Denver Broncos

Prior to Elway, Denver had had over two dozen different starting quarterbacks in its twenty-three seasons to that point. Elway would remain the quarterback through five Super Bowls, three under head coach Dan Reeves and two under Mike Shanahan, and would end his career as the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, his last NFL game. Even if Pacino could voice the game, his voice would probably have changed too much. Originally drafted by the Baltimore Colts as the number one pick of the draft, Elway proclaimed that he would shun football in favor of baseball unless he was traded to a selected list of other teams, which included Denver. Al Pacino refused to reprise the role of Michael Corleone because rival publisher VU Games is still trying to hire Pacino to voice Tony Montana in its upcoming Scarface game. Quarterback John Elway arrived in 1983. The Godfather: The Game features the voices of Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Robert Duvall. Prior to 1977 season, Denver had received very little national attention and was rarely featured on nationally-televised games. However, this image bears little resemblance to the more sordid reality of a Mafia "family", which is depicted in the film Goodfellas.

Rookie coach Red Miller along with the Orange Crush Defense and aging quarterback Craig Morton, promptly took Denver to its first playoff appearance -- and ultimately first Super Bowl -- in 1977. For example, in John Grisham's novel The Firm, the Mafia is depicted as having an organisation wherein the top mobsters marry into the "royal family". In 1973, John Ralston coached the now-mature Broncos to a 7-5-2 record, including a dramatic tie with Oakland in Denver's first-ever Monday Night Football appearance that is still remembered as a pivotal game in Bronco history. Ralston coached the team until 1976, when well-publicized clashes between Ralston and his players led to Ralston's removal. The image of the Mafia as being a medieval-style organisation with a "royal family" doing favours for underlings is very popular. In 1967, under head coach Lou Saban, Denver took the field with almost two dozen rookies on its roster; though Saban's tenure was unsuccessful, it set the stage for later successes. Reports from Mafia trials and confessions have suggested that Mafia families began a "real life" tradition of paying respect to the family don by kissing his ring, in imitation of the opening scene of The Godfather. Denver, in fact, came close to losing its franchise in 1965, but a local ownership group took control that year and began to build the team. The scene where Don Vito in a deep voice says "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" is often parodied.

It is odd to remember a time, then, when Denver was the lowliest of teams, managing its first winning season in 1973 after thirteen years of futility. The movies have powerfully influenced the image of the Mafia among the public. Denver has reached the Super Bowl six times, winning it in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Francis Ford Coppola said in April 2005 that he was not informed of Paramount's decision to allow the game to be made and he did not approve of it. Despite their relative lack of early success, the Broncos produced some memorable games, like the 38-38 tie against the Buffalo Bills in 1960. Prior to his death, Marlon Brando provided the voice for Vito. They were the first pro football team to wear vertically-striped socks (and the first to burn their socks in a public ceremony!). The video game company Electronic Arts is currently working on a video game version of The 'Godfather.

They were the first AFL team ever to defeat an NFL team, on August 5, 1967 when they beat the Lions 13-7. It has been almost universally maligned. They had the first black place-kicker in professional football, Gene Mingo. In 2004, Random House published a new sequel to the Godfather saga, The Godfather Returns (http://www.markwinegardner.com/godfather) by Mark Winegardner (http://www.markwinegardner.com). The Broncos won the first-ever American Football League game, over the Boston Patriots (13-10) on September 9, 1960. However, after the death of Mario Puzo in 1999, a new sequel appears very unlikely. Although the Denver Broncos' 39-97-4 record was the worst of any of the original eight American Football League teams', the franchise had many proud moments and several AFL superstars, including Lionel Taylor and Floyd Little. In the late 1990s, rumors circulated regarding another installment of the series, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Andy Garcia apparently expressing interest.

Since 2001, they have played at INVESCO Field at Mile High, built next to the former site of Mile High Stadium. Parts of the film were loosely based on real historical events, including the death of Pope Paul VI, the election of John Paul I, and his subsequent death. Mile High Stadium was one of the NFL's loudest stadiums, with steel flooring instead of concrete, which may have given the Broncos an advantage over opponents. The movie was set in 1979, and focused on an aging Michael Corleone. For most of their history they played in Mile High Stadium, which became one of the shrines of professional football for its unbroken string of sell-outs and its famous home-field advantage percentage for the Broncos, especially during the post-season. The film is notable for the key role played, though ineffectually, by Coppola's daughter, the future Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola, who was forced to play Mary Corleone on short notice after Winona Ryder became ill. In their first four appearances, they suffered successively lopsided defeats, achieving near-legendary status as frustrated losers before winning back-to-back Super Bowl championships in 1998 and 1999 under quarterback John Elway and coach Mike Shanahan. However, the movie still received seven Academy Award nominations, among them "Best Motion Picture" and "Best Cinematography".

A charter member of the American Football League, they were a backwater small-market team that met with little success in their early years but have since become one of the elite franchises of the league after having advanced to the Super Bowl six times. This film was successful financially, but critical and fan response was mixed. The Denver Broncos are a National Football League team based in Denver, Colorado. In 1990, Coppola released a belated third film, The Godfather Part III. Gary Zimmerman. Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Rick Upchurch. While easier to understand, this version is not as interesting from a critical and artistic standpoint as the originals.

