Memphis Grizzlies

None yet. 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. Hubie Brown (Retired: Induction in 2005). 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. The Grizzlies, however, were once again swept in 4 games in the first round; this time by the Phoenix Suns. Quarterback John Elway arrived in 1983. The Grizzlies improved and advanced to the postseason for the second consecutive season. Prior to 1977 season, Denver had received very little national attention and was rarely featured on nationally-televised games.

At the time the Grizzlies had a losing record and West brought in TNT analyst and former coach, Mike Fratello as Hubie's replacement. 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. In the 2004-05 season Hubie Brown stepped down as head coach citing health reasons. 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 Grizzlies made the NBA playoffs for the first time in team history in the spring of 2004 as the sixth seed in the West, but lost in 4 games to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round. 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. During the 2002-03 season Hubie Brown was named coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, and won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in the next season. 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.

West received the 2003-2004 NBA Executive of the Year Award. 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 team named Jerry West as general manager of the team in 2002. Denver has reached the Super Bowl six times, winning it in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The team relocated to Memphis for the 2001-2002 season. Despite their relative lack of early success, the Broncos produced some memorable games, like the 38-38 tie against the Buffalo Bills in 1960. The fact that he was an American from suburban Chicago always fueled those suspicions. They were the first pro football team to wear vertically-striped socks (and the first to burn their socks in a public ceremony!).

Many people believe that Michael Heisley had purchased the team with the sole intent to move the franchise. They were the first AFL team ever to defeat an NFL team, on August 5, 1967 when they beat the Lions 13-7. In 2001, despite earlier promises from owner Michael Heisley to remain in Vancouver, he moved the franchise to Memphis, ending Vancouver's six-year experiment with professional basketball. They had the first black place-kicker in professional football, Gene Mingo. The fact that the Grizzlies were not competitive didn't help matters. The Broncos won the first-ever American Football League game, over the Boston Patriots (13-10) on September 9, 1960. Ownership of the team was transferred a few times, but nothing could stem the tide. 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.

After the NBA lockout, the attendance numbers at Grizzlies games began to drop, and the team began losing money. Since 2001, they have played at INVESCO Field at Mile High, built next to the former site of Mile High Stadium. In the lockout-shortened season, the Grizzlies would only win 8 games. 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. However the 1998-1999 season would bring the Grizzlies back to last place, despite drafting guard Mike Bibby with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft during the offseason. 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. In 1997, the Grizzlies drafted Antonio Daniels with the 4th pick who was largely seen as a bust but the team saw some improvement as it finished in 6th place. 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.

Despite his solid play, the Grizzlies continued to struggle, again having the worst record in the NBA. 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. In 1996, the Grizzlies would draft Shareef Abdur-Rahim as the 3rd overall pick. The Denver Broncos are a National Football League team based in Denver, Colorado. The first season for the Grizzlies was typical for an expansion team, and they finished with the worst record in the NBA that year. Gary Zimmerman. The Grizzlies were initially composed of players taken from other teams via an expansion draft, and were joined by the Grizzlies first draft pick: Bryant Reeves. Rick Upchurch.

Both teams were symbols of the NBA's growth, and were the first NBA teams to play in Canada, since 1946-47's Toronto Huskies. Jim Turner. The Vancouver Grizzlies inaugurated in the NBA in 1995 alongside the Toronto Raptors. Lionel Taylor (born 1935, first receiver with 100 catches in a season (1961)). The President of Basketball Operations is former Los Angeles Laker and Hall of Famer Jerry West. Dennis Smith. The current head coach is Mike Fratello, replacing Hubie Brown (who resigned in November 2004); the team is owned by Michael Heisley. Shannon Sharpe.

The Memphis Grizzlies are a National Basketball Association team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Clinton Portis. Lorenzen Wright. Craig Morton. Shane Battier. John Mobley. Mike Miller. Gene Mingo (first black field goal kicker in professional football, 1960).

James Posey. Karl Mecklenburg. Jason Williams. Wahoo McDaniel. Bonzi Wells. Ed McCaffrey. Pau Gasol. Floyd Little (born 1942).

Michael Dickerson. Tom Jackson. Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. Abner Haynes. Hubie Brown (former coach). Gaston Green. Mike Bibby. Randy Gradishar.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Goose Gonsoulin (born 1938). Cookie Gilchrist (born 1935). Olandis Gary. Miller Farr.

Tony Dorsett. Terrell Davis (third player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season). Mike Croel. Dale Carter.

Steve Atwater. Floyd Little - #44. Frank Tripucka - #18. John Elway - #7.

Al Wilson. Trevor Pryce. Rod Smith. Jerry Rice.

Jake Plummer. John Lynch. Ashley Lelie. Jason Elam.

Champ Bailey. John Elway (2004).