We wear their names on the back of our jerseys, display their posters on our walls, and dream that we are them.  Shooting baskets towards a rusty hoop we imagine we are Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, or Michael Jordan as the clock counts down to zero.  As plastic bats connect with whiffle balls, we round imaginary bases as Nolan Arenado, Mike Trout, or Willie Mays.  We lace up our skates like Nathan Mackinnon, cut off our sleeves like Rafael Nadal, and what we wouldn’t give to throw the ball, get the girl, and win it all, like Tom Brady. To us, athletes are superheroes.  To us, athletes are superhuman. COVID-19... Read More

It was only last weekend that I sat on my couch watching some guy named Daniel Berger win the Charles Schwab Challenge in a playoff over some guy named Collin Morikawa.  This wasn’t about the names of the players, the putts being drained, or even the awkward silence of an empty golf course.  This was about hope, normality, and the gradual return of sports. Despite the fear of COVID-19 and the social unrest that has dominated our lives, the golf tournament gave me just a glimmer of hope that our world was finally trending the right direction.  The opening of restaurants, gyms, and businesses... Read More

The NBA is finalizing its Return to Play format as 22 teams will travel to Orlando in July to finish off the 2019-20 NBA season and crown a new champion.  COVID-19 has changed the dynamics of this year’s playoffs as players return to the sport underconditioned, worried about safety, and understandably focused on social issues rather than basketball. Before the suspension of the regular season, teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers were favorites for the title.  But now that the rules have changed and new factors are thrown into the equation, are some teams better equipped... Read More

Following the tragic death of George Floyd and subsequent protests that have erupted across the country, Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement last week in which he apologized on the behalf of the owners and the league for failing to support the NFL players’ right to protest, specifically referring to those who knelt in protest back in 2016. “We, the NFL, condemn racism and systematic oppression of Black People.  We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.  We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter.”... Read More

As states continue to relax quarantine rules in an effort to open up again, the NHL became the first of the four major sports to step forward with a comprehensive plan to get back on the ice.  The Return to Play Plan was agreed upon in principle last week as the NHL decided on a four phase plan that would include self-isolation, training at local facilities, a training camp, and a 24 team playoff held at two hubs yet to be announced. According to the NHL timeline, players have already been isolating, and some facilities across the country have been opening with specific safety guidelines.  The... Read More

The rain continued throughout the day, but I didn’t care.  There were no outdoor hikes planned, no bike rides with poor fitting masks, and no social distance BBQs through the fencing of my backyard. For most, the combination of bad weather and the restrictions due to quarantine would make a Sunday over Memorial Day weekend feel like Ground Hog Day instead.  Another day of laundry, puzzles, and Netflix. But this day was different. On Sunday at 1pm, I curled up on my favorite chair and watched five straight hours of The Match – Champions for Charity, a live charity golf match that featured... Read More

With the country trying to open back up after quarantine restrictions from COVID-19, one of the biggest questions in sports remains whether college football can open along with it.  With current restrictions that include group gatherings of ten or less people, social distancing of six feet, and mask requirements in most public areas, does the college football season have a chance of moving forward? The answer is yes.  But in the state of Colorado, it will not be easy.  Some obstacles, and some solutions. Groups of Ten or Less– The first major obstacle starts with the number of players gathering... Read More

The National Football League released its 2020-21 schedule last Thursday, and while the future is unknown with regards to empty stadiums, neutral locations, or whether there will be a season at all, the excitement is still palpable. We all have our opinions when it comes to living in a world with COVID-19, and whether we choose to stay quarantined, go out, or function somewhere in the middle.  The NFL has that choice as well, but I believe there are 16 billion ($) reasons that football will be played on Sundays. The NFL brought in $16 billion in revenue last year, and half of that revenue was... Read More

  On the surface, the title seems like an ignorant tailgate cheer.  Bring college football back so fans can paint their chest, shotgun a beer, and get back to the way things were.  Over a million COVID-19 outbreaks alone in the United States, and over 70,000 deaths and we have the audacity to talk about football.  But it’s deeper than that.  The professional game will come back in due time when the billionaire owners and the millionaire players decide that things are safe.  But the college landscape is not as simple. In a perfect world, deaths and the virus disappear tomorrow.  In... Read More

With apologies to the Johnsonville Cornhole Championships that recently aired on The Ocho, Thursday night marks the return of live, meaningful sporting events.  The NFL Draft will commence as scheduled despite the lack of medical examinations, face-to-face interviews, and private workouts of year’s past.  The Denver Broncos have 10 picks in this year’s draft, including the 15th spot in the first round where many are guessing wide receiver. But unless John Elway gives up some equity and moves up the draft board in order to grab a CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy, I see an offensive lineman instead,... Read More