Frank Tripucka, first Denver Broncos QB, dies at 85 years old

CBS Sports ^ | September 12, 2013 | Josh Katzowitz

[EveningStar]

When Frank Tripucka first arrived in Denver in 1960 to work for the newly-formed Broncos of the newly-formed American Football League, he was only supposed to help assist head coach Frank Filchock in a coaching capacity.

Funny thing about that. Tripucka was apparently the best option the team had at quarterback. Thus, though he hadn't played in the NFL since 1952, he took over the starting spot and proceeded to throw for a career- and league-high 3,038 yards that season.

Tripucka -- who died Thursday morning at the age of 85 -- started for two more seasons (and led the league in passing yards again in 1962).

[Buckeye McFrog]

Legend is they were leftovers from some College All-Star Game as the then-Broncos owner was too cheap to order new ones.

[real saxophonist]

I dated a girl with that last name a long time ago. She was a cousin of the basketball player, which I thought was cool because I had a family member who played Major League Baseball.

Names omitted on purpose.

[rochester_veteran]

Legend is they were leftovers from some College All-Star Game as the then-Broncos owner was too cheap to order new ones.

When I lived in Denver from 1980-83, those socks were still the brunt of jokes amongst Bronco fans.

BTW, 30 years after my wife and I left Colorado to return to Rochester, NY, my son and his wife moved to Castle Rock to start their careers.

[Bender2]

Re: ...I think Bender2 went to school with this guy.

Trip... and I were never--

--really close... but--

In the late 1990s I did run into Connor Trinneer when he was auditioning for "Pensacola: Wings of Gold" and... of course, everyone who is anyone knows he later got the part of Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" TV series.

Dysart, Dysart! If I have learned one thing... in all my years flying back and forth over Texas from Hollywood to New York and New York to Hollywood--

You do not buy generic cowbell and you don't... try to out six degree of separation with Bendy!

[Squidpup]

http://www.remembertheafl.com/BroncosFacts.html

...
Frank Tripucka, the Broncos' first quarterback, sighs at the memory. Speaking by phone from Bloomfield, N.J., Tripucka flatly says the original Broncos uniform was the ugliest thing he ever wore. And he played for three NFL teams before spending seven years in Canada.

Hideous? Horrible?

"Unquestionably," Tripucka says. "We were a very poor ballclub, financially. They took anything they could get their hands on."

Literally.

Those first uniforms came from a defunct college bowl game (the Copper Bowl). Rips and tears had to be repaired because there was no way to get more of these dandy duds. The colors were technically "seal brown and gold."

"Mustard yellow would be a more accurate description," says Jim Saccomano, the team's director of public relations, a club employee for 32 years and a lifelong Denver resident who has seen almost every game the Broncos have played.

Denver's second coach, Jack Faulkner, set fire to the old socks at the club's intrasquad game in 1962, with new ownership in place, a little more money available and new colors of orange, blue and white adopted. Yet no one who ever saw the vintage hose will forget them.

The Broncos still have one of their originals at their headquarters in Englewood, Colo.

...

http://www.talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/1962-denver-broncos-a-tale-of-two-seasons/

[Squidpup]

"Broncos QB Frank Tripucka scores a touchdown against the Titans of New York in 1962. The team had worn striped socks the two previous seasons."

[SevenofNine]

Hey Bender any true rumor that you were going be lead for 1925 Metropolis until you tick off Fritz Lang

I been watching alot of TCM lately LOL!

They talk about Film story of odessy there is story allegely you slept with Erich Von Streeim mistress during film of the 1925 movie classic Greed

Eric was plan shoot you

Until Irving Thailberg Shearer talk him out of it

[Bender2]

Yea, Irving did tell Erich that if he killed me... MGM would drop him like a hot rock. Von Stroheim didn't know 'The Kid' and I were drinking buddies.

Von Stroheim was your typical German, know-it-all... son-of-a-bitch who couldn't pour piss out of a boot when it came to women--

Of course, Irving also had no idea I was also banging Norma... and there is not any truth at all to the vile rumor that Norma spilled the beans on that that Labor Day weekend they had in Monterey, California, in 1936 just before Irving died.

[SevenofNine]

LMAO I have strange feeling that story is true

What about Fritz Lang

Sweetie any word that he drop you from Metropolis because you hitting on Brigette Helm they mention something on TCM documentary about Story of Film

I do hear all the stories that Erich was totally a-hole

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.