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

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

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

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

Last week the NFL owners approved a national anthem policy that would require all players to stand and show respect for the flag.  The policy, which was passed without discussion from the NFL Players Association, would allow players to stay in the locker room during the playing of the anthem if they wished not to participate.  Whether the move was a response to lower ratings based on the taking-a- knee protests, political pressure from fans and the Trump administration, or simply a poorly constructed compromise, the ball is now in the players court.  First Amendment rights aside, if the players... Read More

After signing Case Keenum to a two-year contract and passing on a quarterback in the draft, how do the Broncos compare to the other 31 teams at the quarterback position for the next few years.  The ranking below.       Green Bay – They have Aaron Rodgers, enough said. New England – Tom Brady stars as Benjamin Button. New Orleans – Drew Brees signed a two-year extension worth $50 million, the Saints are fine. Seattle – Russel Wilson is only 29 years-old, has gone to four Pro-Bowls, and has already won a ring.  They’re good. Detroit – The franchise has issues, but Matthew... Read More

With all the speculation leading towards the Denver Broncos selecting a quarterback-of-the-future in this year’s NFL draft, gun-slinger John Elway failed to pull the trigger, but didn’t draw a blank.  After Cleveland continued its historic failure of drafting quarterbacks by selecting Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick, the Browns compounded their mistake by selecting Denzel Ward (CB/Florida State) providing the Broncos a gift of edge-rushing proportions. It’s possible that Elway had his eye on Mayfield or Sam Darnold (USC), but after both quarterbacks were taken off... Read More

Now that John Elway has his quarterback, predicting who the Broncos will take with the fifth pick in the 2018 NFL draft is fairly obvious.   It may not be sexy, but Denver needs major help on their offensive line so look for Elway to select Quenton Nelson, a beast of a lineman out of Notre Dame.  You can pencil Nelson in as an immediate starter and a future pro-bowler for years to come. Actually, since we’re doing this in pencil…Case Keenum only signed a two-year deal for basically Brock Osweiler money, which means Elway doesn’t see him as the long-term solution, but more of a stop-gap... Read More

I can feel it.  Bronco Nation is a little nervous about John Elway’s ability to make the right pick at quarterback at this year’s draft.  We’re afraid his track record speaks for itself and we’re petrified that he’s going to make the wrong choice.  Well, don’t worry.  The fifth overall pick is no Jim Druckenmiller. The year was 1997 and the San Francisco 49ers were looking to replace aging hall-of-famer Steve Young and continue their historic QB lineage.  While most franchise quarterbacks tend to go in the upper-first- half of the NFL draft, the 49ers waited until the 26th pick... Read More

                    As John Elway educates himself on Eagles potential free-agent quarterback Nick Foles next Sunday, he may want to take a refresher course in American History. History has taught us that you need a Hall of Fame quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and not just competent ones like Nick Foles, Case Keenum, or Kirk Cousins.  And when Tom Brady heads to the victory parade with his shiny new pair of Uggs, holding his 6th Lombardi Trophy, Elway may want to jot down some notes. There have been 51 Super Bowls and if we assume that Tom Brady,... Read More