If you were a Denver Bronco fan before 2022, you came to despise Russell Wilson.

Old wounds,  you know.

When the Broncos met the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII for the completion of the 2014 season, the legendary Peyton Manning was leading Denver into the big game after a season in which he broke numerous individual and league records.

It didn’t matter.

The game quickly got away from the Broncos with the opening snap.  The ball sailed over Manning’s head resulting in a safety, and it just got uglier from there. Seattle got their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history having defeated the Broncos 43-8. Like we said. Ugly.

The irony. The player you loved to hate ends up playing for your team.  After 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Russell, considered by some to be one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time, was traded by the Seahawks to the Denver Broncos.  Rumor had it that the trade was initiated by Wilson who was peeved by the firing of the team’s offensive line and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Whatever.

In 2022, the Broncos tied a franchise record for losses with a 4–12 record previously set in 2010. Perhaps it’s not fair, but fans weren’t gobsmacked by Wilson’s performance. Still, ClutchPoints.com pointed out that Wilson had the worst season of his career in 2022. Just saying.

Our interest, however, isn’t in Wilson, the football player, but Wilson, the dog owner. He is a Great Dane man.

Before he joined the Broncos, Wilson was videotaped with Prince, Naomi, and Hero. Check it out (despite the warning, click on “watch on You Tube” to view it):

Wilson “gets” the breed. He once told People Magazine that his Danes just want to lay on your lap all the time. He added that he and his wife would be watching a movie, and all of the sudden, three great Danes would be laying across their laps.

To his credit, Wilson partnered with the Banfield Foundation’s Safer Together initiative to help bring attention to the fact that half of all victims of domestic violence stay in abusive situations because they are scared for the safety of their pet, and only a paltry 10 percent of domestic violence shelters allow pets. As an aside, the AKC Humane Fund also gives grants to shelters that house victims of domestic abuse

The Danes came to Denver with the Wilsons when they moved into their $25 million mansion in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, and have since gotten a new dog they named, “Bronco,” (not a Great Dane).

We wish the best for Wilson and the dogs. Have we mentioned that Denver is the home of National Purebred Dog Day?

Image: Great Dane by Kathy Flood is available for purchase as fine art and in lifestyle and home decor items here.