One of the difficulties of trying to write a weekly Colorado sports article is focusing on the biggest story of the week, and timing it within the deadline provided.  Follow that up with the challenge of informing and entertaining the reader in 600 words or less, and the problem becomes compounded.  Within the last ten days the Colorado Rockies had a playoff series, the Denver Broncos played twice, the CU Buffs traveled to USC, the Colorado Avalanche were five games into the start of the hockey season, while the Denver Nuggets were just hours from their NBA opener. And that’s just Colorado! ... Read More

The Colorado Buffaloes (5-0) extended their winning streak to five games with an impressive 28-21 victory over Arizona State last Saturday.  Running back Travon McMillan rushed for 136 yards on 30 carries, and quarterback Steven Montez was sharp as he added 328 yards and 2 TDs in the air.  The win put the Buffs atop the South Division of the Pac-12, and undoubtedly will move them up college rankings.  Football is the ultimate team sport, but after a four-touchdown performance, wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. is creating his own headlines. Thou Shenault Kill – Well, the Sophomore receiver... Read More

What a difference a week makes.  Well, ten games to be exact.  After getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Colorado Rockies were sitting at 82-70 and 2 ½ games out of first place.  Trevor Story had injured his arm, Nolan Arenado was in a major slump, the Rockies were fading from playoff contention, and I was writing their obituary. But the Rockies ended up winning nine out of their last ten games in what could only be described as the perfect storm, and for the first time in Rockies history, Colorado has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.  I tried to find the one single catalyst... Read More

The Colorado Rockies showed up in Los Angeles with swagger, momentum, and a half-game lead in the division playoff race.  After a Dodger sweep, a Trevor Story injury, and a Nolan Arenado slump, the Rockies continue to ask the question, why can’t we beat the Dodgers?  Here are seven major reasons. Depth – When the Dodgers lost shortstop Corey Seager to injury early in the season, the former Rookie-of-the-Year and two-time All-Star was replaced by Baltimore’s Manny Machado (37 HRs/102 RBIs). When Trevor Story had to remove himself against the Dodgers last Monday, he was replaced by Garret... Read More

There are three unwritten laws that we live by in Colorado.  Avoid I-70 during peak ski weekends, don’t turn off your sprinkler system just because it snows a little early, and most importantly, always hate the Raiders. The rivalry goes back years, but the epicenter stems from the late seventies when the Oakland matched Kenny Stabler, Cliff Branch, and Fred Biletnikoff against Denver’s Orange Crush defense of Randy Gradishar, Tom Jackson, and Billy Thompson. The games were violent, nasty, physical matchups that often ended with blood on the field, and fights in the stands.  But as the years... Read More

In a sea of scarlet, the Colorado Buffaloes renewed their longtime rivalry with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and exited Lincoln with a dramatic 33-28 victory.  Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. continued his heroic play as his touchdown reception with just over a minute left spoiled the coaching debut of local quarterback legend, Scott Frost. Nebraska dominated the first half with a retro game plan from the early 90’s of running the ball and stout defensive line play, but two early turnovers kept the Buffaloes within range trailing only 21-17 at halftime.  The Buffs made a few adjustments in the... Read More

Whether it’s facing rookie quarterbacks, unknown entities, or a coach that hasn’t blown a whistle in nine years, here’s predicting what looks to be an unpredictable season for the Orange and Blue. Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks (9-7) cleaned house after missing the playoffs and are replacing ten starters from last year’s squad.  No more Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman, Jimmy Graham, and All-Pro Earl Thomas is a holdout.  Russel Wilson could beat the Broncos by himself, but with banged up receivers, rookie running backs, and a hyped-up home crowd with lofty aspirations, the Broncos... Read More

Three preseason games may not be enough to fully judge the Broncos 2018-2019 season, but here’s the report card as we get close to kick-off. Quarterback Grade C+ – To be fair, compared to last year’s debacle in which Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, and Brock Osweiler combined to throw just 19 TDs versus 22 INTs, Case Keenum looks like an A+ upgrade.  But the jury is still out whether Keenum is the same QB that threw 22 TDs and only 7 picks with the Vikes in 2017, rather than the QB he was all the previous years.  A veteran backup is probably needed, but if Keenum goes down does it really... Read More

The official start of the NFL season is in a few weeks, which means the office will be consumed with fantasy football.  For most of us, we welcome the two-hour staff meetings that discuss roster numbers rather than sales numbers, but sadly, many workers simply don’t have the time, or care enough, to join the office league. Like playing golf with the sales team, or after work drinks with management, the failure to join a league can leave one feeling ostracized in the corporate world.  So here is your cheat sheet, your SparkNotes.  PPR league, Standard, Snake…don’t worry about the verbiage,... Read More

I sat down at my computer and thought about what to write.  It had been a few weeks since my last article and I was happy to get back to work after my editor approved a couple weeks off.  Last weekend I flew to Minnesota to watch my sixteen-year-old daughter swim at a major meet, as well as visiting a longtime friend from my childhood. The week before I attended my mother’s memorial.  She had passed away after a short battle with cancer at the age of 74. Staring at the screen, I thought about the Rockies big weekend series against the Dodgers, and the Broncos opening act on Saturday versus... Read More