ENGLEWOOD – The great Halloween party that will live on in Broncos lore was coming up.
Von Miller, as only Von can, immediately diffused the potential gravity of the topic by walking up to the wooden podium box to begin his weekly press conference here Thursday at the Broncos’ UCHealth Training Center headquarters and performing a pratfall.
The gag has worked at least since The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s, if not the silent film era a century ago.
And it worked this time, too. After Miller went through his hardly accidental trip-and-fall across his mini-stage, he turned toward the media gathering and smiled.
The assembled media laughed. Von knows how to work a room.
Which brings us to the Gothic Theater on Monday night. Miller hosted a Halloween party there for his teammates, spouses, Broncos support staff and members of other sports teams. In all, an estimated 450 guests showed up.
The bash received its share of negative publicity because of a couple controversial costumes and Broncos’ quarterback Chad Kelly getting arrested on a first-degree criminal trespass charge that led to his release from the team 30 hours later.
“Nobody likes bringing people together more than me,’’ Miller said about his party. “I enjoy spending time with my teammates whether it’s dinner on Friday nights, or meetings at my house, or being with the wives on Thursdays, or Halloween parties. I like bringing people together.
“It was a private event. It was safe. I had team security there, I had my own private security there. We had the Outlaws (lacrosse team) there. The Nuggets, the (Sacramento) Kings. Just all the Denver sports. It was a private event, private Halloween party.
“It was a safe event and of course, I care about Chad as a person, the party was separate from his issues. I love the guy and I wish the best for him.’’
Miller answered the question so thoroughly, the follow up question was about the Chiefs’ offense. And it was all football from there.
After his 7-minute press conference was finished, Miller stepped down from the wooden box with grace and agility.