By Anthony Suntay

I KNOW I promised to write about full-blooded Filipino baseball player Geno Espinelli in this week’s column, but I was very disappointed in what the Denver Broncos did in my favorite sport, American football, just a few days ago that I had to let it off my chest.

There is a saying that goes, all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately for Mike Shanahan, his 21-year tenure with the Broncos in the National Football League came to a close after the regular season ended.

Shanahan is one of the brightest minds in the NFL, and he is also one of the coaches I have admired since I started following the sport in the early ’80s. He has had many successful years with the franchise, which he led to Super Bowl titles in 1998 and 1999, but now he’s out on the street.

This year, the team struggled with an 8-8 record and failed to make the playoffs after losing their last three games.

That tailspin really doomed Shanahan and his staff.

Remember, coaches get fired, not players, so when things don’t go your team’s way, the coaches are the first ones to go.

Players win games, right? And coaches lose them. That’s the harsh reality of the job.

I still believe that he is a brilliant tactician and fantastic motivator, but I guess management figured they needed a change and it meant firing someone highly respected in his craft.

“This is a very difficult day for me,” owner Pat Bowlen said. “I know Mike is disappointed and I’m very disappointed I had to make this decision. The emotion, when you’re with someone for 21 years and you have to let them go, it’s a tough decision. In 25 years, this is probably as tough as it gets.”

I understand when management has to pull the plug, but I honestly think they should have evaluated the situation a little bit better.

A lot happens in a season and I watched their final game in San Diego, though they did get blasted, 52-21, the score really wasn’t a clear indication of the true situation.

The Broncos really didn’t have the talent to go all the way this year, and they were up against a Chargers’ team that is peaking at the right time and is actually considered by some to win it all.

There’s no disgrace in losing to a better team, much more a favored team.

I think given a few more key players next season, the Broncos, with Shanahan leading them, should have made a stronger push toward the post season.

But the owner decided to act now, and go with a new leader.

Shanahan, who was also the vice president of the Broncos, went 138-86 in 14 seasons as head coach, to go with the previous seven as an assistant.

I’m sure Shanahan will quickly find a new home, considering the many struggling teams at the moment, but I’m not quite sure if he would want to get back on the horse immediately.

Change is good, and it just might turn out to be a blessing for both the Broncos and Shanahan.

Let’s see who is able to get back to the top first though.

In the meantime, to learn more on Geno Espinelli, listen to Real Sports later at 2:15 p.m. on Wave 89.1!

Have a great weekend! God Bless!

E-mail me at realsports891@yahoo.com