Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s autographed football is being auctioned off by the American Physical Therapy Association for the Bob Doctor Golf Tournament July 26 at the Colorado National Golf Club.

The football is valued at $425 with a $200 minimum bid. Here’s the link to bid: https://www.blacktie-colorado.com/auctions/index.cfm?fuseaction=Auctions.Item&aid=627&iid=597221.

The ball not only bears Wilson’s signature, but “XLVIII Champs is noted as well.” For those still smarting from the Seahawks’ drubbing of our beloved Broncos (43-8), you might want this souvenir to kick around.

Here is link to golf tournament info: http://coloradophysicaltherapists.org/apta-events/bob-doctor-golf-tournament/.

The football autographed by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for the American Physical Therapy Association for the Bob Doctor Golf Tournament.

“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.”

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.

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.”

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)

As the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos prepare to face off in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, community foundations in their home cities are calling on their communities to face off in a contest of charitable giving, called First and Give.

In Denver, the message is to be United in Orange to Fight Childhood Hunger, raising money to help feed hungry kids through the Food Bank of the Rockies, a flagship community partner of the Denver Broncos. Both The Denver Foundation and Food Bank of the Rockies are waiving all administrative charges so that every dollar raised will go directly to buy food for children in need.

In Seattle, they’re flexing their charitable muscles through the 12thManGives, raising money for Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington, which grants wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. The team will be sending kids to the Super Bowl through Make-A-Wish.

The great thing about First and Give is that everyone wins – the contributors, the youth, and the communities.

Beginning today, the foundations will be competing to see which organization can raise the most money and garner the highest number of individual donors through 10:59 p.m. MST on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2.

 With two measures of success, the “competition” could easily result in two winners!

“We are united in orange, and we’re united in big giving,” said Denver Foundation President and CEO David Miller. “The Metro Denver community can turn our Broncos team spirit into generosity. It’s time to ride!”

The Seattle Foundation’s president, former Seattle Mayor Norman B. Rice, was born and raised in Denver but has been a Seahawks fan since the team launched in 1976 and is a Seahawks season ticket holder.

“This is a victory for both our cities,” Rice said. “Of course, I have no doubt that the generosity of Seattle’s 12th Man fans will put us on top!”

To give go to www.denverfoundation.org, click on “donate now” and designate to United in Orange to Fight Childhood Hunger. The Denver Foundation will forward all proceeds directly to Food Bank of the Rockies to help feed hungry children in Metro Denver.

All gifts to the fund are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and will be distributed quickly to help fight childhood hunger in our community.

Future Hall-of-Famer Champ Bailey is the new voice on the underground train that runs from the main concourse to gates A, B and C at Denver International Airport.

I guess Peyton Manning was that voice over the holidays (thank goodness I didn’t have to make an airport run during that time), but Bailey’s voice has taken over for the Broncos QB.

“I like to invite all of our great fans across the nation to unite in orange as we prepare to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl,” Bailey says in the recording.

Listen to the full audio below, courtesy of DIA.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2014/01/25/champ-bailey-new-voice-denver-international-airport-trains/25760/.

Champ Bailey records his message that train riders hear at Denver International Airport. (DIA Facebook page photo)

The Soiled Dove Underground at 7401 E. First Ave. is throwing the Ultimate Broncos Party to celebrate the big game on Feb. 2.  Doors open at 3:30 p.m. with kickoff at 4:30 p.m.

While Broncos fans root on the home team against the Seattle Seahawks, they can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet including wings, hot dogs, sliders and more at The Soiled Dove Underground.  Also included are unlimited Budweiser & Bud Light drafts, house wine and well drinks.

Free square pools will be available with winnings after every quarter.  Raffle prizes will be given throughout the game with the grand prize being a 42-inch HD TV.

Owner Frank Schultz says, “Football season is one of our busiest times of the year.  It’s completely magnified with the Broncos being in the Super Bowl.  It’s such an exciting time for the city.  We’re looking forward to having people join us for the big game watch.”

The game will be projected on three six-foot movie screens for prime viewing.  With tiered seating, there’s not a bad seat in the house.  Entry price for the party is $60 per person in advance and $65 at the door.

To book tickets in advance for $60, visit www.soileddove.com.

In perhaps an unprecedented move, Visit Denver and Visit Seattle — the booster organizations for both Super Bowl cities — issued a joint press release Thursday listing the similarities between the two (now) rival burgs. Here’s what it said:

“Their geographic locations could not be more different.  Denver is located 5,280 feet above sea level on high rolling plains at the base of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  Seattle is located in one of the most spectacular natural harbors of the world. But despite these physical differences, Denver and Seattle actually share much in common.

Not on the list is the fact that I have lived in both cities – twice! And that Colorado and Washington both voted to approve recreational marijuana sales.

Other than that little-known factoid, compare these stats:

“Denver – founded in 1858 as a gold-mining camp.

“Seattle – founded in 1851 as a logging and fishing center.

“Denver – 2012 population of 634,264 making it the 23rd largest city in the U.S.

“Seattle – 2012 population of 634,535 making it the 22nd largest city in the U.S.

“When bypassed by the transcontinental railroad, Denver built its own connecting railroad in 1869.

“When bypassed by the transcontinental railroad, Seattle forced its own connecting railroad in 1883.

“Denver was rescued from a deep depression by the discovery of gold nearby in Cripple Creek in 1890.

“Seattle was rescued from a deep depression by the discovery of gold nearby along the Klondike River in Canada in 1897.

“Denver has a history of boom and bust economies and is currently booming with eight new downtown skyscrapers, 1,500 hotel rooms and a rail line from downtown to Denver International Airport all under construction.

“Seattle has a history of boom and bust economies and is currently booming with aerospace, computer software, biotech, e-commerce and international trade.

“From the late 19th to mid 20th century, Denver was known as The Queen City of the Plains.

“From the late 19th to mid 20th century, Seattle was known as The Queen City.

“Denver has a national reputation for beer, including Coors, Great Divide, Breckenridge and Wynkoop breweries.

“Seattle has a national reputation for beer, including Red Hook, Pike and Pyramid.

“The cartoon South Park takes place near Denver and frequently features Denver landmarks.

“The comic strip Doonesbury takes place in Seattle and frequently features Seattle landmarks.

“Denver is home to the first Chipotle and the first Quiznos, both of which started here.

“Seattle is home to the first Starbucks, Nordstrom, Boeing and Amazon.com, which started there.

“Favorite city movie titles: ‘Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead.’ ‘Sleepless in Seattle.’

“Actors from Denver: Amy Adams, Don Cheadle, Keri Russell, AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Stone, Trey Parker.

“Actors from Seattle: Anna Faris, Raine Wilson, Tom Skerritt (who ironically lived in Crested Butte for awhile), Bruce Lee.”

But come Super Bowl Sunday, these towns will have nothing in common except the desire to win!