“The Late Show” host David Letterman fired his top 10 list Monday night squarely at the beleaguered Denver Broncos, who famously got clobbered by the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. (and the pour salt on the wound, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was a guest on “The Late Show.”

Here’s the list (ouch!):

“Top Ten Things Overheard On The Broncos’ Sideline During The Super Bowl”

10. “When does the game start?”

9. “Boy it’s a pretty nice day here in New Jersey – when does the game start?”

8. “We should have endorsed Christie.”

7. “I hope no one’s watching.”

6. “This is worse than my honeymoon at the ‘Late Show'” (shot of newlywed couple).

5. “Who’s that hunk in the fur coat?” (picture of Joe Namath, below).

4. “I can’t believe they wasted all that Gatorade.”

3. “Eli will motivate us!” (video of Eli Manning looking sad while watching the game).

2. “Too much pre-game Colorado weed.”

1. “This is how the Jets feel.”

Eavesdropping on Facebook (courtesy of former Rocky Mountain News cartoonist Drew Litton):

“Breaking News: The Broncos have hired Dr. Phil for obvious reasons.”

 

(Photo courtesy of drphil.com)

Even though our own Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Washington state guv Jay Inslee refused to make a Super Bowl wager, Denver’s Punch Bowl Social founder Robert Thompson and Washington’s Garage Billiards owner Alex Rosenast have pledged to donate $1,000 to their winning team’s charity of choice.

“I volunteer to send Alex a case of Orange Crush soda, win or lose,” Thompson said.

“Win or lose, I’m trying to get a dinner set up for Robert and (Seahawks cornerback) Richard Sherman,” Rosenast said.

After Sunday’s 43-8 Broncos loss to the Seagawks, a charity will be selected by the winner and the $1,000 donation will follow.

Eavesdropping on Andrew Hudson‘s Facebook page:

“New job on AH jobs list! Offense, Defense and Special Teams, Denver Broncos.”

Pre-Super Bowl jitters can be the worst. Spending a long morning and afternoon of building excitement on Sunday, just waiting for the 4:30 p.m. (MST) kickoff, can be stressful.

So here are 10 exciting ways to burn off the tension, and have a great pre-kickoff day in The Mile High City.

1. Wear a Broncos Super Fan costume. Wear something orange and enjoy free admission to the History Colorado Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.  At the museum, you can take your picture in front of the huge bison statue (who just happens to be wearing a Peyton Manning jersey) or try on a Barrel Man replica barrel in the Denver A to Z exhibit.  There is a fun case of Orange Crush cans, as well as three floors of exhibits exploring Colorado Stories, Destination Colorado and the Living West.
2. Climb the stairs at Red Rocks. There are 69 rows of benches at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, all located 6,400 feet above sea level.  Climbing the benches is a traditional Rocky Mountain workout, and great tension reliever.  Or hike the 1.4-mile long Trading Post Trail that winds among the rocks offering excellent views.
3. Do the Zoo. Denver Zoo is offering half off admission prices  fans wearing orange or their favorite Bronco-wear every day through Saturday. And game day, Feb. 2 is a pre-scheduled free day. Be sure to visit the orangutans. With their naturally orange color, they just might be the biggest Bronco fans in the city.
4. Ride an Orange Denver B-Cycle. There are more than 800 bikes at approximately 83 stations throughout the city. Look for the two bright orange Broncos bikes, or pick up any of the bright red shiny Trek bikes and pedal off around Washington Park. And, on Super Bowl Sunday, enter promo code 214 for a $3 discount for the 24-hour pass (normally $8).
5. Contemplate the Orange and Blue works of Clyfford Still. On Super Bowl Sunday, buy one admission and get one free at the Clyfford Still Museum with the special code, “Broncos.” And when the Broncos win the Super Bowl, the museum will offer free admission on Feb. 3.
6. Stroll or Bike the Mall. Denver’s mile-long 16th Street Mall is lined with 43 outdoor cafes. Designed by I.M. Pei, it is the prime people watching spot in the city – and on Sundays only, it’s permissible to ride your bike down the Mall.
7. Jog the Mile High Loop Trail in City Park. This 5k trail follows the 5,280 foot contour through City Park; many places along the trail are marked as being exactly one mile high.  The trail also offers some of the finest views of the city with the mountains as a backdrop.
8. View Bronco Inspired Art at the Denver Art Museum. There are more than a dozen works of art in the museum of bucking broncos, many in the museum’s famed Western Art collection. The Hamilton building will be illuminated orange from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
9. Go Back 300 Million Years at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.  You’ll learn that a Super Bowl played during the Paleozoic era would have been an aquatic game because Seattle, Denver and New York were all under water.  Burn off some energy at the Expedition Health and be reassured that no matter how fast your heart beats during the game, your brain cells will receive the same amount of oxygen.
10. 10. Escape Winter in a Tropical Floral 10.Wonderland at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Who cares if cold and snow in New York will affect the passing game if you’re walking between 200 orchids amidst more than 1,000 blossoms? Visit the conservatory, take of your coat and relax in the tropics until kickoff.