Jim Turner. Coppola re-edited the two movies together, in chronological order (adding some previously unseen footage but also toning down the violence), into one long saga for TV broadcast, entitled The Godfather Saga (aka "The Godfather: The Complete Novel For Television" and "The Godfather: 1901-1959--The Complete Epic"). Lionel Taylor (born 1935, first receiver with 100 catches in a season (1961)). Many critics consider the sequel to be equal to (if not superior to) the original film in quality. Dennis Smith. This version of Vito is played by different actors at different ages, but the adult Vito is played by Robert DeNiro, who won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for a role in which, interestingly, he speaks almost no English-language dialogue. Shannon Sharpe. One storyline is the continuing story involving Michael Corleone in the 1950s; the other is a flashback sequence following his father, Vito, from his youth in Sicily up through the founding of the Corleone crime family in New York and the births of Michael and his siblings.

Clinton Portis. It consists of two parallel storylines, and the film switches back and forth between them. Craig Morton. A sequel, The Godfather Part II, was released in 1974. John Mobley. Additionally, The Godfather won five Golden Globes, one Grammy, and numerous other awards. Gene Mingo (first black field goal kicker in professional football, 1960). As its sequel The Godfather Part II also won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Godfather trilogy remains the only series ever to win multiple "Best Picture" Oscars.

Karl Mecklenburg. It was nominated for eight additional Academy Awards. Wahoo McDaniel. The Godfather won three Academy Awards:. Ed McCaffrey. It is currently ranked #1 on IMDB's Top 250. Floyd Little (born 1942). It was voted greatest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly, and #3 of all time by the American Film Institute.

Tom Jackson. The film is greatly respected among critics and the public. Abner Haynes. Vito Corleone was portrayed by Brando as a Mafia Don whom people could actually respect (although the actions of Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II worked to tear down this image). Gaston Green. Since its release on March 15, 1972, The Godfather has been accused of glorifying the image of the Mafia. Randy Gradishar. Al Pacino and Robert Duvall, in particular, went on to enjoy long, successful, highly acclaimed careers.

Goose Gonsoulin (born 1938). Many of the actors playing the supporting roles were largely unknown or minor actors; however, they rocketed into the limelight with the success of The Godfather. Cookie Gilchrist (born 1935). The role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by Marlon Brando, and Brando won an Academy Award (which he did not accept) for his portrayal of the aging Don. Olandis Gary.
Puzo helped in the making of the movie and its sequels and co-wrote screenplay. The movie was an enormous box-office hit, smashing previous records to become the highest-grossing film of all time (until that record was surpassed by Jaws in 1975, and a number of other movies afterwards). Miller Farr. Pacino was only granted the role after Coppola threatened to quit the production.

Tony Dorsett. Pacino was not well known at the time, and was not considered right for the part. Terrell Davis (third player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season). The producers originally wanted Robert Redford to play Michael Corleone, but Coppola wanted Al Pacino. Mike Croel. The film spans ten years from late 1945 to 1955 (after Don Vito Corleone's death in 1954). Dale Carter. Interestingly, this obliged the crew to use regular lights, instead of the production/set lights, lending a realistic look to the film.

Steve Atwater. The producers of the movie did not believe that The Godfather would be very successful; hence, there was an extremely low budget for the film. Floyd Little - #44. Shooting began on March 29, 1971 and was completed on August 6, 1971. Frank Tripucka - #18. Coppola had directed several films prior to this, but none of them had had a significant impact on the public. John Elway - #7. The motion picture adaptation of The Godfather (1972) was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Al Wilson. However, in the book, this fact is made explicit, with the 12-year-old Vito adopting the Corleone name by choice, instead of having it given to him in error. Trevor Pryce. This was a common occurrence which still occurs even today. Rod Smith. It should be noted that in the movie sequel, The Godfather II, it was revealed that the Godfather's real name was Vito Andolini and he was given the surname Corleone as a result of a mistake during his registration at Ellis Island. Jerry Rice. Similarly, the surname of Don Vito's mother is Corigliano, coming from the town of Corigliano Calabro, Calabria, which is well known for ndrangheta activity.

Jake Plummer. (See godparent for the origins of the term.) In the novel, this character was Don Vito Corleone, whose surname recalls the town of Corleone, Sicily. John Lynch. "The Godfather" (in Italian, Il Padrino) is a term used to identify the boss of a Mafia clan, the eldest or the most representative member of a family. Ashley Lelie. The film spawned two sequels. Jason Elam. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino as Michael Corleone.

Champ Bailey. The Godfather is a novel written by Mario Puzo about a fictitious Italian Mafia family. John Elway (2004). ISBN 0451205766. The Godfather. New York: Penguin. Mario Puzo (paperback, 2002).

ISBN 0451208447. The Godfather. New York: Penguin. Mario Puzo (hardcover, 2002). ISBN 0451167716.

The Godfather. New York: Penguin. Mario Puzo (mass market paperback, 1978). ISBN 0399103422. The Godfather. New York: Putnam.

Mario Puzo (hardcover, 1969). Best Writing (adapted screenplay) (Francis Coppola, Mario Puzo). Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando refused the award). Best Picture.