Man, talk about a mixed bag of news that just hit us. The Denver Broncos franchise announced Saturday that John Beake, their former general manager, passed away at 87. You might not know the name offhand, but this guy was the architect behind some seriously tough Broncos teams, the kind that just handed our Hawks a brutal 17-14 loss.
The Man Who Built the Orange Crush Era
Beake wasn’t just some executive. He was the guy pulling the strings for over two decades in Denver, first joining as director of pro personnel back in ’79. By ’85, he was the GM. We’re talking about the era where the Broncos went to five Super Bowls, including back-to-back World Championships in ’98 and ’99. Dude was in the room when they traded for John Elway in ’83, calling himself “a support person” in that deal. Think about that: a guy like him, downplaying his role in landing a franchise QB. That’s old school. He oversaw those teams under coaches like Dan Reeves, who got them to three Super Bowls in four years, and then Mike Shanahan, who brought home the hardware. Beake eventually moved to vice president of administration after the ’98-99 season and even worked with NFL Europe until his retirement in 2004. So yeah, he was a big deal, a true NFL lifer for 35 years, even coaching offense for the Chiefs and Saints early on.
His Shadow Still Looms Over Mile High, And Now Our Own Turf
It’s wild how history connects to the present, right? You hear about a legend like Beake passing, and then you look at what the Broncos just did to our Seahawks. A 17-14 final, man. That stings. We had Sam Darnold out there battling, Jaxon Smith-Njigba making plays, but it wasn’t enough. It’s like Beake’s whole legacy of building a resilient, tough Denver squad just manifested on the field against us. The Broncos’ statement even said he “made an enduring impact” and was a “respected leader throughout one of the most successful eras.” You gotta respect the grind, even if it’s from the team that just gave us a gut punch. It makes you wonder what kind of foundation a guy like that lays that keeps a team fighting, even decades later. It wasn’t pretty, that game. Our guys, Coach Macdonald, Brian Fleury’s offense, they gotta find that extra gear.
This loss to the Broncos is a tough pill to swallow, especially with such a close score. We know our Hawks have got that fight in them. We’ll be back at it, eyes on the next one, ready to see Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp light it up. We gotta put this one behind us, learn from it, and come out swinging harder. The season’s early, and there’s plenty of football left for our guys to show what they’re truly made of. Let’s go, Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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