DENVER -- Let the record show: The question was first asked to Mike Shanahan on Sunday night by Jim Nantz in front of more than 75,000 adoring Mile High Stadium fans as he accepted the Lamar Hunt Trophy following his Denver Broncos' 23-10 victory over the New York Jets in the AFC Championship Game.

	Dan Reeves and John Elway went to three Super Bowls together from 1987 to 1990.

Three minutes into Shanahan's postgame interview, inquiring minds who didn't hear his response on the field wanted to know the same thing.

When John Elway followed Shanahan into that same interview tent, he also was soon answering the same querry.

And in front of his locker, in the glow of returning to the Super Bowl for a record fifth time as the starting quarterback, Elway was cornered by reporters who wanted more dirt on the ironic storyline created by the Atlanta Falcons' 30-27 upset of the Minnesota Vikings prior to Denver's victory.

"What about playing Dan Reeves in the Super Bowl?"

The question will follow Shanahan and Elway from Denver all the way to Miami over the next two weeks leading up to Super Bowl XXXIII.

"I'll be honest with you, at times were the best of friends ..." answered a diplomatic Shanahan, who served as Denver's offensive coordinator from 1985-87 until he was fired by Reeves.

And then the obligatory nice words about Reeves and his Falcons followed. "To be honest with you, they had to play a heck of a football game today to beat a team like Minnesota in their backyard. They're playing defense, great offense, they are well-balanced. That's one of the reasons why they are 16-2. In fact, they've got the best won-loss record of anyone in the NFL over past 25-26 games.

"That's a credit to Dan and his coaching staff. We're just looking forward to being there. We're glad we're the team representing the AFC."

And that was all Shanahan had to say about that.

As for Elway, he also started his response with congratulatory remarks about Reeves' team -- the same coach he played for from 1981-92. The same coach many in these parts say he ran out of town.

"For the Falcons to go into Minnesota and beat them, they have to be playing great. So it's going to be a heck of a fight," Elway began.

No, no, no. What about Reeves? This throng of reporters needed to know how Elway felt about facing the man who made Denver too small for the both of them.

Instead of talking about his final game at Mile High Stadium after 16 seasons, or the chance at a second consecutive Super Bowl title, or the farewell salute he gave to the fans, Elway was trapped in a trip down a lane of not so pleasant memories.

The inquisition started with the question of if he owed Reeves an apology for some of the critical remarks he'd made in the past about the coach with whom he endured three crushing Super Bowls defeats.

"I don't think either one of us (need to) apologize," a candid Elway said. "It's just one of those things that didn't work out.

"Now look what's happened. He's there, done a hell of a job there, and were able to get back here. That's just kind of the way things go."

So it was just like a marriage that didn't work out, 'eh John.

"It wasn't always a bad marriage, was it?" Elway asked. "And it wasn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be. We played golf, and sure we had our little spats, but other than that ... Hell, we went to three Super Bowls, so something had to be right. I give him a hell of a lot of credit, he puts the team together. Look what he's done in Atlanta.

"The head coach is always responsible for a heck of a lot for what his team does."

But Reeves career was damaged by what happened in Denver, right?

"I guess I don't look at his career that way," Elway fired back. "Even though he went to New York and things didn't work out in New York, he's in a position (in Atlanta) where he can call all the shots and do what he wants to do. It's kind of funny, coaching works that way. You find that meld, and he's obviously found it."

But what about now standing in the way of Reeves' redemption? Elway got his Super Bowl last year. Now he stands in the way of Reeves getting his Super Bowl.

"I'm not looking at it that way. I'm looking at it as trying to win another Super Bowl for the Broncos," Elway said. "It's not what I'm trying to prevent, it's what I'm trying to do."

Then, with a smile, Elway let the reporters know he'd had enough Reeves questions for Sunday. After all, there are 13 more days to repeat his words.

But before he left, a reporter suggested Elway had better go home and practice all his Dan Reeves vs. John Elway answers.

"That's all right, I don't mind answering them," Elway said as he turned right into another cluster of recorders.

Let the hype continue.