gain confidence from their preparation and their performances on Sundays. The Broncos exude confidence without falling prey to the trap of cockiness.
