Bob Carney was a huge fan of the Denver Broncos. He was a season ticket holder since 1965 and kept pages of notes about the team he loved.
When the Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII, Carney was unable to attend due to family matters. So when Carney was awarded tickets to Super Bowl 50, he was ecstatic about the opportunity.
The lifetime Broncos fan invited his daughter, Cindy Hoffman, to accompany him to Santa Clara, California. They arrived in the Bay Area two days before the big game.
Unfortunately, Carney didn't make it to Levi's Stadium that Sunday. The 73 year old collapsed hours after arriving in California. Carney suffered a pulmonary embolism and passed away.
As a hospice nurse, Cindy was as ready as she could be. Dealing with the death of her father, Cindy did what her father would've done -- she went to the game with a friend.
The Broncos' win would've had Carney smiling, and Cindy believes her dad might have had something to do with Panthers kicker Graham Gano's missed 44-yard field goal.
"I swear that was my dad's doing," Cindy told ESPN.
After the Super Bowl, Carney's family had his funeral service and the Broncos surprised those who were in attendance. Former Broncos cornerback Billy Thompson and other team representatives brought the Lombardi Trophy to be with Carney before he was laid to rest.
"When I saw the Lombardi Trophy, I cried even more," Cindy said. "People who had known my dad who didn't care for football told me they just became Broncos fans."
