A Sign of What His Retirement Will Be Like?

DENVER — John Elway, the best known figure in the Rocky Mountain region, went to dinner Saturday night in downtown Denver, and like everyone else found it difficult to secure a parking place.

“It [a sign] said, ‘No Parking--postal customers only,’ ” explained Elway on Sunday at his retirement announcement. “It’s nine o’clock at night, so I said this must be OK.”

So Elway parked his car, had dinner and returned to find his automobile towed.

Elway called the towing service, and after getting directions to its location, he figured it would be a 12-block walk through an industrial area.

“I was looking to run into a cab,” he said, “but what do I run into? I run into six limos with high school students out for their prom. They’re all going . . . what’s John Elway walking downtown in the middle of nowhere for?”

And then Elway held his hand to his eyes to explain his embarrassment, and the effort he made to hide from the youngsters, now staring out the windows of their limos.

Elway walked on, but instead of 12 blocks the hike for his car stretched to almost three miles.

“When he got there,” said Pat Bowlen, owner of the Broncos, “the lady said, ‘Can I see some ID, please? I need $100.’ ”

With a blushing Elway sitting in the background, Bowlen added, “So John, welcome to the world of retired great players.”