Frank Clark Sends Message to Broncos Fans on Chiefs 'Rivalry'
Vitas Gerulaitis, the one-time notorious playboy of tennis, is perhaps most famous for dropping one of the greatest sporting quotes of all time.
After snapping an embarrassingly long losing streak against bitter rival Jimmy Connors, Gerulaitis said, "And let that be a lesson to you all: nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row."
Heading into the new season, the Denver Broncos are riding a very similar Gerulaitis-esque 15-game losing streak against the divisional rival Kansas City Chiefs. You might think that injecting some humor into the mix might be of some benefit, but free-agent arrival Frank Clark sounded deadly serious about how the once stellar matchup has lost its shine as a legitimate rivalry.
"I wouldn't call it a rivalry," Clark told BroncosTV. "In a rivalry, it's competitive... I'm on the Broncos now, and I've been on the other side, and we didn't call it a rivalry then. I'm on the Broncos now. Until we become competitive enough, we have to beat [that] team. We have to win our division. We have to do a few things. It's not just about the Chiefs. It's things we have to do here. We have to get our own ball together here in order for us to go out and compete for us to become one of those [factors]."
Having formed part of the Chiefs' often cocky but all-conquering locker room, you have to believe every word that Clark said. Denver's long losing streak has massively devalued the team's reputation. Tucked in right behind making playoffs, fans are hoping the Broncos snap the losing streak against the Chiefs as a primary objective for 2023.
Clark will be a particularly useful addition for Denver, in part because he provides vital information from behind enemy lines. However, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have always given off the distinct vibe that nothing the Broncos throw at them is really going to stick.
Turning that on its head will take a complete change of attitude, and of course, new head coach Sean Payton is clearly the key to readjusting how the Broncos think and operate under pressure.
Clark believes in what his veteran head coach can bring when it comes to changing the losing dynamic to a winning one. Furthermore, the two-time Super Bowl winner in Kansas City is sure that quarterback Russell Wilson can also be relied upon to finally turn the tide.
"We've got a hell of a head coach, man," Clark said. "Sean Payton is a hell of a coach, and he believes in his players. He believes in his quarterback. I can't say that about a lot of people, but I believe in Russ. When you trust in your quarterback and you believe in what that man can do, at the end of the day, [there's] no telling how far that team can go."
Up until training camp began, Payton had been managing expectations by not really addressing them, but that's spectacularly changed.
“I’m not afraid of the expectation,” Payton declared earlier in the week. “I’ve talked with several people about being used to contending for the postseason. You don’t take it for granted. That mindset needs to be present here. I see this as a team that has that ability. It’s our job to bring it out in them.”
By re-installing legitimate playoff expectations deep within the hearts and minds of his players, it's abundantly clear that dropping two games once again vs. the Chiefs won’t cut the playoff mustard for coach Payton.
Facts are stubborn things, especially in the sporting pantheon, and while snapping a long-standing losing streak matters much to some seriously bruised egos, winning matters most in the final analysis.
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