MIAMI -- The Denver Broncos flew to their sixth Super Bowl Sunday in an unaccustomed role -- as defending champions.

The team charter, with a Broncos logo and "1998 AFC Champions" emblazoned on the sides, arrived at Fort Lauderdale International Airport at 4:15 p.m. ET.

	Owner Pat Bowlen (bottom) and defensive coordinator Greg Robinson get off the plane before coach Mike Shanahan.

There were only a few Broncos fans were on hand for the arrival at a remote area of the airport. The plane arrived in warm, sunny weather, unlike the cool, rainy conditions earlier in the day.

But there was an icy feel in the air when coach Mike Shanahan addressed the media.

Shanahan issued a warning to the media, saying he hoped he had answered his last questions about his relationship with Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves.

Any further inquiries will be met with icy stares and testy retorts.

In the first of six scheduled sessions with the media this week, Shanahan grew increasingly angry when he was asked on three occasions about that relationship. Shanahan, formerly the Broncos' offensive coordinator under Reeves, was fired by Reeves in January 1992 for alleged insubordination.

Reeves and Shanahan rehashed the issues separately last week.

Earlier Sunday, Reeves apologized for stirring up bitter feelings about the longstanding feud with Shanahan and Broncos quarterback John Elway.

Asked about the apology, Shanahan said, "I'm glad it's over. The emphasis should be on the players on our team, and as far as I'm concerned it's over with, and we can get ready to play the Super Bowl."

Later, Shanahan was asked if Reeves' comment a week ago caught him off guard.

"To be honest with you, I'm not going to have a response this week," he said. "It's over with."

Asked to elaborate on his comment last Thursday that he believed his relationship with Reeves was irreparably damaged, Shanahan snapped, "Well, let me make this clear, maybe I didn't make this clear. What I'm talking about right now is about the Denver Broncos, or if you want to talk about the Atlanta Falcons. We're not going to get into my past relationship with Dan. We addressed that last week, and now we move on."

The half dozen players who addressed the media at an interview session Sunday night, not one was heard to say the obligatory greeting, "We're happy to be here."

For most, they expected to be here.

"This is why we worked so hard since last April," cornerback Ray Crockett said. "We got here last year and won it, and that made us even hungrier to get back."

The Broncos are making their sixth Super Bowl appearance, but the first as defending champions.

The Broncos' first four Super Bowl trips -- after the 1977, 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons -- ended in losses, by increasingly large margins.