John Elway — Sports Commentary

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

He was the coach’s kid, and there’s no better place to begin. But John Elway was his own man and is still his own man, using talent and lessons acquired if not necessarily taught. It wasn’t that Elway could throw a football so hard — when his receivers occasionally missed one of his passes, they often were left with a bruise, a mark that looked like the seams of the ball, or the “Elway Cross” — it’s that he knew when to throw or when not to throw.

The offspring of those in athletics have an advantage. Not only genetically but also perceptively. They grow up within the game, grasping the nuances. Look at Barry Bonds, who as a toddler was with his father, Bobby, in the Giants clubhouse, listening and watching. Never mind the steroid stuff. Barry understood how and where. He always threw to the right base. He always set up in the perfect position in the outfield.

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