The South Stands wishes to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Tom Nalen for being named a member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

The team announced Nalen’s nomination today. The selection committee for the Ring of Fame includes Pat Bowlen, John Beake, Larry Zimmer and longtime coach Joe Collier. The most recent former Bronco named to the ring was the great Rod Smith. Nalen’s name will be added to the ring in late September.

Nalen will join Denver legends Floyd Little, Lionel Taylor, Goose Gonsoulin, Rich Jackson, Gerald Phipps, Frank Tripucka, Charley Johnson, Paul Smith, Billy Thompson, Haven Moses, Craig Morton, Jim Turner, Randy Gradishar, Tom Jackson, Louis Wright, John Elway, Karl Mecklenburg, Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe and Rod Smith.

He will be the only of these players ever to have appeared on the South Stands Denver Fancast, making him the very best one.

We could not be more happy for Tom who is every bit as wonderful a person as he was a center for the Broncos. Hip, hip HOORAY!

We know what the Broncos offered Charles Woodson, the long-time Packer (who was drafted by the Raiders back in 1998), in terms of contract length and compensation. Mike Klis says that it was within about a half-million of what the Raiders were offering.

Assuming that the Broncos would have given Woodson the better chance at winning another ring, we can conclude that Woodson's decision wasn't based on winning. And, since the money was about the same on the Denver side, it wasn't about money, either. Woodson's decision was a lifestyle decision.

We know that Woodson has a winery in Northern California. He was raised in Ohio and went to school in Michigan so we know that he's sick of being cold. California is the place he wants to be. Not Denver.

So ... Charles Woodson is going straight to hell. And there he will meet Peyton Manning, his overlord. 

Veteran safety and legendary Packer Charles Woodson is being wooed in free agency by both the Denver Broncos and by their division rivals, the Oakland Raiders.

The Broncos have the advantage of being a Super Bowl contender.

The Raiders have the advantage of being the team that drafted Woodson back in 1998. They also appear to have an ace in the black hole. Their rabid fans showed up at the team facility today to greet the veteran. 

Jerry McDonald (@JerryMcD) who covers the team for the Oakland Tribune Tweeted: 

Woodson re-emerges from facility, accompanied by Willie Brown, to greet fans at secruity gate. Smiles broadly, holds up jersey.

From the sound of that Tweet, the Raiders may be close to getting their (our) man. It's hard to imagine how any player could choose crappy, crappy Oakland over Denver, but you just never know....

(Photo Denver Post)

Rahim Moore made one of the most notoriously horrible plays in Broncos history when he whiffed against the Ravens – and he knows it. Moore told Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com that he’s “had some bad comments” from people but that he understands their reasoning:

"The fans, that's what they're supposed to do, that's why they're there for us, they pay all their money, their hard-earned money and they want to see greatness," he said. "So, I don't fault them at all. But this year, we're going to do all we can to put some smiles on their faces."

It’s great to see that Moore has a mature attitude about the egg on face. He has received support from his team mates and looks forward to making improvements. Moore told Mason:

“…those are the plays in the season that I made that I feel like I want to take back, you know? But that's the part of improvement, that's part of getting better, that's part of being a man when it's all said and done."

Good for Rahim. Meanwhile, the Broncos are still pursuing Charles Woodson.

"What’s-his-name, the ineffective coach is at long last history and Pierre “I don’t even live here” Lacroix has been shown the door along with his kid. It’s time to kick ass again in Colorado"

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The New York Knicks were a huge disappointment to their fans in the playoffs, getting eliminated in the second round by the Indiana Pacers. Most folks expected that New York would make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but things fell apart for them. Their “sixth man of the year”, in particular collapsed down the stretch in the Indiana series and some are blaming his excessive partying and drug use.

It would come as no surprise to us if JR Smith had begun using cocaine heavily as several rumors out of New York insinuate. Most recently the NBA gossip site, Full Court Pumps published this anonymous quote:

“There’s a reason why JR Smith hasn’t been playing to good lately. Yeah, he’s in the club just about every night here in New York and everyone knows he’s a drinker but from two very reliable sources…JR has a serious coke habit that really started last month. My source is the connect for his coke dealer uptown and JR is copping $1,200 worth of blow every two three days when in town. Personal use….Dude was sick from it.”

Another gossip site, that belonging to the notorious “Incarcerated Bob” makes the same assertion, claiming that:

“JR Smith purchases approximately $1.500 worth of cocaine every 2/3 days when he is in town as well as $1.500 worth of marijuana every week”.

Maybe all this is true, maybe it’s not. But either way Denver Nuggets fans should continue to feel a sense of relief that the walking distraction that is JR Smith is New York’s problem now.

Unless you're a huge fan of the Padres chances are that the gear the Rockies have opted to wear on Memorial Day will hurt your eyes.

In a tribute to our men and women in uniform the squad plans on wearing this cheesy 8-bit desert camo. We would prefer to see something more traditional, but camo is all the rage.
Besides, this Memorial Day gear will be perfect for Todd Helton's convenience store runs.

Image via Deadspin

Here Rockies short stop and hero of game four versus the Giants at Coors Field helps himself to a hearty post-game handful of Betancock.

Luckily, the cameras were able to capture this moment for the good of the internet and its users.

Welp. Peyton Manning will get to reunite with Dwight Freeney after all - but, instead of at Dove Valley, the reunion will take place on the field. Freeney is a Charger, meaning his new job is to put his old pal Peyton right on his ass. He will be a linebacker in SDs 3-4 defense.

The Broncos were reluctant to pay Freeney what he felt that he was worth. The Chargers, however, stepped up to the plate. The ten year veteran will be earning 8.75M over two years. That's a lot of dough for a guy on the downside of his career.

No word yet as to which Chargers linebacker will instruct Freeney on how to beat his wife, something San Diego defensive players are noted for doing.

(via Pro Football Talk)

Peyton Manning has signed a new contract with the Broncos. However, rather than involving any type of financial restructuring, the gunslinger’s new deal only differs from his old one only in that the new one specifies an insurance policy that the team has taken out protecting them against an injury not relating to Manning’s surgically repaired neck.

If Peyton is unable to play due to a new injury the Broncos will receive $10M in compensation as well as cap considerations. If he encounters troubles relating to his neck surgeries the Broncos will automatically be off the hook for the 20M per year Manning is scheduled to earn.