People Are Strange (i.e.Crazy) Here...

Denverites are obsessed about football.  The Denver Broncos won the Superbowl last year, and afterwards there was a parade, a big celebration downtown, and general craziness.  And when the season was over, was that the end of it?  No way.  Next the news media obsessed about whether Peyton Manning would retire (he did).  Then the heir apparent to the quarterback position signed with another team, and weeks and months went by with everyone obsessing about who would replace him.  Then their star player, Von Miller, was a contract holdout.  The local television stations would start off their local news programs with leads like "St. Louis destroyed by earthquake, but first we go to Broncos headquarters to find out the latest on Von Miller's contract negotiations."  Then Broncos training camp opened, and it was Broncos 24/7 after that.   Yesterday evening - finally - the season started (you mean it actually ended?).  Virtually everybody in town was wearing orange Bronco jerseys.  Some were wearing Bronco tutus, and even the ballet dancer statues on the 16th Street Mall were wearing Broncos appropriate dresses.  There was a big kickoff rally and concert with One Republic at Civic Center Park.  I tried to go, but they wouldn't let me in with my  backpack for security reasons, no doubt due to a credible ISIS threat to Broncos fans.  And in this case, I can see their point (just kidding!).What drives this obsession I don't know.  My office-mate Peter says it is because there is nothing else to do here.  I find that hard to believe.  More likely is some sort of mass psychosis driven by the media.  In any case, coming from Chicago, I am fortunately immune, but it still drives me crazy (or crazier, if you prefer).  And by the way, the Broncos squeaked by 21 to 20 against the Carolina Panthers.  Thank God - I wouldn't be able to stand the mass depression today otherwise.