The Denver Nuggets’ outstanding season ended prematurely last weekend as CJ McCollum poured in 37 points for the Portland Trailblazers, the Nuggets went cold and missed their last 15 three-point shots, and the Pepsi Center fans left the arena with a rare homecourt loss in a pivotal game seven finale. The defeat was disappointing, but the future looks bright as Denver’s young core of Nikola Jokic (24), Jamal Murray (22), and Gary Harris Jr. (24) showed that the team is formidable and on the rise. But if you’re thinking that the Nuggets should simply work on their shooting this summer, practice... Read More

Let’s start with two undeniable facts: the Broncos are in dire need of a quarterback for the future, and I personally have nothing against Drew Lock.  That being said,  John Elway’s selection of the Missouri quarterback in the second round, with the 42nd overall pick, was awful on so many levels.  Or ten levels to be more precise. NOT EVERY DRAFT IS A GREAT ONE FOR QBs – The only two quarterbacks taken in the first round back in 2007 were JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn. EJ Manual was the lone QB selected in 2013, and the headliners of the 2014 draft were Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel. ... Read More

When the Oakland Raiders decided to take a lower-graded defensive end with the fourth overall pick and the New York Giants surprised everyone by taking quarterback Daniel Jones at number six, John Elway’s draft board couldn’t have looked any better. Sitting at number ten, Elway could have chosen Devin Bush, an inside linebacker from Michigan, selected a top offensive lineman, or had his choice of any quarterback he wanted, but he didn’t.  Instead, Elway wisely traded the pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers, deciding to acquire more picks and more value to fill some glaring needs. The Broncos... Read More

The story became obvious as I sat down to write.  The Colorado Avalanche would eliminate the top-seeded Calgary flames in five games, and my fingers began to type.  Thoughts of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Philipp Grubauer raced through my head.  Memories past were of Stanley Cups, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Ray Bourque.  I would be sure to throw in Patrick Roy’s legendary playoff quote once said in response to an opponent’s trash talk. “I didn’t hear him because my two Stanley Cup rings were stuffed in my ears.” It was undoubtedly the story, the headline, the news of... Read More

With a ferocious run at the end of the season, the Colorado Avalanche pulled off the impossible and grabbed the final spot in this year’s NHL playoffs.  I doubted them, I wrote them off, and in all honestly, I didn’t write about them at all.  The Nuggets battled Golden State for the top seed all season long, the Rockies filled LoDo with big money contracts and aspirations, and the Broncos, well, this is Bronco Country, which is always news.  But I’m not apologizing.  Instead, I’m embracing playoff hockey, still befuddled about that end-of-the-year finish while jumping on that bandwagon. ... Read More

The formula has been working for the Colorado Rockies over the past few years.  Hit a few homers, drink some microbrews, sprinkle in some pitching, and make the playoffs.  With Nolan Arenado sporting a bigtime contract, Kyle Freeland pitching gems, and the usual cast of characters mostly returning, 2019 should be a good one. But like Ian Desmond at the plate, I’m still not comfortable. DJ LeMahieu and Adam Ottavino are now New York Yankees, Wade Davis and Mark Reynolds are practically eligible for AARP, and our issues at first base . . . still have issues. Here are eight major factors that... Read More

What type of bracketologist are you? The Fridge Magnet – You have one, and only one, bracket filled out that hangs crooked on the side of your refrigerator filled with circles, crossed-out teams, and highlighter pen markings.  You aren’t in a pool, you don’t have any money on the line, you simply want to see how well you can prognosticate college basketball and the big dance. Your purpose is to feel good about yourself when you are right, not care too much if you are wrong, and allow yourself to be in the conversation when someone asks, “Who do you have in the game tonight?” The Bountiful... Read More

Selection Sunday has come and gone, and the Colorado Buffaloes failed to earn an invite to the 2019 NCAA Basketball Championships.  Proponents argue that the Pac-12 was immensely weak this year, the Buffs strength of schedule was poor, and the team lacked quality wins.  Compound that with a bad loss to Washington State and a limited number of spots, and the snub was more than expected. But I have seven, completely unbiased reasons why the NCAA Selection Committee should have had the Buffs dancing in March. 21 Wins – Colorado finished 21-12. While you can downplay the achievement with a schedule... Read More

With the NFL Combine in the books, the Denver Broncos and the rest of the league will wait to see what happens in free agency before putting together their draft boards.  It looks as if Joe Flacco will be a Bronco, Case Keenum a Redskin, Nick Foles a Jaguar, and Kyler Murray is rumored to join Kliff Kingsbury as the first pick in Arizona. But I don’t see it that way.  Here’s my mock draft 1.0. Oakland Raiders (via trade with Arizona) – Nick Bosa (Edge/Ohio State). The Cardinals were bluffing about their intention of drafting Kyler Murray after trading up to select quarterback Josh Rosen... Read More

Nikola Jokic is finally getting noticed.  A max contract, the first Nugget named to the all-star team since Carmelo Anthony, his team is in first place in the Northwest Division, fighting with Golden State for the top seed in the West, and he even has a cool nickname.  The Joker. A perfect take-off on his name: silly, clever, and like Batman’s nemesis, capable of taking over. But what about the other players?  With a record of 42-20, these guys should be household names, but they’re not.  While the lack of recognition could be due to time zones, market size, or Denver’s depth and rotations,... Read More