"I hate to lose more than I love to win."

Face it!...I am a Denver Bronco fan....I cannot help myself. We just lost number four-in-a-row. "I hate to lose more than I love to win."

I've been having a raging internal debate (with myself) lately about what's more important for a Bronco fan -- the love/passion for winning or the "never say die" mentality of a comeback artist. I've asked some good friends who are true competitors which is more important to them, and the margin is definitely tilted towards the "hate to lose" end of the spectrum. And, for those that know me, I daresay I'd be considered one who hates to lose.

In the world of ‘The Broncos’ and our new coach, I think I've reduced it to this: if you're born with unbelievable talent and grace, you have the luxury of loving to win. Things kind of fall into place, you have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and winning is expected. Don't misunderstand -- those that love to win work as hard as anyone, and make their luck. But there is a subtle distinction between expecting to win and refusing to lose. I'll get back to that in a second.

If you don't have the talent and grace of those chosen few, you must have a mentality of hating to lose in order to win. You have to overcome soooooo many obstacles, so many naysayers, so much negative and contradictory feedback, so many gatekeepers that keep you from decision-makers that it is only through sleepless nights, torn and crumpled piles of paper, 99 misses for every 100 swings, and screaming in the mirror that you will find the path. It requires undying passion and relentless head-against-the-wall sessions that only those that hate to lose more than anything can make it through.

But in a pinch, I'd rather have those that hate to lose on my side. Watch any movie, any sporting event; read any book on the history of warfare; ask any CEO. Those that hate to lose have a grimace, a grunt, an expression on their face (with sweat flying no doubt) that says it all: "I'm not done yet! This isn't over!" Those that love to win are pleasant to be around; they're gracious, wonderful people. And I've never met anyone who loved to win who didn't work as hard as the other guy (or even harder).

But, when push comes to shove, I've ultimately concluded that those who love to win are not as hungry as those who hate to lose. And hunger, my friends, is what ‘being a Bronco fan’ is all about.

I am a Bronco fan: "I'm not done yet! This isn't over!"