Where are you watching the big game? Go to www.visitdenver.com to find bars and restaurants offering special deals during the Super Bowl.

With the Super Bowl nearly here, so much of the focus has been on Peyton Manning versus Russell Wilson and Demaryius Thomas versus Richard Sherman, but the real attention should be on Mike’s Stadium Sportscards in Aurora versus DJ’s Sportscards in Renton, Wash.

“I was lucky enough to be at the Broncos victory over the Patriots,” said Michael Fruitman, owner of Mike’s Stadium Sportscards.  “When Denver won, I talked to a shop owner I knew near San Francisco and also talked to Don Joss, owner of DJ’s, about setting up a friendly challenge on the game.  For years we have seen political leaders offer Rocky Mountain Oysters and other interesting items in friendly wagers and I wanted to add a little spice to this year’s game.”

Instead of a traditional bet, charity will be the winner.  Should the Seahawks win, Fruitman will be making a $250 donation to The Shepherd’s Crook Ministries, which partners with adoption agencies to match special needs children with families who are able to adopt him.  http://theshepherdscrook.org/about/purpose/.

“Seattle fans eagerly await the chance to end a 40-plus year championship drought as well as avenge the embarrassing and historic playoff upset of the Seattle Sonics at the hands of the Denver Nuggets years ago” said Joss.  “I hope that Dikembe Mutombo is nowhere near MetLife Stadium anytime soon.”

If the Broncos win, Joss will be making a $250 donation to the Share Basket Project. The Share Basket Project is organized by Barbara Fruitman who can be reached at 303-699-9808 or BarbaraFruitman@yahoo.com.

In addition, the winning card store also will be sharing an entire 12-box case of 2013 Topps Magic NFL with collectors.  Each box of Topps Magic yields three autographs on average and with some luck, you could pull autographs of players like Denver Broncos rookie Montee Ball,  Seattle Seahawks veteran Marshawn Lynch, Bo Jackson, Barry Sanders, Andrew Luck, Drew Brees and more superstars.

“When Denver wins, we are looking forward to giving away all 288 packs of Topps Magic football to all of Bronco Nation one pack at a time” Fruitman said.  “I can’t wait to see some incredible signatures come out of our packs and the idea of helping families enjoy a complete Thanksgiving dinner would be the perfect topper to Denver’s third NFL championship.”

Frontier Airlines flight attendant and Aurora resident Madelene Sabol struck a winning pose during the Screen Actor Guild Awards on Jan. 18.

The night before the Denver Broncos’ 26-16 victory over the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 19, Sabol wore a Broncos-themed gown to the awards ceremony in California.

Sabol’s daring Broncos gown garnered the attention of actors from the AMC series, “Breaking Bad,” ABC’s comedy “Modern Family” and Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, who all flocked to get pictures with Sabol and her Broncos wear, created by local designer Kingsley Nti.

Wonder what she’ll be wearing for Sunday’s Super Bowl?

Madeline Sabol with “Breaking Bad” actor Dean Norris. Below, Sabol poses with dress designer Kingsley Nti. Bottom, she poses with Academy Award-winning actress and SAG Award special honoree, Rita Moreno. (Facebook photos)

Denver Zoo and Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle have agreed to a friendly wager between the two Super Bowl teams.

If the Broncos win the Vince Lombardi Trophy Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., a curator from Woodland Park Zoo will hand deliver a case of Washington apples to Denver Zoo’s Przewalski’s horses and spend a day working with the horses and elephants while wearing a Broncos jersey.

Should the Seahawks win, Denver Zoo Curator of Birds John Azua will take a case of trout to Woodland Park Zoo for its sea eagles and spend a day working with the zoo’s animals while sporting a Seahawks jersey.

“Game on! Really, this bet is a win either way for us. Accredited zoos and aquariums work closely together and the exchange would also give us a chance to talk shop and compare best practices. Still, I expect the Broncos to win and for us to welcome and host our fallen colleague here in Denver!” Azua said.

Denver Zoo has extended its half-off admission discount to Broncos fans wearing orange or their favorite Bronco wear through Saturday.

Denver Zoo also launched an online campaign. “Fanimals,” where guests can pick which animal fan they most closely relate to on Facebook. As ancient relatives of domestic horses Przewalski’s horses are the original broncos. The horses’ name in their native country Mongolia is “takhi,” meaning spirit.

No, that’s not John Elway (just kidding!). That’s one of the Przewalski’s horses at Denver Zoo. Below, an orangutan shows off his Denver Broncos spirit. (Denver Zoo Facebook photos)

Eavesdropping on practically everybody in Colorado: “Go Broncos!”